Bookbinding
- How to fix your book
Before I switched to Lemmy, I noticed a lot of questions on Reddit about repairing books. So, I thought I'd create a list of repair guides that, to my knowledge, follow best practices; and pin it for anyone who needs it.
Please note, if a book is particularly valuable or has historical significance, you should take it to a professional. Also, if your library book is damaged, you can return it as-is and the library will handle the repair. In either case, wet books should be frozen.
That said, here's how to repair:
Loose hinges:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpUU4dwPzWA
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhyO8ptZAgI
Cracked hinge:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK9Aqqns56E
Detatched hinge:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w3BayjJ1rU
Detatched text block (recase):
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6eH8eb6daw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm4Zt9Yh5xA
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z4sIj6go5U
Warped hard cover:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn-13BopXq4
Spine replacement:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAaig_rKS5g
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNWHhuSnk5Y
- https://youtu.be/FeuG264vGiQ
Torn paper:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBwT97IztS8
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0d-VvDcg_M
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWBwOYRCHdE
Torn out piece of a page:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwTNVsi_HBg
Loose page:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvTK8tUCcmA
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Sq2jflWHM
Harcover corner repair:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWL-swOol-8
Wet book:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_fwmdCyzo
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA2CAC9141448B159
Mold:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_KdBP_fM4Q
Warped paperback spine:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgLRFsGHzkg
Detatched paperback case:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWR2JmsbMm0
More damage than that? Here's some more extensive repairs:
Rebind:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkEC56T7Qlo
Paperback rebind:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iByMBvpFTNk
Paperback to hardcover recase:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWTANgmtpfQ
edit: added a spine replacement that doesn't lift the original book cloth
- Conserving the Diamond Sutra
YouTube Video
Click to view this content.
Not exactly a book, but I find preservation and restoration fascinating
- Grail Diary
Hi everyone I subbed here because I'd eventually like to start building a Grail Diary and will eventually need this resource.
- Getting started
If you're interested in learning to bind books, the best place to start (IMO) would be YouTube tutorials! Here's who I would recommend:
DAS Bookbinding has a lot of great info and projects, a lot of which are historical bindings. Here's his playlist for getting started, and here's his playlist for a rounded & backed cased book.
Sea Lemon is another popular YouTuber, and her bookbindings are a bit more casual. Here's her playlist on methods & stitches, and here's her playlist on supplies & tips.
Good luck!