Book of DOOM!
Sep. 26th, 2007 02:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
home_and_awayFinally got up the brass to put the second set of thinboards on the blank book that will (eventually) make its way to my mother, and to start building up the spring for its spine.
Okay.
Notes to self:
Next time you decide you're going to do a springback? Be very very attentive when you're rounding your spine. And try and make the book thicker than three-quarters of an inch. It'll be easier on you when you get to this point again.
Also: Try and actually lay hands on a tried-and-tested-by-more-experienced-binders brand of PVA instead of taking it on faith that any white glue will be the formulation of polyvinyl acetate you seek. Because the doomglue you're working with now? Is sturdy, yes, and flexible, and dries well under pressure, and will adhere just about anything to just about anything else.
But... it will adhere just about anything to just about anything else. Including your fingers to the cardstock you're using to build up your spring. And the metal pencil-end you've been using to get at edges with. And your latex gloves. And...and...and...
And while we're at it: Those baggy jeans that don't fit quite right and are made of actual denim? Would make the PERFECT pants to wear while you're doing this sort of thing. Beats ruining a good pair or crafting half-naked, and means you could actually answer the door when the Fed-Ex guy knocks.
Last but not least: Next binding? Coptic stitch. Or something. Something with more thread than glue, and maybe an exposed spine.
Congratulations, kid. You've got ambition.
Now get smart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other book-y news, I'm almost ready to start printing the text block for that next binding. Got the lockup for the whole thing in line, and the scheme for what will go where, and so far those both work really well. Now all I've got to do is negotiate some kind of peace with OpenOffice so it'll put everything neatly inside workable margins, and with the printer so it'll spit everything out neatly...
Don't let the gritching fool you--I'm having a blast. :D
Okay.
Notes to self:
Next time you decide you're going to do a springback? Be very very attentive when you're rounding your spine. And try and make the book thicker than three-quarters of an inch. It'll be easier on you when you get to this point again.
Also: Try and actually lay hands on a tried-and-tested-by-more-experienced-binders brand of PVA instead of taking it on faith that any white glue will be the formulation of polyvinyl acetate you seek. Because the doomglue you're working with now? Is sturdy, yes, and flexible, and dries well under pressure, and will adhere just about anything to just about anything else.
But... it will adhere just about anything to just about anything else. Including your fingers to the cardstock you're using to build up your spring. And the metal pencil-end you've been using to get at edges with. And your latex gloves. And...and...and...
And while we're at it: Those baggy jeans that don't fit quite right and are made of actual denim? Would make the PERFECT pants to wear while you're doing this sort of thing. Beats ruining a good pair or crafting half-naked, and means you could actually answer the door when the Fed-Ex guy knocks.
Last but not least: Next binding? Coptic stitch. Or something. Something with more thread than glue, and maybe an exposed spine.
Congratulations, kid. You've got ambition.
Now get smart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other book-y news, I'm almost ready to start printing the text block for that next binding. Got the lockup for the whole thing in line, and the scheme for what will go where, and so far those both work really well. Now all I've got to do is negotiate some kind of peace with OpenOffice so it'll put everything neatly inside workable margins, and with the printer so it'll spit everything out neatly...
Don't let the gritching fool you--I'm having a blast. :D
