Spine Replacement

There are two conditions which prompt us to do the repair procedure known as "spine replacement;" they are: 1. a loose, torn or flapping spine, in conjunction with 2. intact end sheets, which means that the covers are still attached to the book block.

While the entire sequence of a spine replacement is demonstrated on pages 3-7, some preliminary considerations and steps are illustrated on this and the next page, using the three books shown, to the right.

If the old spine cloth is still semi-detached to either cover, we need to cut it free. (left, above), If we plan to retain the original spine/title, to glue onto the new spine cloth, we need to prepare it. If there is old paper or glue on the underside, we will clean that off. Then we cut off any ragged edges on the sides, trimming it down to its narrowest possible width (left, below). We do this to ensure a secure bonding of the glue when we place it over the new spine cloth. For that process, a flat surface will hold better than a curved one.

If the original spine paper is torn and/or loose, we will remove it and replace with new paper. (Obviously, the spine cloth must be intact or we would be doing a different kind of repair, such as a cover reconstruction.)