DAS Bookbinding

I really enjoy old book related newsletters and journals.  They are full of useful tips and provide historical context for the current state of bookbinding, and many are available in electronic form.  To this end I’ve started binding up sets of these, and because I intend to consult them regularly have decided to focus on… Continue reading Hidden Cloth Jointed Endpaper →

This is a surprisingly complex subject.  Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising because this material has evolved over millennia as adhesive technology has advanced.  So, there is always something new for the bookbinder to learn about while you still have to remember what was used in the past, and sometimes even replicate that.  There is no… Continue reading Bookbinding Adhesive Basics →

This is the classic 4 to 1 ratio for starch paste. Add 3 level tablespoons of starch (Silver Star Starch in my case).  The weight is too low to measure accurately on the Thermomix scales. Add 240ml of water.  If you tare the Thermomix this can be measured by adding 240g of water. This is… Continue reading Paste in a Thermomix →

Suminagashi is Japanese marbling and it is 100% fun with some frustration when starting out.  Very little preparation is required and in 1 hour you can set up, decorate a dozen sheets of paper, and clean up.  The basic techniques are simple, and the materials are easily obtained and not expensive.  It is a great… Continue reading Suminagashi →