This super is a loosely woven cotton cloth which is glued on the backs of books to help hold the sections together, and extends from the back of the book to the inside of the cover to help hold the book and cover together. In the publishers' bindings, this super is usually all that holds a book in the cover.
Loose joints may be
Reinforced by tightening and stripping.
Hold the book open in an upright position on the table. The back will separate in a curve from body of book; with the round brush apply paste between the loose back and the book, along the joints only. If too much paste is used it will spread over the back, causing the cloth cover to become wrinkled and title illegible. Close the book, care being taken to push book well back in cover, and with bone folder rub well along the joints, squeezing out any extra paste at head and foot. Dry under weight for a half-day at least.
Then with knife clean off the ragged edges of torn paper along the joint inside the cover. Place the book flat upon the table, the front cover open, take book of similar thickness and place under open cover.
Take a strip of muslin or paper. Cut this strip the exact length of the book, and apply thick paste so that the paper or cloth will not stretch.
Paste one-half of this strip to the fly-leaf and the other half of the strip on the cover of the book. Make sure that the strip is smoothly laid, not stretched too tightly from book to cover, or it will pull up first pages when book is used; if too loosely stretched it is unsightly and fails of its purpose; allow the book to remain open until the strip is dry. Repeat this process for the back cover.
RECASING
When the stitching has not broken, and the paper is of good quality a book may be removed entirely from its cover and recased.
In recasing, painstaking care is required and books must be in condition specified to obtain satisfactory results.
Take a sharp knife and cut through the super at both joints. This super is easily lifted from the inside of the book cover. Pull it off the back of the book, taking great care in this, and remove all particles of dried glue.
Take white outing flannel, which is light in weight and double-faced, or canton flannel (downy side towards the book), or cheesecloth. Cut a strip as long as the back of the book and two inches wider; paste this over the back only, allowing an inch extension on each side. Do not, in this first process, put paste on the extensions. Draw the cloth over the rounded edges of the back (or joints); rub the back well with bone folder and also over the rounded edges, but do not paste the cloth down beyond the rounded edges. During this process hold the back of the book so that the sections, or signatures, will not separate. After thorough rubbing let dry.
Apply paste to inside of book covers one inch next to the joints; do not put paste on back of book. Place book in cover, pushing well back, making sure that it is correctly placed. Paste down the one-inch extension of cloth, laying waste paper between it and book; close book, rub joints well with bone folder and allow to dry thoroughly.
Strip joints, following instructions for re-inforcing; paste clean paper lining on book covers, press and dry. The book should then be opened as carefully as a new book.
PRESSING
This adds greatly to the appearance of the mended or repaired books. Do not place weights over the rounded back of a book.
Place the pressing boards or tins over the covers of the book only, even with, but not extending over, the joints.