Does your favorite book fall apart, have the pages come off, or has a cover that has come off the book? Instead of throwing the old book away, we'll show you some tricks to get the book back in its original state for you to enjoy, and you can rest easy. Continue reading!
Step
Step 1. Gather the ingredients
See the “Things You'll Need” section for a list of the tools and materials you'll need to repair a book.
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Prepare a work area with adequate lighting and available materials.
Rb11_495 - The materials come out with a book that needs fixing, and another book that is tied with a rubber band while the glue dries.
Step 2. Fix the drain and the pages first
Sew the drain back, or re-glue the pages before trying to glue the cover.
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Loose pages should be glued or re-stitched before you attempt to repair the back or cover of the book.
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Drains are pages that are folded together; the folded parts are sewn together. Use double-thick wax rope or quilt thread and tie a tight knot to prevent it from slipping off while draping back.
Signatures_178 - If your drain has a tear at the seam, you can apply a piece of Tyvek tape to the center page crease to fix/strengthen it while performing the repair stitch.
- Apply a layer of plastic glue along the back edge of your turtle once it's all sewn back together or glued back together. This will dry into a pliable attachment and prevent it from falling off in the future.
Step 3. Prepare and attach the binding tape
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Prepare a piece of binding tape with a single stitch along the book's height.
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Fit one side of the binding tape with a single stitch on the center seam line with the back edge of your pages. Press firmly against the back of the back and front page with a Teflon or bone folder.
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Glue the remaining binding tape with a single stitch on the back cover and the inside of the back.
Rb6_670 - Press the binding tape with a single stitch firmly to remove air bubbles and ensure a good adhesion.
Step 4. Repeat this process as needed
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In this example, the tape is attached to the front edge.
Rb8_896 - The image shows the “bottom layer” of binding tape with single stitches affixed to the front page and the spine half… with the “top” half bent upwards for more visibility. The “top” layer will be attached to the inside of the spine and the inside of the cover, respectively.
Step 5. Glue the spine
Apply clear tape to the back of the book, leaving a stack distance of 2.5 to 3.75 cm for the cover and cover.
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Press the tape firmly against the spine of the book.
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Press the tape against the edge of the spine and press firmly against the tape to give it a good adhesion and make it moveable.
S3_637 - Smooth the remaining width of the clear tape along the front cover, removing any air bubbles and pressing firmly for a good adhesion.
Step 6. Give a rubber band
Hold all the pieces together with a rubber band or book press while the glue dries.
Step 7. Remove the book from the press or rubber band
Now you have the cover reassembled.
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While it's not recommended that you do this, the reassembled cover should be strong enough to hang upside down!
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Step 8. Finish
Complete additional repairs such as spine reinforcement and corner repair, as well as gluing and pasting missing pages, etc.
Tips
- Brodart and Demco provide booklets on book repair.
- A board (larger than the size of a book) and two to four bricks as weights are good for making book presses and better than rubber bands for keeping things flat and tidy than using rubber bands.
- Try replacing the duct tape with a paper tip.
- A double-stitched binding tape is two layers of ribbon, placed back and forth, then sewn in the middle. This stitch line will replace a broken book hinge.
- A special tape for fixing a clear book will be very useful for the outside in its use.
- When repairing a book, start with the most damaged areas. If the repair on the spine doesn't stick then there's no point in reinforcing the corners of the cover or pasting the loose pages.
Warning
- Never use broad tape to wrap or apply duct tape to a book. The first tape will come off within three years. The second one will melt in the same amount of time and will damage your book. Also don't use Scotch adhesive: the adhesive layer will wear off within a few years.
- Use a tape of sufficient width to repair the damage. There is no point in sticking a 15 cm square of tape to fix a book hinge that can be fixed with 2.5 – 3.75 cm wide tape.
- Do not attempt to repair a rare or valuable book, as attempting to repair it will significantly reduce the book's value. There are many preservers of ancient books and hardback bookbinders who are trained in maintenance, and for a book of value it would be well worth it. If you have a valuable or ancient book that needs repair, contact your university library or use the “Find A Bookkeeper” feature on the American Institute for Conservation website[1]. The Special Collections librarian will help you find a well-known book preserver.
