Problem XVIII
Problem XVIII
REBINDING AN OLD BOOK
Time and Materials: As for Problem XIV or XV except the “book.”
A school book whose leaves are still in good condition, but with broken cover or loose binding, may often be preserved for much longer service by rebinding. Sometimes one has a worn book which has personal value, and a new cover is desired.
First remove the old covers, being careful not to injure the leaves, pull out the sewing threads and remove glue, “super,” and fly-leaves.
Some repairing may also be necessary. Torn edges may be pasted together or faced with gummed tissue, or, if the tears are not to deep, the edges may be trimmed off.
Broken places in the folds may be mended if necessary by using strips of paper about 1 inch in width and as long as the leaves. If many strips are pasted onto the folds, the back of the book will be thick and bulky. For this reason, a thin tough paper should be used. Paste the fold of two adjoining leaves lengthwise on the center of one of these strips, so placed that, however badly torn, the leaves will assume their proper position, and the extra piece will be on the outside of the fold.
Illustrations are usually printed on a single sheet, often of paper different from the leaves of the book. To insert these, cover the back with a piece of waste paper, leaving a margin along one edge as in the case of the fly-leaf. Cover this margin with paste and insert the leaf in its proper place, pasting it down to the adjacent leaf. The illustration should usually be on the right of the book.
When all repairing has been done, re-assemble the signatures and bind as a new book.