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Finally hit 50 perfect spines in a row and honestly didn't think I'd get there
I've been bookbinding for about 18 months now and last week I finished my 50th book in a row where the spine didn't crack or warp. That's 50 books with no mess ups, mostly using just my bone folder and a cheap nipping press from ebay. The milestone mattered because I kept ruining spines early on with bad glue and wrong paper grain direction. Anyone else track their flawless streak or just me?
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simonp471mo ago
Your bone folder technique must be dialed in for sure, but what were the ACTUAL glue tricks that finally fixed your spine cracking problem? I'm at about 40 books now and still getting random failures even with perfect grain, so I'm wondering if it's my PVA mix or just impatience with drying time. Did you have to change your glue recipe completely or was it more about how you applied it?
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uma_johnson1mo ago
50 books with no cracked spines is insane, my record is only 27 and I was using a proper press from the start. The grain direction thing is what killed most of my early attempts too, I swear paper grain is harder to figure out than actual glue recipes. I bet your bone folder technique is next level now since you stuck with cheap tools, that's the real skill. Honestly I think tracking flawless streaks helps way more than counting total books made, it forces you to be way more careful with every step.
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