u/brigitvanloggem

Dankjewel!

I’m in the Netherlands, and I’d like to hear the non-antique brand that you found, please!

Remove the cover, then take the book apart page by page, removing all the old glue with your fingers. Then do a double-fan binding. Four Keys has a good video.

Four Keys has a great YouTube tutorial!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1154533550576370/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&fs=e

Pick a good tutorial, from Four Keys or DAS Bookbinding, and follow it to the letter.

My idea is that this job is way out of a beginner’s league. Generally speaking, to repair something you need to know how it is constructed. Book repair is something people undertake after they’ve been binding for a while. If we told you the steps, you would not know what we mean! — that’s why you are overwhelmed. There’s too much to learn before you can start plotting a strategy for this repair.

No you rebind, using the double-fan method. Look it up. Four Keys has a very good video.

Rebind, using double-fan method.

I see what you mean! And I agree it’s not pretty. But I really think it’s a consequence of putting such a hefty tome in a case that doesn’t offer support. The arch would be more evenly spread I think if the book was backed. But it isn’t, and so far, apart from the endband coming loose there’s no defect. I’m sorry for sounding so harsh towards you BTW. I suspected you of trolling… ☹️☹️☹️

The spine of this book block is, as far as we can see, absolutely perfect. You are worrying OP based on nothing!

Do not worry. There is nothing structurally wrong with your book. The commenter was misinformed...

I have never done a concertina, so I’m just guessing: wouldn’t normal bookbinder’s PVA work?

I think that book is well beyond fixing with glue. It needs real bookbinding efforts.

Check out the DAS Bookbinding video that explains exactly this.

Then no, you cannot repair this book.

Of course this book can be repaired. Whether you can repair it, depends on your bookbinding skills. What experience do you have?

If you haven’t downloaded Cockerell‘s Bookbinding And The Care Of Books yet, go to Project Gutenberg and do so now. Is’s a standard reference. Chapter 12 is where he tells you how to pare and process your leather.

I don’t work with leather yet, but I do know that a huge part of doing so is paring the leather. Do you do that?

Well if you found it on the side of the road, and you enjoy attempting to restore books — go for it! Take plenty of photos just in case you succeed, so you can come back here and brag!

This is only very remotely related to bookbinding. My suggestion would be to ask people who are familiar with leather, not books!

It needs taking apart and completely rebinding

Yes, it’s normal. Yes, it could be an issue.

Thirding all of this. Generally speaking, there is a very good reason for accepted practice and accepted practice is to turn in your bookcloth. The turned-in edge is then covered by the endpaper. No fraying this way.

That’s a very good first attempt! And the fact that you prefer short grain is not surprising: it’s what is needed for printing your signatures on A4. When you fold the sheets, the grain is parallel to the spine and that is how it should be.