From clay-board or stiff card-board, binders’ board, or strawboard, cut two pieces an eighth of an inch wider and a quarter of an inch longer than the actual size of the book. These are for the front and back corners. Lay the binding material—buckram, cloth, or leather—on a table or smooth board face down. Now, with a lead-pencil, mark two parallel lines through the middle, as far apart as the thickness of the book plus the thickness of the covers, as shown at A A in Fig. 9. Then mark a line across one end at right angles to these, as shown at B. Apply glue to the covering material and place the card-boards on the spaces C C, so that the inner edge and top of each board will line with the pencil-marks A and B. Press the boards down with the fingers; then turn the cloth and boards over and press with a dry cloth, rubbing over the surface to drive down the cloth in any place where it does not seem to have adhered. With scissors or a knife cut off the corners as shown at D, taking care not to approach too close to the corner of the boards. Leave about one-eighth of an inch of cloth beyond the corners, so that it will cover them when the edges of the cloth are turned over. These edges should be about half an inch in width. After applying glue to them, lap them over on the card-boards, as shown at Fig. 10, and rub them with the soft cloth to drive out all air from between these edges and the boards.
REBINDING AN OLD BOOK
Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9.Fig. 11.
When the four sides are finished, the cover or case is ready to receive the book. Lay the case open on a table, just as you see it in Fig. 10, and apply glue to the space between the card-boards, and also on the card-boards for an inch or so from the inner edges. Now take the book in hand, and place it so that the back will rest on the space of cloth between the boards, leaving an equal projection of the cover above and below the board, or about one-eighth of an inch. With the fingers press the projecting flaps of crash down on the glued surface of the cards at either side of the book; then lift both covers up to the sides of the book (still allowing it to rest on its back), and with both hands press the covers together as hard as you can. Hold it in this position for a few seconds; then carefully lay the book on its side and place a flat-iron upon it for five minutes.
At the end of this time carefully lift one cover and apply glue or paste to the first fly-leaf (that is one of the pages you tipped in), and press it against the inside of the cover, taking care, however, not to allow the paper to wrinkle. Turn the book over and repeat this on the other side; then replace the flat-iron and leave the book under pressure for a day or two; or, better yet, arrange it in between the pressure-boards described for Figs. 4 and 5, and leave it there overnight.
If the first page has adhered to the glue about the edges of the crash, it will be necessary to carefully pull it away, taking care not to tear this first page or lining sheet, nor to disturb the crash. If liquid glue is used, it will not set hard enough in the five minutes to render it impossible to remove the paper. If hot glue is employed, it will not be necessary to close the book and press it, for the glue will set very quickly, and the first and last pages may be pasted and laid over the inside of the covers at once, so that when placed under pressure and left there the crash, glue, and paste can set and dry at the same time.