DIY Leather Book Binding Tutorial Part 1: Page Edge Gilding and Text Block Preparation
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- čas přidán 31. 10. 2021
- This is part one of a two-part series on re-binding books in leather covers at home. This video focuses on the best method I've found for creating a mirror finish gilded effect on the page edges for my books.
I am by no means a bookbinding expert or professional, but I've been learning from others, experimenting, and innovating with over 50 books now, and I'd like to share what I've learned!
If you are interested in any of the supplies I feature, click the link below for a one-stop shop on my Amazon storefront. Buying there doesn't cost any extra and it helps to support the channel!
amzn.to/3PtVkkX
Here are links to some of the many sources I learned from and was inspired by in this journey. If you want to learn more, I hope you find this content as useful as I did!
Traditional edge gilding tutorial: • Edge Gilding; Jen Lind...
Another tutorial on traditional edge gilding: papercutbindery.blogspot.com/2...
Heat activated foil method used on professionally-bound books: vimeo.com/228659580
Instructables tutorial for making leather book covers at home: www.instructables.com/From-Pa... - Krátké a kreslené filmy
“Some uncultured plebeians have neglected to make leather-bound editions of some of my favourite childhood books”
I need this quote in a frame on my wall.
Ha! I'm glad my silly jokes land with some people! XD
@@ingeniusdesigns permission to print, frame, and place onto my bookshelf?
😂 love it
Some of my favorite books have terrible covers 😅
@@thefirebirdflock3440Granted.
The GOAT of bookbinding tutorials.
Thank you! That is so kind of you.
This is incredible, not only that you're so willing to share something you've clearly poured your heart into but also how genuine you are
Thanks! I love getting the chance to share my art and I hope it helped you start a new hobby yourself!
I could genuinely cry.
I look forward to learning from you my friend.
I look forward to seeing you around the channel as well!
As someone just getting into bookbinding and has fallen headfirst down the "there are some specialized tools out there" rabbit hole, one tool I see crop up again and again in many art mediums involving gilding is the agate burnisher. If you feel like upping your gold-polishing game, I think it's worth an investment. A flat agate burnisher can also be used to put a shine on nice endpapers, too: just a little beeswax rubbed firmly in to the sheet with an agate burnisher can really make them stand out and elevate the tiny details to another level.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually do have a flat agate burnisher, although as you implied I wanted to keep the use of specialized tools to a minimum in this tutorial to make it less intimidating to try. I'm so pleased to have been a part of your bookbinding journey!
I am so glad I found your channel! I too want to make all my favorite books into works of art that are a pleasure to not only read, but look at on my shelf. Many are loved to pieces, literally. Your videos seem a little more agreeable to the lay hobbyist than the professional binders I also follow. Your work is stunning!
Thanks! I'm learning this too, and I'm just trying to make the videos that I wish I'd had when I started this journey.
Thank you so much for sharing this video, I'm so impressed the way you explained, because it helps us to understand more and try it at home!! Can't wait for the second video!
Thank you so much! Your kind words make it all worth it. I'm looking forward to part two as well!
Oh wow, thank you so much for this great short-and-to-the-point tutorial!
My pleasure! My goal was to trim as much of the fat as possible so I'm glad that came through.
Very cool!! That’s an amazing technique! I’m looking forward to part 2
Thanks so much! I will be traveling for a week or two, but I have the footage ready for part 2 and I'll start editing when I get back home. I appreciate your patience and your support!
Absolutely mind-bending, would have never guessed it's made this way! Thank you!
It's not exactly the way the pros do it, but it's about as close as I could get at home on a budget. Glad you enjoyed it!
I have been watching countless videos on rebinding books, but you have shown some new ideas and make them look so accessible! I cannot wait to start my project now. Before it looked so daunting, thank you so much!
Thanks! That means a lot to me since that's exactly the goal of my videos. Please let me know if you try it and need any additional help!
You make it look so easy! Great job!
Thanks! There's definitely a learning curve, but I hope the tutorial can help it be as easy as it looks!
Went down a rabbit hole and now I'm here. I'm amazed! This is awesome!
Thanks so much; I really appreciate the support. More to come soon!
I am so happy I found your channel! You're very talented, the books look amazing. And you're also a great teacher, it seems so much easier to do when you're explaining everything to us and I watched many videos about books binding (none of them made me feel so hyped and ready to try it myself) it's pleasure to watch you! Thank you so much for sharing, I can't wait to see the part 2 and to try it myself 😊❤
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm happy to hear that some people can interpret my ramblings and bear with my attempts at humor. I'm so glad you want to try it yourself; that's the whole reason I'm here! Part 2 will probably be coming out in early/mid December, depending on how long it takes to edit, so stay tuned!
You are lovely. Thank you for this. I wanted to leatherbind my Jack carr books and I hope to get them signed on his next book tour. Thank you so much
Oh wow that would be amazing, and I'm sure he would appreciate seeing how you treasure his books.
this is a great tutorial!! Thank you so much for sharing! can't wait to see the next videos on book binding!
Thank you so much! The next one is on the way!
I love this craft, and you make it look easier than I thought. I want to give it a try. Thank you for these videos!!!
You're very welcome! There's definitely a learning curve, but I hope my videos can make it less steep for you.
Omg thank you! My boyfriend and I have been searching for this for the last 1.5 or more! You’re an angel
Thank you so much! The whole reason I made this video was because after tons of experimentation I finally found something that worked, and I figured somebody else out there would want to know. I'm so glad it reached you!
Best video on all of CZcams you are the man and I just found my new hobby when I’m not writing!!!
Wow, thanks so much! That means a lot to me and I'm especially happy to hear you're inspired to try it yourself!
There is not much to say appart from the fact that this video is exceptional! I've watched all the videos about gold edges as I need it for a project and yours is all I needed! Thank you so much!
The way you explain is perfect and the video quality as well (from the image quality to the humour 😉)
Thank you and take care!
Thanks so much! Your positive feedback and supports means so much, especially since I'm just starting out on CZcams. I'm glad if my video could save you some of the months of failed experiments I went through with my gold edges :)
thanks a lot for sharing. I really enjoyed very very much watching it, you make it seems easier that it might be . Looking forward for your new projects !!!
Thanks! I'm glad the video makes the process feel like something you could handle! If you're interested in bookbinding I have more videos in the works to explain in greater detail, and if you like other projects I'm always working on something new, so I appreciate you sticking around!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm really happy I found your channel
Thanks so much for the kind feedback!
Oh my God! Thank you so so much for this amazing video. I was looking for a tutorial and I just found yours and, really, you cannot imagine how gratefull I'm for this.
Also, you explain it perfectly. Thank you!!
You are most welcome! I hope you enjoy your new hobby as much as I have!
@@ingeniusdesigns Hahahahaha I will, be sure of that :)
I've been mainly buying blank paper and making...probably 50 or so sketchbooks at this point, and I'm getting pretty good at the process but it's time to get into rebinding books and this video was a nice start to that. Appreciate it. I hope there are many more to look through.
Thanks! There are more to come....slowly but surely.
Awesome -- such a great tutorial! Subscribed for part 2!!
Welcome aboard! Part 2 is out now, so thanks for sticking around!
Great video! Thank you for starting me on my journey
I'm so glad to hear that you're going to try it! It can be such a fun and rewarding hobby.
This is not only interesting and informative but incredibly entertaining. I wish I had some popcorn to watch this with.
Thank you so much! My enjoyment in making each video is directly proportional to how many gags I can put in it. I'm so glad there are others who enjoy it too!
Really fine and concise work from a gentleman.
Thank you so much! I'll do my best to keep deserving such kindness.
You're very talented, the books look really amazing.
I really appreciate the support! I was a bit nervous to put my creations on display and it means the world to know they are appreciated.
Thank you so much for this video! I wish I had discovered you sooner, years ago. I used to make my own leather journals; I always wanted to gild the paper edges, but all the methods available years ago told me I required actual gold leaf 😅 which was quite expensive, and that I required a rather pricey machine. I would have never thought of to use beeswax and to use an ironing board, much less sanding. Your technique surely must have required so much time, experimentation, research. I appreciate you taking the time to walk through it on CZcams 😁
It sounds like you're not making many journals now, but I'd encourage you to try picking up the old hobby again! I too have experimented with the gold leaf and I feel your pain. This technique was a breakthrough for me.
Duuuude
Your Awesome!
Thanx
Now to the next instructional video
Again
Amazing!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I am so glad you found this helpful, and I'm especially flattered that you chose to watch more than one video. Hope to see you around the channel, and good luck with your projects!
Thank you so much for explaining in such detail! Love your videos and subscribed!!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate both the kind feedback and the subscription!
what an amazing video, thanks for sharing your knowledge! (and with very cheap materials!)
Thanks! I hope my technique works for you!
Thank you for making these videos. I'm super interested. We have several books my daughter loves to read including Narnia. Many of them I would consider legacy books to be handed down and now I think you have helped us discover how we can do that in an attractive way. Keep up the good work
That's awesome. It sounds like we have the same motivations for taking this hobby up. I hope that these videos will be helpful in starting your journey!
@@ingeniusdesigns there is for sure. And some old books are great, but their covers suggest otherwise. The method you teach seems like a great way for those books to say "read me, I'm special"
I'm barely into your video and I'm already invested. Your reasonings for bookbinding are exactly the same as mine except mine are for fanfiction, which don't even have physical copies. And I'm the type of person who goes big or go home, so I printed out the entire thing. It's 3,845 pages.( My poor poor 10-year-old printer)
So I jumped into this project feet first having no idea what I'm doing. So this series is an absolute god send.
Awesome! I've actually done this with some self-printed copies of books that my family members wrote, so I totally know where you're coming from. I'll have to put out a video on binding printed pages someday. Good luck with everything--let me know how it turns out!
Hello. I'm not a book maker but do like to watch craftsman at there craft. and you show such enthusiasm and passion for your craft i really enjoyed watching you work.
Thank you so much! I'm so glad it was an enjoyable watch for you.
Broooo this is so cool, I too had a similar dream of one day having a super aesthetic bookshelf with all my favorite books and have encountered the same problem, either they're too expensive or not easy to find at all. I want to go on a similar journey, not to mention there are lots of second hand bookstores where I live that have good books but sometimes they're too damaged hopefully i'll learn how to do this and grow my collection with books I restore or just rebind myself
Sure hope you try it! It's not really that hard to get into. And I'll keep posting more videos on the channel to make things easier for you!
I’ve struggled with painting gilding and never thought to use foil! Thank you for the tip; I’m going to have to try that!
You're welcome! I hope it works for you. I tried a lot of paint options and found most to be pretty temperamental with so-so results. I'm happier with the foil technique I developed, but I'll admit it does take a bit of a learning curve.
I'm trying to fi d the foil used in this video but I have had no luck. Can you provide a source?
Great tutorial! Also the sandpaper montage made me laugh 😂
I'm so glad the silly jokes landed for you!
Sir, you've earned yourself an a subscribtion!
Thank you for your very informative and well produced videos. :)
Welcome aboard! I'm trying to improve my production quality all the time, and I'm glad it's working for you!
Thank you for sharing. This is excellent!
You are most welcome!
Stayed blessed homie, I needed a vid like this. I want to make a leather bound edition of dune for my best friend
Awesome! I'm planning to do Dune soon myself! By the way, from a former paleontologist to an obvious dinosaur lover, parasaurolophus has always been my favorite.
@ingeniusdesigns my man B)
It’s amazing!! I will try with my deck of card
I've found that thicker papers tend to gild more easily, so a deck of cards sounds like a great beginning project!
You are a Master! I just started to "re-bind" (?) or at least re-glue/re-cheese cloth and then cover with leather. It was more to keep the book for use (bibles and bible books). But I have gotten better and want to do a more professional look. Thank you very much.
Thanks for your kind words! I'm really just a beginner too, but I'm happy if anything I've learned can help you or others out! Good luck and let me know if there are any other topics you would like to know about!
this is amazing! Please make more of these videos!!!
Thanks so much! More to come!
very clear and well done explanation, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have never stalked a CZcamsr for a Part 2 video before, so this is embarrassing, but I hope you have time to finish it soon 😁. I have an itch in my brain I can’t scratch.
Thanks for your patience! I was traveling for a couple weeks, but I'm back home now and I'm working on the next video. Should be coming out some time this week, so stay tuned!
I'm so excited for part 2!! These are absolutely beautiful!! Out of all book binding videos I've watched, yours is by far the most professional one I've seen. I'm dieing to see how you do the leather working and tooling!!
(I just found you on here, this is the first video I've seen of yours & I just subscribed!!)
Thank you so much for your kind words! I was hoping I could get across the things I've learned in an entertaining and understandable way, and I'm so glad it works for you! I apologize if it takes a few more weeks to get part 2 out. I have recorded the footage for the next video, but I'll be traveling for the next couple of weeks and won't be able to edit it until early December. Thanks for your patience and your subscription!
@@ingeniusdesigns That's alright, I understand. Take all the time that you need, I'll still be here when the video is up.😊
You’re the man!! Thank you
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you found it helpful.
Awesome video, not that the tutorial is great, it is but the entire video is just awesome. Keep it up, and keep at it, I want to learn more.
Thanks! I really appreciate it, and I'm glad my silly style of video making resonates with some people. There's more to come, so stay tuned!
Thanks so much for such a clear explanation of your bookbinding process. I was concerned how much investing I was going to have to do if I ever dived in to bookmaking in order to get a nice cover. Now I fear my excuses for waiting aren’t legit any more. :)
I guess you'd better get crafting then! The next video that I'm working on will break down the investment in detail, so if you haven't started by then, hopefully I can put the rest of your excuses to rest.
Of course someone making such an awesome video would be a redhead!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And enjoy the red hair while it lasts too, because given my genetics it's a limited time offer! XD
@@ingeniusdesigns i know-my hair started really losing the red in my 40’s, and I started putting henna on it 2-3 times a year, but now, i have roots that look light brown/blonde and a little white. ALL the red is faded! I will still always consider myself a “redhead”, though. I just can’t bring myself to use chemical dies. My hair is about 2 feet long. I don’t know how I am going to transition. Probably will have 2-toned hair for a couple of years. Oh, well, Black Widow did it in the Marvel movie!
Muchas gracias! Ambos videos son excelentes para aprender a trabajar con cuero y el hermoso detalle del foil dorado 😊
De nada! Estoy tan feliz que los videos son utiles para usted. Seguire publicando mas video mas adelante!
I released my first novel last year and was severely dissatisfied by the optionson the market for production. I always knew I wanted to release special editions of my books and for now - these videos will help me to achieve that goal by having my personal copies done. ✌🏽 thank you for posting this. 2 years later it’s still helping ppl just earned a new sub
Thanks so much! Sounds like our motivations for this hobby are similar (minus having written a novel on my part).
@@ingeniusdesigns very much so. I grew up surrounded by books so even after the revolution of media there’s something magical about holding a book in your hand for me. I’ll like rebind my favorite books too.
You're incredible dude!
Thanks so much for the feedback; it really makes my day!
Nooooooo!!! Is part 2 not out yet? You’re killing me! I loved this one dude. I shared it with a friend before I even finished watching it.
I entered a (very expensive) course online and received my textbook in PDF format, but I don’t do well with digital textbooks, so as a matter of course this means I absolutely MUST nerd out and find a way to bind it myself. In paper. And leather. Because nerd. I wasn’t actually planning on gilding the edges, but now, how can I NOT? When is the next one coming? Tick-tock.
I’m trying to get back to my course material but I can’t focus because this video is only half done. 😱
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it enough to share! Part 2 is being edited, so (unless my real life gets in the way) I'm hoping to put it out some time this week!
@@ingeniusdesigns Yay! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I can’t wait! My printing should arrive later this week so your timing is perfect!
Thanks for sharing ❤
My pleasure!
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed your video! 😊
I really appreciate the support and positive feedback! Good luck with your own projects!
:) very helpful, awesome video all around
Thanks! I really appreciate your kindness. Hopefully part 2 won't disappoint!
This is awesome!
Thanks for watching!!
this is so amazing!
So glad you like it! Give it a try!
Someone needs to hire this guy to record the audio for audiobooks. He sounds just like a recent audiobook I listened to!
Thanks! Hopefully it was a book you enjoyed! XD
Great work, thanks for sharing. ill try this out soon! :)
Awesome! If you run into any hiccups, feel free to reach out in the comments like this for clarification.
thank you so MUCH, this made my edition of Treasure Island so much better and it looks so magical now
I'm so happy to hear a success story! Wish I could see how it turned out. Some folks have told me they are having trouble making the foil work for them, so I'm thrilled to learn that I'm not the only one it works for.
@@ingeniusdesignsI first tried on some failed books I hade made and practiced until I succeeded
Wonderful. There's definitely a learning curve, but I'm so happy you were able to make it work.
I recently learned why edge gilding was a thing. It repels moisture and dust, which was super important in a time. Where people were cooking with wood or coal and there was smoke and Ash around.
Neat! Makes sense to me; thanks for sharing!
Just beautiful
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the feedback!
Hey there! New bookbinder here! When you're gluing the end pages to the textblock, how do you keep the glue from sort of bleeding through and sticking the pages of the textblock together? I tried to do something similar for one of my rebinds and almost ended up ruining the whole thing.
Well, honestly I haven't had much of a problem with that using my glue (Elmer's tacky craft glue) but if it's an issue for you then I would advise slipping a piece of baking paper under the first page so that if the glue bleeds through it will be stopped by the baking paper. Nothing sticks to that stuff, so you shouldn't have to worry about the baking paper getting stuck in your book.
Great video. Thanks!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your tutorials, very clear and concise. I live in the UK so am unable to buy Elmer's craft bond tacky glue. Could you recommend some alternatives that I can find over the pond please? 😊
Look for PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) glue. It is the main ingredient in Elmer's craft bond, and is a standard glue for modern bookbinders. I prefer Elmer's because it dries slower, but I have used pure PVA before and if I work fast it does great!
@@ingeniusdesigns Thank you 😊
I wonder if i should leatherbind "The king of things and the Cranberry Clown" or all the magic treehouse books. ❤️ This video thank you. Subscribed.
Thank you for the subscription! I'm so glad you felt inspired, and I hope you have fun beautifying all your favorite books!
Voy a probar! Gracias 🙏🏻
Terrifico! Le deseo mucho exito!
Awesome tutorial ! Thanks a lot for sharing ! What kind of sanding paper do you use ? how long is the process ? have you tried with a power sander ? Looking forward for part 2...
Excellent questions. I gradually progress from 120 grit to 220 grit, 400 grit, and 1000 grit sandpaper. I actually do use a power sander as the first step when the page edges are very uneven. In that case I use a belt sander, though, because I worry that a circular sander might scratch the pages across the grain. Much like wood, sanding the pages along the grain is best. If you sand perpendicular to the grain, you may end up with scratches that will be hard to remove and which will be visible in the final book.
Part 2 just went live, so thanks for patiently waiting!
czcams.com/video/cpJSAsGUbg0/video.html
This man is awesome!
Thanks! Just checked out your channel and y'all look pretty awesome too!
Thank you.
My pleasure!
Can you go over the tools you use? I really want to do this with my library!
Thanks, I'm so happy to hear you'd like to give it a try! I am trying to not use many specialized tools for these videos to show how you can do it at home. So I'm just cutting the papers with a box cutter. I use rubber sanding blocks to support the sandpaper, but it's optional. The only indispensable thing for the page edge gilding is Foil Quill. Also you will want some beeswax, but you can get that at most hobby stores. I mentioned most of the tools I used in the video. Are there any specific tools you wanted more information on?
@@ingeniusdesigns Hi. What thickness of sandpaper did you use? (Sandpaper granulation)
Maybe you said in the video but I didn't understand. I speak portuguese.
120 grit
220 grit
400 grit
1000 grit
I'm not sure if it's the same terminology in Portugese or not, but I hope that helps!
@@ingeniusdesigns When these numbers appear in the video I thought it was the number of times you used the sandpaper.
Thank you very much for your help.
When you said you wanted a library of all leather bound books I felt that on a level you do not understand, I want to do the same with all of my books in my current collection and all my future books.
Glad to meet a kindred spirit! That's exactly why I decided to do the video tutorial. I thought, "somebody out there must want to learn this skill too," and much to my surprise it seems like there are quite a few somebodys!
Finally i found answers to my questions of book edges but can it cover foxings too?
Whats the name of the foil
You have to thoroughly sand the pages to a high polish before you apply the foil, so that should remove most foxing and other discoloration, but even if there is still some staining I imagine the foil would cover it just fine. As I mentioned in the video, I use Foil Quill brand foil. Unfortunately that brand is going out of production, so I'm planning to experiment with other brands in the near future and post my results on the channel, but I haven't done that yet.
This is amazing wowww
I really appreciate the positive feedback! I hope you can try it too!
This interest just started with a grandson asking me to fore edge paint copies of LOTR, but I thought the books needed more pizazz. Lots of research and viewing all your videos has been most inspiring! So…where is the best place to buy leather??? On line or do I need to feel it? I’m in East Tennessee on a mountain….thanks for your humble spirit, gracious sharing, and wonderful humor!
Thanks so much for the support! I'll probably release a video on the leather buying topic (and other supplies) in a month or two. Fore edge painting would be amazing--that's something I've never tried. I hope it goes well for you; my copies of Tolkien's works are the pride and joy of my collection.
Hi! I'm Brazilian, I loved your video, super explained, but I had a doubt, what goes in the cut to stick the foil after the sandpaper and before the iron? I've been looking for a video like this for a while! Thanks!
Actually nothing goes between. The brand of foil I'm demonstrating with has a very thin heat-activated backing, meaning that the heat from the iron causes the backing to become adhesive, sticking the foil to the pages. That way I don't have to use any gilding size or glaire. I tried doing this with many different types of glaire, gilding size, and glue, but none produced results for me as reliably as the foil quill does. If I ever find a better, simpler technique I'll be sure to share it on the channel though! Thanks for the question!
I'd like to add fore-edge art. At what point in this process would you do that?
Hi Austin, I am trying your method to no avail. I am applying the foil quill with my iron set at wool. If it try to iron out the wrinkles, then lines appear and it is still patchy. I am not speeding it up and trying to take my time. It likes more like a hologram than a solid silver (using the silver foil). Any suggestions?
Just checking to see if part 2 is ready… 😁
Thanks for your patience! I got back from some traveling this week and I've started working on the video. Hopefully I'll be able to finish some time this week!
Very informative video, do you ever have any issues with pages coming loose after you remove the original covers? Any advice on how to make sure none go astray?
Thanks for the kind words! I would say that's not very common unless it's an old book and the binding was already damaged. In that case, a thin line of glue at the page crease usually works fine to stick the wayward sections back in place.
Can you do a video on how to start? (Or provide a guide?)
What materials and tools needed, the rough cost to start and suggestions on first few projects to work on getting experience and start learning the skills?
That's a great idea. I have been using these tutorials as my basic guide, but if they seem cryptic then perhaps I could explain things in a less project-based fashion.
@@ingeniusdesigns They are not cryptic they are clear and brilliant it's just that they cover the process as you're doing it starting from someone who has the materials, tools etc. For someone who's completely new like me and wants to get into book bringing it would be great if you had a guide of "how to start book binding"
Just a thought anyway, I hope to see you uploading more videos no matter what content you choose to go with
I'm trying to use the foil technique you show I'm having a bit of an issue getting the foil to transfer any tips no matter how smooth I get it sanding or the foil or what temperature I use I keep getting mixed results never getting a full transfer
Thanks for asking. I'm sorry that you're having a frustrating start. This can definitely take some trial and error. If the pages are perfectly smooth and clean (no dust or oils on them) and you're using the same type of foil, then the only thing I can think of is that you may need to iron for longer. I'm sorry I can't be there to see what you're doing in person. Here's a link to a video I made for awesome folks like you who wanted more detailed instructions. I hope something in there might help!
czcams.com/video/Er3hIEUuCms/video.html&ab_channel=IngeniusDesigns
May I seek your advice? Will this gilding process be suitable for a deck of cards? What are your thoughts
This would work great for a deck of cards. In fact, I think it would be easier than on thinner book pages. You might have a little trouble with the rounded edges, but I don't think that would be too hard to figure out. You might still have to sand the cards before applying the foil though.
What size or brand do you use for the end pages? I'm trying some 12x12's but they're real close to being too short when folded.
Gilding the pages is pretty hard too, you make it look so easy!
I actually use a wide variety of brands depending on the color that I want. 12x12 sheets work fine for books 6" wide or less, but as you point out, it's too small for larger pages. For bigger books I usually cut my end-papers out of poster-size sheets. As you can see in this video, I cut them a little larger than I need so I can trim to exactly the dimensions of the book after I glue the end-papers in place.
I'm sorry if the gilding has been giving you trouble. You're right that I may have oversimplified it a bit in this tutorial, but to make up for it I do have an additional video dedicated only to the gilding process which goes into more detail. Maybe that will help?
Hi, I followed your tutorial to make the golden pages and got an almost perfect result. I have a couple of questions 5:30 :
When I "break" the pages, many small gold particles are created. I don't mind the effect, but how should I do to get a shiny surface?
I didn't quite understand how much wax to apply, besides, trying to remove it I found it difficult and almost ruined the effect. By any chance should I use a slightly damp cloth and not totally dry?
Anyway, the result is amazing and for being the first attempt it was very easy.
That is amazing to hear. So many people find the technique challenging that I am really gratified to hear you got a satisfying result your first time around.
As for the small flakes, I get them too, and they can make the surface slightly less shiny, but applying the wax helps to minimize the flaking. The layer of wax is pretty minimal and it does dull the finish slightly, but I find it's worth it to reduce the flaking.
OLD Leather Smith here, excellent video the only difference between you and me is I use LEATHER everywhere you use paper. GOD'S BLESSINGS ✝️🥎🙃
You mean you do soft-bound leather books where the cover is all leather (no chipboard) or do you mean that you use leather for the endpapers? I'm intrigued. The books are already covered in leather, so what additional leather do you use?
@@ingeniusdesigns OLD Leather Smith here I use leather as end pages, in the binding, I take the cardboard front and back and replace with LEATHER, INSTEAD OF CORD I USE LEATHER, Of course these are all different kinds but ALL IS LEATHER. I also only do custom ( bespoke ) Only nothing is 4 sale. GOD'S BLESSINGS ✝️🥎🙃
Thank you so much for these video!!! I've been wanting to do this forever with several sets of books I have. However, most are paperback. Would you be willing to show how you handle separating the covers from the rest of the text block? I am not entirely sure the best way to go about it. Like do you remove the covers and spine, or just cut the covers off and leave the spine? If removing all, how do you get the spine to separate from the text block as newer books seem to be very well stuck together (I guess you would want that if you weren't trying to remove it)?
Thanks for the question! I do remove both the covers and the spine on paperback books (most of the books I start with are paperback, actually. In paperbacks the cover functions as the book's endpapers though, so you remove them just like you would remove the endpapers of a hardback book. It would be pretty quick to do a little video demonstration of this, so I'll see if I can pull together a short video for you on this topic when I get the chance!
@@ingeniusdesigns Thank you. That would be awesome! I just got the last Witcher book and wanted to start on those, but wasn't sure how to get the spine off.
So I had tried several ways of removing the covers. So far the best way I have found is to use a iron and parchment paper. Heat the glue just enough to pull the cover off. You have to go fairly slow with it as not to heat up the glue too much that it breaks up the text block. Still interested in seeing any other ways that may be better than this way.
Do you know if the foil quill is very acidic? I've learned that acid content in materials can cause a lot of books to yellow and deteriorate over time so I'm trying to avoid it in my projects.
I'm not sure about that, and searching Google hasn't yielded any ready answer yet. I could always try blending up some foil quill in distilled water and then dipping a ph strip in it, but that might be overkill, since the amount of surface in contact with the foil is so minimal that I doubt it will do any serious damage even if it is somewhat acidic. Thanks for the excellent question!
Great video! Do you sand the top and bottom of the text block as well?
Yes! The top and bottom usually start smoother so they may take slightly less sanding, but the sanding step is critical.
Magnificent video, do you use a hot stamping printer for the covers details or the traditional foil technique? Thanks
Excellent question. I've done some traditional tooling, and if there's enough interest I could make some instructional content on that, but in the end I found I could actually achieve the greatest variety in my designs while keeping within a reasonable budget by using vinyl instead of foil. I demonstrate the process in my Part 2 video, which I just released!
czcams.com/video/cpJSAsGUbg0/video.html
Question for ya, have you ever looked into culture hustles gold paint for gilding?
I have tried several types of paint, including liquid leaf solutions, acrylic paint, spray paint, etc., but I found it to be a very finicky solution. Most paints adhere to themselves stronger than they adhere to the pages, so when you try to peel the pages apart, one page will pull the paint off other pages.
There was one specific color of one specific brand that I had some success with, but even changing to a slightly different color didn't work. As a result, I've never felt confident enough to recommend the paint option to people. I haven't specifically tried Culture Hustle paint though. It seems more reflective than most. I am always on the lookout for an easier way to gild page edges, and if I ever make a breakthrough, I'll post it on this channel immediately!
Your tutorial is the best I have come across and doesn’t overwhelm a beginner. Would this be possible to do with scriptures? The price of colored scriptures is just ridiculous. Almost $200 🤯. But the cover is so much softer on scriptures. You wouldn’t be able to use chipboard. Do you have any ideas on how to recover scripture? I’d love to hear your input!
I have rebound scriptures before, but I just replaced the soft covers with my regular hard covers (which was what I wanted). In fact, the picture in the thumbnail is of those scriptures! I haven't tried softcover leather bindings yet, but I imagine they would be similar, but with a much thinner and more flexible medium than the chipboard. Perhaps I'll experiment with it a bit in the future though!
What a great video! I have two questions. When you glued the folded cardstock, did you glue the folded edge along the spine? Also, did you sand all three sides or just the longest end? Thank you.
I glue about a 1-cm thick stripe next to the spine. I do sand all three sides of the book (clamping, sanding, and foiling each side before repeating on the next side), but the top and bottom sides usually take less time to sand than the long side. Hope that helps!
Do you cut the end papers after you fold them or do you put the doubles in?
I fold them when they are a little too big, glue them on, and then cut them flush with the pages.
I have a question. If the book is already hardcover, can you just use that to wrap the leather around instead of creating a new cover with the chipboard?
Great question, thanks for asking! I considered that early on, but have never tried it.
If you are thinking of never taking the text block out of the cover and trying to wrap it in leather with the text inside, then I foresee two challenges: First, the leather wrapped around the covers would sit over the endpapers instead of under them. You could try cutting it to shape very carefully to look pretty, but it would still look different from what people usually expect from a leather-bound book. Second, you would need to get the leather wrapped around the spine, which would be tricky, because you would have to cut slits in it where the spine meets the pages.
if you are thinking of removing the text block from the cover, covering it with leather, adding new endpapers to the text block, and then gluing it back in place, then I'd say there's a higher chance of success. That being said, leather and paper bend differently from each other, and you would have two layers in the book's "hinges" instead of one, so my concern is that the book might not fully open. You could solve that problem by cutting away the paper "hinges" from the original covers and just reusing the boards. I have attempted that, actually, but the leather I use is thicker than paper, so it pushes the text block out a bit and alters the proportions of the book so that the pages on the fore-edge sit almost flush with the cover (which is not what you want in a hard-cover book, of course). In the end, I found that to compensate for the thickness of the leather I needed to use boards that were a little wider than those used in most paper bindings. I still keep the old covers and sometimes use them when I'm binding smaller books, but I haven't found them useful on the book they originally came from. Maybe that problem could be solved by using paper-thin leather like professional binderies do...but buying that grade of leather consistently gets outside my budget.
I know that was super rambly, but I hope something I said helped. If you try it and have more success than I did, let me know! I'd be happy to learn any new and improved technique!
Any chance you could give me some advice on where to get a sander and sandpaper? I'm looking online and all im getting is sandpaper for furniture and cars, is there a specific one I have to find? What do you use personally?
I use a palm sander and a sanding sheets that I got from Amazon. It was a little hard to track down palm sander sheets with grits up to 1000 anywhere but online. Here's a link to my Amazon storefront, where you can see what I use. If you purchase on there it will support the channel a little bit too!
www.amazon.com/shop/ingenius.designs/list/1ZDGXFNRT7CO7?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfingenius.designs_APR6GB9MVQJP0KGDYFSN