My grandpa told me to use a bone folder on the spine before gluing, and it changed my whole process

For years, I just used my fingers to shape the spine of a text block before adding the mull. My grandpa, who did this for fifty years, watched me once and said, 'You're leaving hills and valleys. Use the round edge of your bone folder and roll it down the spine, firm and even.' I tried it on a small poetry book I was making last month. I pressed hard and rolled it slowly from head to tail three times. The difference was huge. The spine went from lumpy to perfectly rounded and tight. The glue went on smooth and the cover fit like a dream. I feel silly for not listening sooner. Has anyone else got a simple tip like that that fixed a big part of your work?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_mitchell3d ago

Read a tip about warming the glue pot first, makes it spread like butter.

seth_martinez213d ago

Warming the glue pot sounds like a recipe for a mess in my experience. I've found it starts to set up way too fast once it's off the heat, leaving clumps. Keeping it at room temp and just using a good brush gives me way more control. The butter thing sounds nice, but I get a smoother spread by not rushing it.