Procedures and Treatments Used for Book Repair and Pamphlet Binding

General

• cotton string: to create rounded edges in new spine
• Opaline cleaning pads
• oyster knife: to remove staples
• self-healing mats: cushion cutting; grid-marked surface aids measuring
• needles and linen thread: to sew
• bone folders, curved, pointed, rounded: to crease and rub paper
• awl: to make holes in paper and boards
• knitting needles: to apply glue in tight spaces like hinges
• spatula, microspatula: to lift up or under papers and cloth
• tweezers: to lift delicate items, to remove paper fragments from book gutters
• sanding blocks and papers: to smooth down edges of paper
• soft gummed eraser: to remove tape residue from items

Cutting

• utility knife: to clean the backs of spines
• scissors with many lengths of blades
• paring knife, sharp and dull: to cut and scrap glue from materials
• straight edges, scalpels and mat knives: to trim paper and cut materials

Measuring Tools

• binder’s gauge: to measure the spine width of a book
• corked-back rulers
• corked-back holding bar: to measure and to hold an item
• T-squares and triangles: to measure and gauge right angles

(photo forthcoming)