REINFORCED by tightening and stripping.
Hold the book open in an upright position on the table. The back
will separate in a curve from body of book; with the round brush
apply paste between the loose back and the book, along the joints
only. If too much paste is used it will spread over the back,
causing the cloth cover to become wrinkled and title illegible.
Close the book, care being taken to push book well back in cover,
and with bone folder rub well along the joints, squeezing out any
extra paste at head and foot. Dry under weight for a half-day at
least.
Then with knife clean off the ragged edges of torn paper along the
joint inside the cover. Place the book flat upon the table, the
front cover open, take book of similar thickness and place under
open cover.
Take a strip of muslin or paper. Cut this strip the exact length
of the book, and apply thick paste so that the paper or cloth will
not stretch.
Paste one-half of this strip to the fly-leaf and the other half of
the strip on the cover of the book. Make sure that the strip is
smoothly laid, not stretched too tightly from book to cover, or it
will pull up first pages when book is used; if too loosely
stretched it is unsightly and fails of its purpose; allow the book
to remain open until the strip is dry. Repeat this process for the
back cover.