Step by Step Book Repair
Step by Step Book Repair
Step by Step Book Repair
CANADIAN CUSTOMERS:
Brodart Ltd. 109 Roy Boulevard Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K1
www.brodart.com
Click on the Library Supplies and Furnishings link.
www.brodart.ca
Note: This book repair booklet is used in the U.S. and Canada and may contain English spellings different from those in Canada.
Table of Contents 3
Anatomy of a Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Making Book Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Breaking in New Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Labeling and Protecting Your Labels . . . . . . . . . .7 Reinforcing Book Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Protecting Hardcover Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-10 Protecting Paperbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13 Protecting Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Binding Pamphlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Cleaning Marked Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Replacing a Loose Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17-18 Replacing a Loose Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Repairing a Torn Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21 Repairing Loose Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Repairing Broken Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-25 Repairing Damaged Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Repairing Worn Spines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27-28 Book Repair Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30-31
4 Anatomy of a Book
COVERBOARD SPINE INLAY SUPER PASTE CLOTH
END PAPER
HINGES COVER
COVER CLOTH TURN-IN TUBE HEADER CAP CONTENTS PAPER LINING GUTTER
LEDGE
FLYLEAF
Use new bricks that are in perfect condition and wrap each brick at least twice around with heavy wrapping paper. Use transparent mending tape to close the seams. If bookbinding cloth is available, wrap first with wrapping paper and then with cloth. (Chintz also makes a good book weight cover.)
Many book repair projects require the use of weights covered bricks are ideal for this purpose. These weights will last for years under normal use.
Holding the contents upright, stand the book on its spine. Run your thumb, index finger or bone folder gently along the hinge of each cover.
Then, alternating front and back, firmly but gently press five or ten pages down at a time. When you reach the middle of the book, the pages should lay open flat.
This is the best preventative maintenance you can do for your books.
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What Youll Need
Fiskars Deluxe Shears (42 155 001) Brodart Super Hinge Tape (32 155 001) Ruler Genuine Bone Folder (42 051 001)
Cut two strips of 1 wide Super Hinge Tape 1/4 shorter than the spine of the book.
Pick up one of the strips and remove one side of the split-back liner. Wrap the tape around your ruler, adhesive side out, and press the tape in the books hinge.
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Remove the other half of the liner and press the tape into place.
Burnish tape with a bone folder or your finger to ensure proper adhesion.
Reinforcing book hinges will save you time and money you won't have to repair them in the future. Flexible yet durable, Super Hinge Tape is the best choice for hinge reinforcements and repairs.
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Choose a clean, flat surface to work on. Select cover for appropriate size. Remove the jacket from your book.
Place the cover, clear plastic side down, on the surface. Slide your book's paper jacket, printed side down, between the clear plastic and its reinforcing paper.
Brodart Book Jacket Covers are available with or without attaching tabs, in archival quality and with an easy-to-use perforated paper liner.
Position the top edge of the book's jacket snugly against the top edge of the cover where the clear plastic and reinforcing paper are glued together.
Reposition the covered book jacket around your treasured hardcover book.
Fold the bottom excess clear plastic and reinforcing paper (together) along the bottom edge of the book's jacket. Carefully crease with your finger or a bone folder.
Brodart has the widest selection of Book Jacket Cover sizes and styles! For help selecting the Book Jacket Cover thats right for you, call today for our FREE Book Jacket Cover Selection Guide or visit us online! In the U.S.: 1-888-820-4377 www.brodart.com In Canada: 1-800-265-8470 www.brodart.ca
By using Brodart Clear Film Rolls you can eliminate waste and save money by cutting them to the exact size you need.
END FLAP SPINE
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Choose a Clear Film Roll that is the same height as the book and cut a cover 2" longer than the dust jacket. Use a bone folder to crease the mylar at the spine and cover edges.
Apply to book. Creases, static and generous end flaps will keep cover on book. Never use tape.
Make the book-covering process even easier with a convenient Brodart Book Jacket Roll Dispenser. For additional protection, some collectors and rare book dealers select a Clear Film Roll thats 1/4 taller than the book theyre covering.
Protecting Paperbacks 11
Using Brodart DuraCover Self-Adhesive Book Covers (Permanent)
1/2
1 2 3
Trace book height and width (less 1/2) onto rigid laminate. Trace book height onto flexible spine laminate. Trim to size with a Personal-Size Paper Cutter.
Peel away release liner and apply rigid laminate to book with a plastic squeegee, leaving a 1/2 space on spine side. Repeat on opposite cover.
Peel away release liner on flexible laminate, center on book spine and apply.
A paperback protected with a DuraCover Self-Adhesive Book Cover is just as durable as a hardcover. Use a plastic squeegee to keep air bubbles from forming inside the cover during application.
12 Protecting Paperbacks
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Separate the Plasti-Kleer DuraSaver into two pieces by gently pulling apart.
Insert front cover of book into slot of larger piece and back cover into smaller piece.
Reusable covers can be removed easily and reapplied to other books of the same size. We also offer Crystal Shield reusable covers.
Protecting Paperbacks 13
Using Brodart Self-Adhesive Laminate (Permanent)
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Lay open paperback on Self-Adhesive Laminate. Using grid printed on backing paper as your guide, cut laminate to size, leaving 1 on all sides.
Position the book spine in the center of the laminate film, then turn book over onto the exposed adhesive.
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Fold remaining film over onto inside cover. Press down and smooth film with a bone folder.
Burnish all surfaces with a bone folder or plastic squeegee to keep air bubbles from forming inside the laminate.
Cut off corners of laminate at a 45-degree angle and slit the spine. Trim off ends at spine.
You can also use Self-Adhesive Laminate to protect maps, posters, valuable documents and more. Save the scraps! You can use them to reinforce hinges, corners and spines.
14 Protecting Magazines
Using Kapco Easy Hold Reinforcement Strips and Brodart Clear Tape
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What Youll Need
Brodart Clear Tape, 2" wide (32 245 004) Fiskars Deluxe Shears (42 155 001) Genuine Bone Folder (42 051 001) Kapco Easy Hold Reinforcement Strips (51 125 001) Scotch 3M 845 Taping/Reinforcing System (34 350 001)
Use 3M 845 Taping/Reinforcing system to reinforce spine of magazine with 2" wide Clear Tape.
Use the bone folder to smooth the tape and create a crease on the spine.
3 4
Open magazine to the center fold. Remove the release liner from an Easy Reinforcement Hold Strip. Press bottom half into place.
Wrap the other half of strip around the outside of magazine. Repeat at bottom of magazine.
Clear Tape reinforces periodicals without hiding important information. For brand-new magazines, steps one and two are sufficient to ensure longer circulation life.
Binding Pamphlets 15
Using Brodart Pamphlet Binders
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Select the correct size Binder for your pamphlet, leaving 1/2" 1" extra in width.
Use a paste brush to moisten the center strips in the Binder with Bind-Art.
Brodart Pamphlet Binders are available in many different styles and colors. See our full-line catalog or visit us online for all we have to offer.
Insert the pamphlet. Fold down center strips and let dry.
Make sure the binder is at least 1/2" wider than the pamphlet to fully protect pamphlet pages.
Book cleaner or document cleaning pads can also be used to remove dirt, marks and smoke film from pages.
To get rid of musty odors, seal book in a zip-lock bag with either baking soda or unscented kitty litter for a week or two.
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Use shears to cut two strips of Polyester Tape 1/4 shorter than the books spine.
Trim about 1/8 off the ragged page edges with a Personal-Size Paper Cutter.
Remove the release liner from one of the strips of tape and press strip into place along the inside edge of the page.
Turn to the other side of the page and repeat steps three and four.
Anchor tape in hinge of book, and press tape against the page.
If you have many loose pages within a signature, you can glue them together instead of trying to re-insert them one at a time. (See page 19 for instructions.)
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What Youll Need
Brodart Personal-Size Paper Cutter (42 150 001) Waxed Paper (42 030 002, 42 030 003) Paste Brush (42 072 001, 42 074 001, 42 407 001, 42 404 001) Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive (40 405 001) or Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive (40 415 002) H-Band (37 117*) Book Weight (see instructions to make your own on page 5)
To tip in a loose page, first trim about 1/8 off the ragged page edges with a Personal-Size Paper Cutter.
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Use a paste brush to apply a thin line of Bind-Art where page is to be inserted.
Close book , wrap with an H-band and place under a book weight to dry.
Use a Personal-Size Paper Cutter on damaged edges to ensure that the cut is straight and sharp. For an archival-quality repair, use Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive.
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Using a book repair knife, scrape loose paper and glue from the back of the signature.
If pages within the signature are loose, use a paste brush to apply a small amount of Bind-Art along the edge and reassemble. Let dry.
4 5
Moisten the other side of the tape with Bind-Art and replace the signature in the book.
Place a sheet of waxed paper on each side of the signature, close the book and place under a book weight overnight.
Cut a piece of 3/4 wide Perforated Hinge Cloth Tape to the same length as the signature. Using a damp paste brush, moisten one side of the tape with BindArt and place the signature on the tape.
When scraping loose paper and glue from the signature, be careful not to remove any remaining stitching from the back. Before gluing the pages into the book, make sure they are the correct width. If not, trim the margin with a Personal-Size Paper Cutter.
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Center tape over the tear and apply. Trim away any tape that hangs over the top of the page.
Using a bone folder, smooth tape to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles.
Repeat the process on the other side of the same page using a second strip of tape.
If you accidentally place the tape in the wrong spot, don't try to remove it. Simply smooth the tape with a bone folder and repeat the process. For an archival-quality repair, use acid-free Filmoplast P Repair Tape.
1 2 3 4
Prepare two pieces of waxed paper larger than the tear and place one of them under the tear.
Using a paste brush, apply a light coat of Bind-Art along the tear and make sure the words on the page are lined up.
Place the second piece of waxed paper on top of the tear and close the book. Place under a book weight and let dry.
When dry, remove the waxed paper. If the paper does not lift off easily, allow more time for drying.
Make sure you wash your paste brush thoroughly with water when done or the adhesive will solidify on the bristles. For an archival-quality repair, use Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive.
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What Youll Need
Knitting Needle Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive (40 405 001) or Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive (40 415 002) Waxed Paper (42 030 002, 42 030 003) Fiskars Deluxe Shears (42 155 001) Brodart Super Hinge Tape (32 155 001) Genuine Bone Folder (42 051 001) Book Weight (see instructions to make your own on page 5)
Place a rolled piece of waxed paper inside the tube of the book. Coat a knitting needle with Bind-Art and insert carefully between the end paper and the cover.
Cut two strips of Super Hinge Tape to the length of the book and apply to the inside hinges of the front and back covers. Gently crease the hinges using a bone folder.
3 4 5
Place waxed paper in the inside cover to prevent the excess Bind-Art from sticking to the end paper.
Close the book and use a bone folder to crease the hinge. Wipe off any BindArt that may leak out.
Place knitting needles in joints on front and back covers and leave under a book weight to dry.
Be careful not to get adhesive on the spine of the book while working the needle inside. For an archival-quality repair, use Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive.
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Using a Saddle-Stitch Booklet Stapler or a long reach stapler, re-attach the cover of the magazine.
Open magazine to center and apply a 1/4 wide strip of Premium Filament Tape over inside staples using the 3M 845 Taping/Reinforcing System. Fold the excess tape over top and bottom edges.
Close the magazine and crease the spine with a bone folder.
Brodart's easy-to-use Magazine Binders will protect your periodicals from everyday wear and tearand significantly extend their shelf life. If the original staples left holes in the magazine, you may want to start by applying Clear Tape to the spine. This will hold the new staples in place.
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What Youll Need
Book Repair Knife (42 050 001) Paste Brush (42 072 001, 42 074 001, 42 407 001, 42 404 001) Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive (40 405 001) Waxed Paper (42 030 002, 42 030 003) H-Bands (37 117*) Brodart Super Hinge Tape (32 155 001) Fiskars Deluxe Shears (42 155 001)
Use a book repair knife to remove loose paper and dried glue from the exposed signatures.
Using a paste brush, apply a light coat of Bind-Art to the signatures and let dry.
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Place waxed paper inside the front and back covers and replace the signatures.
When the glue has dried, cut two strips of Super Hinge Tape the length of the spine and reinforce the book's hinges. (See "Repairing Loose Hinges," p. 22.)
To help ward off future damage, reinforce a book's hinges when it is still new.
1 2 3 4
If the super is not split all the way, use a book repair knife to slit the remainder. Remove loose paper and glue from the exposed signatures.
Cut a piece of Single-Stitched Binder Tape the length of the books contents. Apply BindArt to one surface of the tape (two flaps). Fit one flap over the flyleaf and affix the other flap to the back of the signatures.
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Place waxed paper between the end paper and the flyleaf and close the book.
Use a paste brush to apply Bind-Art to the opposite surface of the tape (two flaps). Press the spine cover against the glued tape (back of the signatures) and hold for a few seconds.
Attach the remaining flap to the end paper. Smooth the tape with a bone folder.
Allow the adhesive to dry after each step of the repair process. If both front and back hinges are broken, repeat the process on each one.
Fold sides around book to completely cover the corner and smooth with a bone folder to ensure good adhesion.
Apply the Book-Aid Book Repair Wing or Tyvek Wing to the top spine with the wing tips pointing up.
Open the book and fold the wing tips over the cover. Smooth with a bone folder to ensure good adhesion. Repeat the process on the bottom spine.
1 2 1 2
Before attempting repairs with adhesive materials, make sure the surface of the book is clean. A clean surface facilitates strong adhesion. (See page 16 for cleaning tips.) You can make your own book corners and wings using Brodart Book-Aid Cloth Tape.
1 2 3
Use shears to cut the old spine of the book. Only cut through the creasesnot through the books hinges.
Use a book repair knife to scrape loose paper or dried glue from the backs of the signatures and the edge of the contents. Apply a generous coat of Bind-Art to the backs of the signatures.
Cut a piece of Premium Book-Aid Cloth Tape with Release Backing 112 wider than the old spine and 112 longer than the cover. Remove the release backing and place the tapeadhesive side up on your worktable.
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Cut a strip of Kraft paper as long as a side cover and as wide as the backs of the signatures. Press the paper down firmly in the center of the tape.
Make one cut at each end of the tape. Cut lengthwise to the edge of the Kraft paper, but 1/8 to the side of the paper. Fold the top and bottom center flaps down onto the Kraft paper and smooth with a bone folder.
Pick up the contents and align the backs of the signatures on the Kraft paper. Attach the Cloth Tape to each cover.
7
What Youll Need
Fiskars Deluxe Shears (42 155 001) Book Repair Knife (42 050 001) Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive (40 405 001) or Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive (40 415 002) Paste Brush (42 072 001, 42 074 001, 42 407 001, 42 404 001) Brodart Premium Book-Aid Cloth Tape with Release Backing (35 354*) Kraft Paper Genuine Bone Folder (42 051 001)
Place the book on its side and use a bone folder to smooth the tape down onto the cover. Repeat on the other side.
Open the book and fold the four outer tape flaps onto the end paper, pressing tape flat with the bone folder.
For an archival-quality repair, use Acid-Free Bind-Art Adhesive. If the spine of the book is still solid, just apply Cloth Tape to protect it.
Includes the basic products needed to perform book mending or maintenance. Kit includes: 1 Brodart Book Repair Manual. 1 roll Brodart Economy Cloth Tape, 3" x 3 yds., Black. 2 rolls Brodart Economy Cloth Tape, 2" x 3 yds., 1 each Red and Blue. 1 roll Scotch Magic Transparent Tape, 3/4" x 36 yds. 1 roll Paper Hinge Tape, 1" x 60 yds. 24 Transparent Brodart Book-Aid Book Repair Wings. 96 Transparent Brodart Book-Aid Reddi-Corners. Ten 12" x 12" Paste Cloths. Twenty sheets 6" x 9" Waxed Paper. 8 oz. Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive.
Includes all the tools needed to keep your book collection in good condition.
Includes all the products needed to complete all types of book care and repairs. Kit includes: 1 Brodart Book Repair Manual. 2 rolls Brodart Economy Cloth Tape with Release Liner, 3" x 15 yds., 1 each of Black and Blue. 2 rolls Brodart Economy Cloth Tape, 2" x 15 yds., 1 each of Green and Red. 1 roll Scotch 3M 845 Book Tape, 3" x 15 yds. 1 roll Scotch Magic Transparent Tape, 3/4" x 36 yds. 1 roll Paper Hinge Tape, 1" x 60 yds. 1 roll Tyvek Single-Stitched Binder Tape, 112" x 25 ft. 24 Transparent Brodart Book-Aid Book Repair Wings. 96 Transparent Brodart Book-Aid Reddi-Corners. 8 oz. Brodart Bind-Art Adhesive. Twenty 12" x 12" Paste Cloths. Fifty sheets 6" x 9" Waxed Paper. Fifty 6" x 9" End Sheets. 10 H-Bands, Natural color. 1 Carrying Case. See our catalog for prices and ordering information. If you require more Book Repair Booklets (at no charge) or the current Brodart Library Supplies and Furnishings Catalog, contact us at: U.S.: www.brodart.com 1-888-820-4377 Canada: www.brodart.ca 1-800-265-8470
30 Glossary
Archival: Acid-free materials that are not harmful
to a book.
Flyleaf: The free half of the end paper of Book Jackets: See-through polyester, polypropylene,
or vinyl film for wrapping around books with or without dust jackets. a book, it forms the first or last page of the book.
Foxing: The brownish spots that appear Bottom Cap: The base of the book spine. Casing: The simple cover of a book, not yet
covered with cloth or leather. on paper over time if the paper is not acid-free.
Contents: All the signatures of a book. Cotton Gloves: Worn to protect books and papers
during repairs or handling. If they get soiled, they may be washed by hand with a mild detergent.
Header Cap: The top-most part of the book spine. Hinge: The joint between a book's covers
and contents.
Document For cleaning book jackets, covers Cleaning Pad: or pages. Removes dust, dirt and mold.
Contains a soft, grit-free powder that absorbs dirt and cleans surfaces. Brush away any residue of the powder with a mending brush.
Knitting Needle:
Glossary 31
Ledge: The section of the backs of the
signatures of a book directly underneath a books creases. The ledge takes the opening and closing strain off the signature.
Spine: The surface of a book that usually faces pH-Neutral An acid-free adhesive that has excellent Adhesive: lay-flat properties and dries clear.
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) formula is fast setting. This adhesive was formulated specifically for preservation materials and will not become brittle with age. outward when a book sits on a shelf.
www.brodart.com
Click on the Library Supplies and Furnishings link.
www.brodart.ca