=Repairing Books: Materials and Tools=
In spite of the remarks heretofore made about the injury often done to
books by repairing them, even when the repairs are cleverly made, it is
well for any library, however small, to have a mending table at which
such work on books as seems necessary can be done. The materials for
this work can in part be obtained from a bindery. There one can get
super, pieces of book cloth of several colors, and some of other things
mentioned below and in the list of technical terms. One needs for book
repairs some or all of the following things, according to the amount of
work to be done.
=Brushes.= Buy a small brush, about as large as a lead pencil, and
another half an inch in diameter. Their prices vary with their quality,
from 6 cents up. These will be sufficient for most purposes. Get good
ones; and for paste and glue the kind set in cement, not in glue.
Artists' bristle brushes are good.
=Cloth.= A yard or two of super. This is stiffened a little and pastes
and handles more easily than ordinary muslin. If you are going to put
backs on books you will need also pieces of bookbinder's cloth. These
can be bought at almost any bindery in yard lengths. Get also pieces
of cambric and fine muslin called nainsook, or jaconet, for guarding
signatures and similar work. It costs 15 cents a yard.
=Copying press.= For pressing books. One 10×12 inches will cost about
$3.75.
=Cutting board.= The best cutting board is one of hard wood. A common
bread-board will serve for small work and costs only a few cents.
=Folder.= Flat piece of bone. 15 cents.
=Glue pot.= Get the regular double pot of iron. A No. 2 will cost about
75 cents.
=Ground glue.= Best, 18 cents a pound.
=Gummed paper.= Paper and cloth ready gummed and other useful repair
material can be bought of Gaylord Bros., Emerson Building, Syracuse, N.
Y., and also of Holden Patent Book Cover Co., Springfield, Mass.
=Japanese mending paper.= Handmade Japanese Window or Shoji Paper used
for mending and guarding can be obtained from Japan Paper Co., 34 Union
Sq., N. Y. Price $5.00 per ream of 500 sheets 16×22. This is the best
of all mending papers for repairing torn leaves.
=Knife.= A good knife is what is called a shoemaker's knife, a
long blade, square at the end. 15 cents. Keep the corner square by
occasionally knocking a piece off the end. For a sharpener wrap a piece
of fine emery paper about a square stick and tack it down.
=Mending tissue.= See Japanese mending paper.
=Needles.= Several sizes, especially the regular sewing needles of the
binder.
=Paper.= Different kinds of book paper, to be obtained from any
printer, will be needed for replacing end sheets, also thin bond paper
for guarding leaves. Rope manila of the best quality will also be
found useful. Get also some of the rolls of adhesive paper sold by
The Dennison Manufacturing Company, 11 Dey St., New York (3/4 inches
wide, per dozen spools 40 cents), for mending torn pages. It is very
convenient.
=Paste.= Buy this at a bindery, if you use much. For occasional use
it can be thus made: stir flour in cold water until smooth, add hot
water, let it boil for a few minutes, and add a little salt and alum as
preservatives. Good paste can be bought in jars. Higgins's is the best.
The cost is 25 cents per 8-ounce jar. Almost any stationer carries it,
or it can be ordered of Charles M. Higgins, 168 Eighth St., Brooklyn. A
convenient thing for paste in small quantities is the tube. The several
makes are all about equally good.
Paste made of starch is best for work on fine books, as it is more
transparent and shows less than other paste.
=Ruler.= One with a brass edge is handy, but not essential.
=Scissors.= Slender, 6-inch blades, good quality, 75 cents.
=Sewing bench.= This can be made as follows: Take a board 24 in. long
and 10 in. wide. On the side of it and 14 in. apart nail two uprights,
3/4 in. square and a foot long. Across the top of these nail a stick
3/4 in. square. Tacks can be driven into the board and into the cross
stick above where needed, and cords or tapes stretched between them.
This gives you all the essentials of a sewing bench.
=Thread.= Some of Hayes's best Irish linen thread, smaller size, say
No. 18. Or Barbour's linen, No. 30.