The Book Doctor Is In: Rebuilding Broken Books (Part 1)
Rebuilding Broken Books
Two Repairs That Will Make Your Books Stronger Than New
Part 1
In our discussion of book construction in Bookbinding 101, we dealt only with hardcover books with either sewn or glued signatures. These are books that form a tube between the contents and cover when opened. This type of construction is more or less regarded as today’s most common durable binding. Publishers have developed many other types of bindings, either to meet special requirements or to lower production costs.
Reinforced bindings — usually offered on children’s books — are more durable than other types of bindings and prebound paperbacks generally have a much longer useful life than standard paperbacks.
Any type of book that is bound with individual pages glued together — often referred to as perfect bound — is typically not as durable as books with signatures. These books are cheaper to produce and often use inferior adhesives. It is not uncommon for these books to require repair after one or two circulations.
All bindings which differ from those using signatures present special challenges and we will deal with them in future posts. In this issue of the Book Doctor we’ll deal with broken hinges and uncased books so this would be a good time to review the first illustration in Bookbinding 101, as we will be repairing books with the type of binding shown there.
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Repairing a Broken Hinge
Book hinges will become damaged in normal use. As the book ages, frequent flexing of the hinge, along with the stress created by the weight of the text block pulling on the hinge, will often cause hinges to tear first at the top of the book. If the tearing is minor — say less than 25% of the length of the hinge — it can often be stopped by using a hinge reinforcing tape. Please refer to the section on repairing loose hinges in the Bookbinding 101 post.
If the tearing is more extensive or the hinge is fully broken (so one cover is detached from the text block) you must use Single-stitched Binder Tape. This tape is available in four widths from ¾ inch to 2 inches. For all but the largest books the ¾ inch size is suitable, so that may be all you need to stock in smaller libraries.
All Demco binder tapes are supplied with a coating of a water-soluble adhesive. Since repairs made using a water-soluble adhesive can be removed by dampening the tape, it is suitable for temporary repairs only. (You might want to make a temporary repair to a book to keep it useable until you can take it out of circulation to send it to be rebound, for instance.) In order to make a permanent repair with any pre-gummed cloth tape you must brush Norbond adhesive over the surface.
Here are the steps to repairing a broken hinge:
Step 1
If the hinge is not fully broken, cut it away so the cover separates fully from the text block. Trim off loose paper and threads in the area to be repaired. Check to see if the Super is coming loose from the spine of the text block or if the end sheet is pulling away from the inside of the cover. If so, use Norbond to re-secure them in place and let it dry before proceeding.
(NOTE: If the flyleaf is attached to the cover rather than to the text block you must remove it before making the repair. Use Hinge Tape to reattach it once the repair is completed.)
Step 2
Cut a piece of single-stitched binder tape equal to the height of the text block. Apply Norbond to one side of the tape only.
Step 3
Holding the tape by the two dry tabs, adhere one tab with Norbond to the spine of the text. Adhere the second tab to the first page of the text block. Rub these tabs firmly with a bone folder and allow the adhesive to dry thoroughly.
Step 4
After the Norbond has dried, place a sheet of waxed paper on the text block and cut a second piece of waxed paper to fit inside the spine. Fit these sheets under the unattached tabs on the binder tape. Apply Norbond to both of the unattached tabs and carefully bring the edge of the cover to fit along the stitches on the binder tape. In doing this you will be attaching one tab of the tape to the inside of the cover spine.
Step 5
Attach the free tab on the binder tape to the inside of the cover and smooth it with a bone folder.
Step 6
Leave both pieces of waxed paper in place and close the book. Pressing a bone folder firmly along the outside of the spine will ensure that the binder tape is attached to the inside of the cover spine. Lay the folder lengthwise along the spine and place some rubber bands around the book. Allow this repair to dry overnight.
After the repair has dried completely, remove the rubber bands and waxed paper. Carefully open the book, giving it a bit of time to adjust to the repair. If you have followed the instructions carefully, I guarantee that the repaired hinge is at least as good as new.
We’ve covered a lot of detail here so take some time and try this repair. In part 2 of this post we will learn to reattach a cover that is completely detached from the book.
As always, feel free to use the link below to post any comments or questions and I’ll respond. I may use your input in future posts.
Throughout this series, we’ll be referring to two resources from Demco. The pamphlet Demco Collection Care Guide and the Demco Collection Care DVD are both available to help you through your book repair challenges.
Author
I’m really glad that fixing a broken hinge is so easy to do. I thought that I was going to need to get a whole new binding for my book. I even considered just trying to put a coil binding on it. I still think I might for some of my kid’s favorite picture books.
James,
I’m glad you found the information in the blog useful. Thanks for your comments.
John
Hello Mr. Ison — thanks for the nice clear instructions. I’m going to read further now. We’ve got a 9-volume set of Ridpath’s History of the World here. Outer layer of spine is in sorry shape on most, but innards are generally sound and clean. No retail value to speak of. I thought to use them — along with your instructions — to get some practical experience with book repair. I have Helmar acid-free glue. Wondering next about what substance to use to revitalize the old “leather” i.e. paper covers — maybe a clean-drying oil like danish? Thinned polyurethane? Then, where paper is actually missing, what material do I slide in there to fill the gaps? Anyhow, THANK YOU for the hinge repair tutorial.
A note to readers of this blog: As I wasn’t able to visualize the damage to Paul’s books, I asked him to send photos directly to me. The spines of some his books were in relatively good condition while others were missing large sections.
Paul,
Thank you so much for sending the photos. They were a tremendous help. Since this blog was developed primarily to help librarians repair damaged books so they can be returned to circulation, I would have recommended rebacking these books as outlined in the The Book Doctor is In: Repairing Damaged Covers.
Since that procedure would drastically change the appearance of the books and you are hoping to keep them looking much as they did originally, I contacted a manager at Gaylord Archival, a sister company of Demco. She, in turn, contacted an experienced book conservator who offered the following comments:
Most of the books don’t look so bad in terms of damage.
* Danish oil is a kind of a varnish and I wouldn’t use it. Rather go for Cellugel.
* For repairs, I would use Japanese papers like Moriki (or similar), 80# acid free paper, 10pt card stock. Unless you do a complete reback, you won’t need cloth.
* Don Etherington’s Japanese paper hinge repair method has become the standard treatment for these kinds of repairs.
“All this being said, I would recommend looking into some local guidance, such as a hands-on class/workshop.”
Paul, this may not give you as much information as you had hoped, but without going for a complete (and expensive) conservation job, I think this is the best you can do.
Most of the materials suggested for repair can be found at gaylord.com.
Good luck,
John
Hello Mr. Ison,
I am new to book repair but I absolutely love the salvaging abilities I find these techniques offer. My first attempt at book repairing was a partially torn page in my bible which I used Filmoplast P to mend. However, I am now attempting to repair another leather-bound bible where the cover is nearly detached on both sides and multiple pages at both front and back are loose. I’ve read how to reattach the cover but I’m not sure how to deal with the loose pages between the cover and flyleaf and the book block at the same time. Which should I repair first, the loose pages or the binding?
Thanks,
Amy
Amy,
Thanks for sending the photos of the bible you want to repair. Although it will require a fair amount of effort you should be able to return it to good condition.
If you are not familiar with any of the terms used here please refer to the August 2015 blog post Bookbinding 101. Since the contents (text block) of your bible appear to have been attached directly to the spine of the soft leather cover you will need to completely separate that from the cover—including removing the page with the map that appears to be partially attached to the back cover.
Flatten all of the loose pages that have been wrinkled and folded. Protect each page with a sheet of parchment paper (it’s best not to use waxed paper as that can transfer wax to the pages when it’s heated) and gently press it with a warm iron. If this isn’t successful you may need to dampen the pages slightly. Since the parchment paper won’t allow steam from the iron to penetrate to the page use a spray bottle and mist each page very lightly. Then replace the parchment paper and iron the page.
Once the loose pages are flattened you will be able to reattach the cover to the text block using double-stitched binder tape to secure it into the cover as described in part 2 of Post 5 –Reattaching a Cover. Since you will need only a short piece of binder tape you might check with your local library to see if they have any available that you could buy. If you prefer to not use the binder tape you can attach the text block directly to the cover although this repair won’t be as strong. Be sure to use Norbond adhesive as it will remain flexible while many similar-appearing adhesives will turn brittle over time and fail. Stand the book on its spine and allow it to dry overnight. Since the cover is soft brace it on both sides to keep it standing straight.
I’m glad your first efforts at book repair were successful and think you’ll be pleased with the results you achieve by following the process outlined here.
John
Thank you for your time, Mr. Ison. I will follow your instruction carefully. I hate to throw any book away, especially a treasure like a familiar bible, so I am very happy to find out it is reparable.
Amy
I have a book with a detaching outer layer of the spine, and a loose back cover. While I would love to repair it, I am worried that it might devalue the book. I am not sure if I should attempt the fix or have it fixed professionally? Can you help me to determine what to do?
Thank you,
Suzanne
Hi John,
Thank you for this video. I have a book where both hinges are completely broken and the text block and cover are completely separated. Can the technique in this video simply be done for each hinge individually, or is there another suggested way to address this problem?
Thank you,
Chris
Sorry! I see that part 2 addresses my situation.
Chris
i have an old set a of books that belonged to my father. one of the books is detached on one side with the spine attached. i have read the different repair instructions. my question is wher do i find the glues and or papers needed to use for books.
Kathryn
All the supplies you will need are available at http://www.demco.com. Go to the Library Supplies section and then to Book Care or enter the name of the product you’re looking for in the search box. Since the binding tape you will need is available only in 25 yard rolls you might check with your local public library to see if they can let you have the small amount you will need.
John
Hello Mr. Ison,
I have several- old and not so old- books that require hinge repair as you have described above in your blog article. I have watched the Demco video you link readers to and I did find it helpful. I have also looked at the Demco “single- stitched Binder tape”. However, I am somewhat confused about its use. It is described as coated with a “Gummed adhesive backing”. If that is so why the added need for the Norbond adhesive? Would the gummed adhesive backing not interact– in a bad way– with the Norbond? In other words is the Norbond even necessary?
Thank you,
Allison Pendleton
PS: I am sending along this query from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Mr. Pendleton,
You ask a reasonable question: why put adhesive on the binder tape since it already has adhesive pre-applied? The answer to that is in the blog posting (above) but I’ll clarify a bit. Though the practice is much less common now, librarians often sent books needing extensive repair to be rebound in a commercial facility. Since that made the books unavailable for use for an extended time, staff would often make temporary repairs to high-demand books to keep them useable prior to shipping them off for rebinding during a time when demand might not be so high. This practice was especially common in school libraries as the books could be removed from use for the summer to be rebound.
Binderies often could not rebind books that had binder tape permanently attached so Demco produced the tape with a water-soluble adhesive which could be dampened and removed. That adhesive, however is fairly low-strength and tends to come loose in time with normal use so it is recommended that a strong polyvinyl acetate adhesive such as Norbond or Neutral Bond be applied over the original adhesive to provide a permanent repair. I am not aware of any negative interaction between the water-soluble and the polyvinyl acetate adhesives.
John
Hello John Ison, have a couple old books that I’d like to repair. They were my 83 year old mothers books. One is “Beyond Rope and Fence” the other is “Little Women” they’re cloth bound books. The Beyond Rope and Fence is missing the tube and the spine are missing there is a thin piece of material that the book title and author. the contents are all there but are weakly staying together but cracked in places, and the first and last page are detached. I have both covers but some of the material has come detached from the cardboard.
Little Women is in better shape but the cover is missing. the tube and spine seem fine the back cover is attached but only with some threads. The contents are also all there and attached but are cracking and you can see the cheese cloth through some of the pages. They are quite sentimental to me. I would like to repair the books and make them usable again.
Thank You. I’ve been reading and watching videos but I’m not sure how I should go about the procedure.
Sherry Nay
Hello John Ison, have a couple old books that I’d like to repair. They were my 83 year old mothers books. One is “Beyond Rope and Fence” the other is “Little Women” they’re cloth bound books. The Beyond Rope and Fence is missing the tube and the spine are missing there is a thin piece of material that the book title and author. the contents are all there but are weakly staying together but cracked in places, and the first and last page are detached. I have both covers but some of the material has come detached from the cardboard.
Little Women is in better shape but the cover is missing. the tube and spine seem fine the back cover is attached but only with some threads. The contents are also all there and attached but are cracking and you can see the cheese cloth through some of the pages. They are quite sentimental to me. I would like to repair the books and make them usable again.
Thank You. I’ve been reading and watching videos but I’m not sure how I should go about the procedure.
Sherry Nay
Sherry,
My opinion is that neither book is repairable. The photo you included shows the damage you listed but also yellowing of the title page which indicates the presence of acid in the paper so the deterioration will continue. Your best option is to wrap each book in cloth with cloth strips for ties to keep them together. Don’t use rubber bands as they can damage the books further. Place the wrapped books where they won’t be damaged and, should you wish to read them again, unwrap them and handle carefully.
I’m sorry I don’t have better options for you but they truly are being slowly destroyed by the acid.
John
I agree with your suggestion to wrap the books to keep all the parts together, either as a temporary measure prior to conservation, or permanently, in which case the owner might like to consider buying some archival boxes to store the books in. The alkaline reserve in an archival box will help to buffer the acids in the books somewhat, and the boxes will keep out dust and pests while also allowing the books to be moved around without direct handling (and potentially more damage).
I respectfully disagree about repairability: a book conservator could definitely save those books. However, the labour involved would be considerable, with a price to match.
I have a cookbook with a missing spine and one hinge almost completely off only the front cover.
Which do I attempt to repair first or does it matter.
Linn,
There isn’t a good chance that you will be able to restore this book on your own. I suggest that you look for a used copy in better condition.
If you do want to repair your copy, start by following the process in this post to reattach the loose cover. Then go the the post titled “The Book Doctor Is In: Repairing Damaged Covers” to replace the missing spine.
Please drop me another note if you have any questions about any of the procedures in these posts.
John
Hello! I have a beautiful old book that I got from an antique store recently. It was printed in 1898 and is called: Tennyson’s Poetical Works. It means a great deal to me and I wish to restore it… the only problem is the whole front part of the cover fell off. I have all of the pieces, but I don’t know what to do! Can you please help?
Oh… here is a photo!
Thank you so much for your time! 🙂
Your information was very helpful for my small business of art conservation when folks come in and beg me to repair their antique bibles. They often think conservators can do ANYTHING. I aim to please and your site has been very eye-opening and nice to know I have made the right decisions when repairing these antique treasures. Again, Thank you…from PA, USA.
Jeffrey,
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you find the information useful.
John
Hello,
I have a book from 1940’s which has an Oxford hollow back. There is a crack inside the hollow (picture attached). My understanding is that the hollow is there to strengthen the spine. There is nothing else wrong with the book or spine overall, so I wonder how worried I should be about this crack, is it worth trying to repair it?
Diogo,
The book in the photo does not appear to have a true Oxford spine but rather a simple tube allowing the contents to separate from the cover when the book is opened. This tube or hollow is essential to allow the book to be opened without placing undue stress on the binding.
Although some of the stitching appears to be a bit loose I’m not seeing the crack that you’re referring to. Unless you intend to use this book extensively, you probably should leave it as-is since repair would be somewhat complicated. Just handle it gently and don’t subject it to excessive heat or humidity.
John
i have a ripped book how do i fix it?