Thirteenth Week Experience (Day 1)-April 18th

I arrived 2:10pm because I need to come in to attach the leather and leave it sit for two nights before we can glue the end sheets to the cover. 


In order to accomplish the leather stretching we had to alter our methods of securing the leather to the board and making the indents. We pared down the center of the leather, where it will need to stretch over the spine.
-First we cut boards to the same size as the boards on the books.
-Next we wrapped wax paper around the text blocks like a present, so that only the spine was exposed.
-Then you prepare the leather by coating it with wheat paste with a large brush.
-Fold the cover together and using water soaked cotton balls to rub down the outside leather on both sides. Squeeze out some water and then rub it into the surface of the leather.
-After a few minutes open up the leather and remove the wheat paste with a bone folder.
-Do this twice more or until the leather becomes more flexible.

-Coat the leather with wheat paste and place it on the book while holding the book closed.
-Work the spine into shape-hold one side to the board while pulling with the other to stretch it into place. You  can also push down on the spine until it adheres to the shape.
-Using the crimper, grasp the cords through the spine of the leather. Squeeze the cord all the way around in order to make it more defined.


Next the leather needs to be glued to the inside.
-Push over the outside edges.
-While one person holds the text in the air, turn in the top and bottom portions of leather.
-Cut away the corners of the book that should be sticking above the rest of the board., similarly to how the modern book corners were made.
-Bonefolder down outside edges, smoothing over the excess leather at the top edge for the corner.
-Bonefolder along the top and bottom edges securing the spine and corners (on top of the leather from the sides.


Here is where we changed things:
-Close the book and put boards around the outside.
-Attach thin rubber bands to the boards so that they rest on either side of the cord pieces. 

-Use the bone folder to define the top and bottom of the spine, along with the areas by the cords.
-Put in the upright press and put been bags on top of the spine overnight for two nights. 

*If this were a repair instead of a new item, we couldn't have used water on the leather because it hardens the leather. 


Before I left at 4:10pm I also took a few photos as new options for the library's website.