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I finally got my head around rounding spines after a total mess with some old poetry books
I mean, I was trying to round and back a set of three Tennyson collections from the 1920s, and the spines kept coming out lumpy or just cracking. I watched a bunch of videos, but it wasn't clicking. Then I read a tip in the 1988 edition of 'Bookbinding: A Step-by-Step Guide' about using a backing hammer at a 45-degree angle and doing it in three passes, letting the glue set a bit between each. Tried it on the last book and it came out perfectly smooth. Has anyone else found that old book useful, or is there a better modern guide you'd recommend?
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the_faith5mo ago
Totally get the frustration with lumpy spines, it's the worst. That cracking sound is pure panic. That old guide is a classic for a reason, but the glue advice is definitely dated. Found the same thing, a tiny bit of PVA and a longer set time works way better than the old paste methods they talk about. It's cool how you figured out the hammer angle thing though, that part still holds up.
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linda_reed4mo ago
Oh man, the 1988 guide is a lifesaver for that hammer trick! I swear by it too, the older methods just work better for me.
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lewis.gray5mo ago
That old guide is solid, but I've always had better luck with a lighter touch and modern glue.
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finley_shah645mo ago
Yeah, I get what you mean about the lighter touch. How much glue are we talking here? I tried that old method last year and it was way too messy. I switched to a tiny drop of the newer stuff like @lewis.gray said, and it holds just as well without the squeeze-out. Letting it set for a full day made a big difference too. The old guide just doesn't account for how strong these modern adhesives are.
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