The Nine Gates - NEW PHOTOS (page 12)

Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

The book was given its original rounded shape by tapping the spine with a backing hammer, the thumb pressing against the forward edges of the paper. This is repeated until the round shape is satisfactory.

Then the book was sandwiched between two backing boards screwed up tight (and I mean tight) in a lay press. The distance between the edges of the paper and the boards is about equal to the thickness of the cover board that will be used.



Next, the edges of the spine receive blows with the backing hammer in a kind of stroking motion instead of downward force. This encourages the sections to fan outwards, one on top of each other.



This step is crucial and requires a lot of practice. I've botched tons of blank books learning how to do this. If the round doesn't come out even, or the edges get a zig-zag shape rather than a smooth outward curve, it would mean starting all over. The reason the book is rounded is so that the strain and swell of the sewing is distributed, and it keeps the forward edge from protruding over time.

This one came out all right. Whew.



The next step will be to cut cover boards, trim them to size, fray and lace in the cords.
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

You, sir, are a scholar and a craftsman. Thank you for this peek into your world :cool :thumbsup
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Thanks, Rogue -- I appreciate that. I figured you'd like seeing the process. I'll keep posting like this as I go along.

Bookbinding is the most challenging thing I've ever done, and the most rewarding. It's a very humbling profession, and the best part is that there's always something new to delve into. Once you master a particular style, you can then you can move on to learning the nuances of how someone in another country would've bound the same exact book during the same time period.
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

I had a little time to kill today so I cut the boards, marked them up and trimmed them to size.

 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

With a little more time to kill today, I chose my thread for the endbands. For those unfamiliar, I'm talking about the cores of colored silk sewn at the top and bottom of the spine, like this one:



Modern endbands are usually machine made and simply glued onto the spine. Traditionally, they are sewn to strengthen the binding in those areas for when the book is pulled off a shelf with your finger.

The endband above is of the French variety, using a single core and smaller one on top. I don't know what the endbands on the prop look like, but based on what I was able to make out, it appears that they may have been white then aged. I can't tell for sure, though.

True mid-17th C. Venetian endbands were typically sewn using thicker thread than silk and were commonly red or gold (not flashy, just a dull yellow), and sewn around a single core. I've chosen linen thread that is the right thickness to match the period.



Next I prepared a dye solution of cochineal with two different fixatives, one to saturate the fibers and one to help ensure the color remains lightfast. The dye contains a total of six ingredients. I'll let the thread steep in it for several hours. It should come out as a rich red, slightly pink, which will match the color of Venetian bands almost exactly.



This way I'll have the thread ready to use after I lace on the cover boards.

Thanks for the kind words, folks -- I'm glad everyone's enjoying this as much as I am!
 
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Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Holes punched, cords frayed and laced in, the holes being hammered shut.

Now I'll stick'er in the nipping press for a while. The next step is sewing the endbands, then cutting the leather to size. That's where we get to the really fun stuff :) I'll have this book mostly finished tomorrow, people. I just can't help but work on it whenever I can.





 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Nice man. I was chatting to you on G+ about this. Didn't realise you were on the RPF. Should have known;-)
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Hey, Chaank. Yeah, I've been a member here for quite some time, just didn't have anything to contribute until now. ;)
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

I sewed the endbands while watching Evil Dead for the first time in a while.



The thread came out more pink than red, but this isn't a bad thing. It's actually a very good thing. Very authentic, as red, pink, purple were used in high-end and important work. A book I've got dated 1610 had pink and white, and I've seen pink on more than a few Italian bindings. This has a nice antiquated look to it. Of course, this book is just the "proof of concept," so when I bind others I'll probably use subdued yellow thread instead.

The thread thickness and slight un-even contour look almost exactly the part. I've certainly sewn more even and smooth bands, but this isn't supposed to be exact, and one can't really make it perfectly even when working with thick thread anyway.

(The large gap on the left between the pages is there because I haven't yet trimmed the excess thread out of that area.)



This is probably where I stop for today, but tomorrow -- leather work.
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

On to leather.

The leather is calfskin, completely vegetable tanned and with no polyurethane or other finish. It's the closest thing I'm able to get to what bookbinders had to work with during the time, and I use this leather for most of my bindings.



The leather is marked up around the book, then cut. The area between the edge and the marks is to be pared thin.





Next the leather is ironed, then rolled to make it supple and to bring out the grain. Following that, the edges are pared.



 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

With the book being mostly covered, it's screwed up in the lay press and the leather stretched over the spine. The bands need to be nipped so they're nice and sharp.





 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Wow! I sent you a pm on this, but let me just state here that your efforts are really looking great! I wondered how you would handle the bands.....question answered! Overall this is a very interesting process and thread.
 
Re: The Nine Gates - In Progress

Thanks, Andy.

While the spine area is damp with paste, I basically just smooth it out with the ball of my palm, nip the bands, then touch them up.

I'll leave this to dry for a little while longer before I dye the edges and turn them in, then I'll move in to completing the dye job. After that -- tooling!
 
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