Sewn Boards 1987 Prototype

This variation on the Sewn Boards Binding is based on Gary Frost's first prototype. It is held in University of Iowa Library Historical Bookbinding Model Collection. A quick and utilitarian notebook, the outer card folios are glued shut, the spine lined, and a breakaway spine wrapper is added while covering the book in sturdy bookcloth. This is an intermediate-level workshop. Students should be making sewn books independently, outside a workshop setting. Librarians, designers and similar book professionals with limited hands-on experience are also welcome. Ages 18 and up.

Supplies:

Required - 

• PVA glue
• Bone or teflon folder
• Self-healing cutting mat, 9x12"
• Metal ruler or straightedge, 12"
• X-acto, scalpel, or olfa knife and few extra blades
• Scissors
• Awl
• Beeswax for sewing
• Small glue brush
• Large glue brush

Optional - 

• Microscpatula, Talas #TTB002001 or similar
• Dividers, an inexpensive set from Talas #TTB033004
• Square with base, Talas #TTB041001, or some device to keep text block and boards square
• Punching cradle, insturctions to make one here
• "Paper Rulers" strips of 1/2" wide to use for quick measuring when ruler is awkward or unnecessary
• Stencil brush
• A pair of gluing up boards: scrap book board the height of the text block and a little narrower, one of the long edges of both covered in clear packing tape
• Two clean pressboards a few inches larger in each dimension than the workshop book
• A nipping press

Materials - unless noted, all materials are grain direction parrallel to the spine

• 32 folios 70# text, unfolded size 6.25 x 8.5"
• 2 endsheet folios, text weight, unfolded size 6.25 x 8.5"
• 2 card outer folios, 10 or 20 pt folder stock, unfolded size 6.25 x 8.5"
• Arches text or heavy tissue spine lining, 6.5 x 1"
• Spine stiffener, 20 pt card, 6.5 x 2"
• Spine wrapper 10 pt card, 6.5 x 2"
• Bookcloth, 8 x 11"
• Fences, 20 pt card, 2 @ 7 x 5"
• 25/3 thread
• #18 needle
• Cardstock punching template, 6.25 x 3"