Casing In

[martin]

Hello

As you know I'm very new to this and wonder if anyone has tips they might share on casing in. In particular concerning putting the bookblock in straight. I position the bookblock in the case, paste up the first endpaper and close the book, turn over the bookblock and repeat with the second. The result, however, seems to be in the lap of the gods. How do you ensure the bookblock doesn't go in crooked?

Any help appreciated

Best

Martin

[Ann]

It's not unusual to find a text block is no longer square especially if the book has had a lot of use over the years and when that's the case, then the margins will never be even. Even when the text block is square it's still not easy to case in evenly though.

It does help to position the textblock accurately in the case, as the case is drying. This way the case takes on the shape of the book. I also find that as the bookcloth dries, it seems to pull the boards in very slightly from left to right. I now cut the boards a millimetre wider than I actually want, to allow for it. But for a while before I realised, I got very frustrated as I ended up with a lot of books where the margin on the long edge was narrower than match those on the short edges.

[coliny]

Hello Martin,

I agree with Anne that most old books are never perfectly square, they were often trimmed very badly and loose shape over time. A tried and tested method is to fix the spine accurately, first before pasting down the end papers. Most books benefit by having a hollow attached to the spine. I prepare my new case either cloth or leather adding a spine stiffener in the usual way. I sort out my pressing boards and you will need some tapes or bandages (old stationary binding straps are great has they have a metal locking buckle with teeth which enables you to tension the straps; may obtain from solicitors or E-bay? I usually use four or more tapes depending on the book size. Firstly P.V.A. your spine with attached hollow, taking care not to allow glue to get on sides of book but ensuring shoulders are covered. I place the boards or pieces of ply-wood cut to book size over each board, inserting a piece of wooden dowel, old rolling pin or short piece of plastic pipe, diameter depending on book thickness against the fore edge of the book. Then after checking positioning, carefully tighten each strap round the book. You can then use a couple of "G" clamps to compress boards near spine an add a third to the boards near the fore edge to stop lifting. Leave for four hours and upon dismantling you will have a very nice shaped tight spine and gluing down the end papers is easy as you have no fear of the text block moving. Another tip is to under trim the fixed end papers by between 1/3mm depending on book size along the fore edge as the paper always stretches in the press, and it avoids any later trimming. You get used to the stretching amounts of your favourite end papers.

[Ann]

Welcome Colin and thanks for your suggestions.

I'm not sure if I'm reading your explanation correctly, it sounds as though you end up with the spine of the text block glued directly to the case of the book so that it becomes, in effect, a fastback. Is that right?

[coliny]

Hello Ann,

Yes, the hollow on the spine is bonded first to the spine stiffener which is part of the case. However, as you know the beauty of using a hollow is that as you open a book, the titled spine springs away from the text block, so that all the stresses that used to crease and wear spines when they were totally bonded without a hollow are not transmitted to the spine case. Using the tapes or any available straps to produce a tourniquet, and "G" clamps, helps to fix and position the shoulders of the text block, firmly into the hinge gap that you provide when you make the case.