Bookbinding Basics: Chapter 3 - Full Multi-Section Bookbinding Tutorial: The Slotted Wrapper Binding

[@tr48092]

What sort of practical limit is there to the thickness of book you can make with this technique?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Great question, I was actually thinking about that as I edited the video. I do think there would be a point where the swell of a very thick book would become unmanageable, though not having tested it I don't know where that point would be. The other consideration would be overall weight and what it might do to the paper spine covering. In his book, Smith describes how the spine can be reinforced by extending the two cover flaps so they both overlap the spine, with the sewing then going through three layers of paper instead of one. I didn't include that in the tutorial for simplicity sake, but I do think it would be a good design choice for a larger version of this binding. Thanks for the question!

[@tr48092]

@@FourKeysBookArts thanks for making these videos. I love listening to you.

[@tr48092]

​@@FourKeysBookArtskzbin.info/www/bejne/mJrSqY2XbppjrNEsi=CymLjcYAi-SbVNj1

[@JaluGJ]

@@FourKeysBookArts Thank you for that answer and thank @tr48092 for that question. I was just thinking on printing one of my homebrew book of DnD (a book that I wrote myself) and was looking for a good style for binding it, and i liked this one. But it has almost 200 pages, so i don't know if try with this method because of the size it will end up with.

[@robertpalumbo9089]

Nerd forge made a 10,000 page + book wheel of time one book

[@belmarv2640]

I genuinely don’t know what to say. I just finished following your instructions and I’m in awe. My first book I’ve bound is just laying right in front of me and while it’s not perfect I still can’t believe it made it. Thank you so much for sharing your skills with us.

[@renosance8941]

I got hired at a local book publisher about 3 months ago... and although we use more mechanical binding machines, I'm really interested in learning the true bookbinding craft. This channel found me at the best time. Thank you so much, Four Keys!

[@OliveKnoll]

You sir, are incredible and inspiring. Each video is professional quality in audio, visual, and lighting. It is obvious that you know what you are talking about yes, but you also know just the right way of explaining things. I am totally blown away and grateful that you put these gems out consistently for folks all around the world for free. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work! I hope you enjoy your coffee.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thank you so much! It's always nice when the medium gets some recognition along with the message. Cheers!

[@Medita_con_Marisol_B.B.]

Fully agreed with you Olive!

[@CL-kn1rq]

I don't suggest only watching the weaver knot video, which in itself is a beautiful thing to behold, I suggest anyone interested watch the whole medieval book making, 4 parts. For novices like me, I suggest you add an extra 5 lengths to your string because watching a weaver's knot being done successfully is one thing, sitting there trying to do it yourself is another. Thanks for the series Dennis.

[@andrejohnson6731]

I’m new to your channel. I work at a Canadian university, and I’m honored to be the keeper of a Register of graduates for our Faculty. The original Register dates back to Class of 1908, but an inscription on the first page leads me to believe it was rebound in 1930 by an alum. The book is in surprisingly good quality, there is only a slight crack on the inside of the front cover. Normal wear and tear. When it was handed to me, I immediately thought of you. You have given me such a deep appreciation for this piece of history ❤ it’s sad that bookbinding is almost a lost art

[@word42069]

Luckily it’s made a bit of a comeback in over the last decade and great social media channels like this help to keep it alive and spread the word!

[@jomen112]

I just mad my own first multi section sketchbook following these instruction. Material used; some suitable needle, 75 gsm A4 printer paper, red&white cotton thread, the one you use for binding up meat when cooking, cover paper: frozen fish stick box, a 22 oz dart for piercing the paper. I made six signatures, each folded into A6 from four A4, giving each signature 32 pages, in total 192 pages. Approximated material cost: 20 euro cent. When testing the flexibility of this sketchbook I was blown away with how rough handling it could sustain; I curled it up to a cylinder, folded the pages 360 degrees with eas and none of this seemed to stress the material at all. It's extremely flexible, and seams to be able to take almost any beating or mistreatment, i.e perfect for sketching and to bring with you wherever you go. This is the kind of sketchbook I always wanted to have but never found anywhere.

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Fantastic! I love that you used improvised tools and materials. And great feedback on the durability too; I made some with cereal box covers and they're pretty sturdy.

[@jomen112]

@@FourKeysBookArts It was so much fun to make I did a second one, a 400 page edition. This time each signature is based on five A4 sheets, so ten signatures in total. I wanted to test with fives sheets in each signature because it uses 20% less thread that way, and the thread is the most costly part of the book construction (around half the cost). Not that cost is that high, but changing the design helps you better understand the process, material needs and limitations. (E.g. I think I could make a doable 600 page edition but a 800 page edition might stretch it to much and be to hard to handle - I will try bind them first before making any definitive statement). Anyhow, before creating the 2nd book I thought this experiment might turn out thick and stiff. I was confident I could easily remake it into two 200 pages books if I wasn't happy with the result, but I got a pleasant surprise (e.g. it still fits well in my trousers pocket). This time I used the paper box cover from a box of vacuum cleaning bags - pretty much a standard box cover, approx 1 mm thick. I used a marker pen to cover the print and give the cover an abstract form of black and white. The resulting sketchbook is still very flexible, however I like the box cover from the fish sticks better, since it is cover with a thin layer of plastic (or wax I guess it is?) that makes it water resistant. Btw, I also used mask tape to strengthen the slits since I noticed it tend to become damaged by the thread. To make the first book even more stronger I used mask tape to seal the cover edges, and the lining on the back of the book. I am not trying to get a pretty look, but making something that can withstand heavy duty wear and tear, and I am pretty sure this is it. These days, I don't think you can even buy a sketchbook meeting my self-imposed durability specifications. In short, I am very happy with the results so far. Thanks you for an excellent instruction video. It was very easy to follow.

[@beatriztauro7930]

Today was a bad day and everytime I have a bad day I try to make some small little artsy thing for myself. Today I did one of this little books to use as a sketchbook and it was so cool and easy to do it! Thank u

[@EmptyGlass99]

This series of 20 minute videos is a very good introduction to this craft.

[@kathybell6268]

I sure appreciate the clarity of your videos. I could listen to your voice all day!

[@thecocodollzz]

I created a whole planner for this year using this method and it turned out so beautiful! Thank you so much for this series and this video - so easy to follow along ❤

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BachirKhalfaoui]

very nice design , i'm trying it soon

[@rdhunkins]

You've inspired me to try out this craft. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This is what KZbin was created for

[@Belzediel]

Don' leave us in suspenders, how's it going?

[@JamesBond-lt5tr]

I did it!! I now have a bullet journal! Thank you for your easy to follow instructions. This will be my go to method for creating my own books. 😊

[@jessa5867]

After having watched a couple of your videos, I've been gathering some tools and then returned to this one and gave it a try. Thanks for the clear explanation, it was such a fun project! Now the first one is done, more are surely to follow and probably I'll tackle a more advanced binding during summer.

[@HoangMinh-ul5zm]

Great tutorial. The thing I like is that the cover is included right from the beginning so no glue needed

[@moonkiwi6402]

This was perfect for a book I had to make for my school project! I absolutely love it, so easy to make. Thank you for your video!

[@TopSecretNoTouching-df2bb]

To create a symmetrical chisel shaped foreedge you must give the paper that wonky shape shown in the video. Simply gently bending repeatedly w/out the wonky shape will create the wrong look. Good vid, I’ve watched maybe 10x through so far.

[@LolaBeM3]

Thank you for mentioning this. ❤ Idk how many times I’ve watched this part, but when I tried it myself, sometimes it would work and most of the time it wouldn’t. I thought there had to be something I was doing differently when I did it correctly, but didn’t know what. Now I’m wondering if there’s an easier way to do this that works immediately lol.

[@bettercallshoal]

Thank you!!! I just made and bind my own journal out of coffee bean bags (thick paper material on the outside & has a plastic lining on the inside) using this technique! 💯

[@bettercallshoal]

Cut the bag wide open for measurements & trimmings for the side, top & bottom portions of the coffee bean bag. 1kg of coffee bean bag has 2 portions (front & back) = 1 signature. I have 6 pcs of that 1kg of coffee bean bags from our small coffee shop and i love the outcome. *just sharing this small info for context*

[@drawingmomentum]

I love any archival handmade book, esp one-of-a-kind. ❤ Keith Smith's books r great references. I studied fine arts press from Bonnie O'Connell at UNO many years ago. I still cringe when thinking back on handsetting typeface. 😂 And of course, I still create unique handbound books. 😊 📚

[@claireyacishyn4202]

I've been waiting to see this video since I saw the sneak peak of the wonderful looking spine in the previous basics video and I can't wait to try making this myself. Thanks for making such a great and approachable tutorial!

[@vulpinemachine]

Same, been dying to see this.

[@dragnflei]

I’ve gotten interested in bookbinding recently but am a bit overwhelmed by all the options. This non-adhesive binding technique seems like a good place to start (after trying the pamphlet project in chapter 1). I’ve even managed to find Smith’s book at our local library 👍 Thanks for doing the series!

[@nyxskids]

Oh dear, I'm looking at that spine and want to get fancy with different weaving and lace techniques. I may have to experiment at some point down the line lol Thank you so much for making these videos. My cousin has a very similar way of speaking and it's ability to keep me focused without overstimulating me is magic to my AuDHD. I already have the tools you used in this mini series because I work with textiles already, so I'm gonna make a few little books today. Then when the weather is better, I'll watch your video about that cradle and make that. Yeah, I also do woodworking... And metal working... And garden... And make thread, fabric, and paper from the linen I grow every year... And that doesn't even touch everything I have skills in. And honestly bookbinding brings together so many of my skills I'm shocked I didn't consider getting into it sooner! Extension of skills! New skills! The perfect combo for a hyper interest that'll fit right in with my seasonal activities without disrupting the cycle! Oh, and I saw your d&d manuals project and was super impressed. I know you made a bit of a mistake but that's honestly why I was so impressed. You owned it and didn't give up on the project. Inspirational to people like me that need to see people with experience make mistakes and soldier on. It eases my inner toxic perfectionist. Especially when the final product looked so amazing, I had to search for signs of the mistake and a couple of my siblings couldn't believe you even made a mistake when I called them over to look with me at the end of the video. It didn't hurt that I started playing d&d recently. Just an extra but of pull to get me to subscribe. I'll try to buy you coffee soon, but this month is a little too tight in the $ department.

[@broadenn]

This is so great, please continue! The way you shoot video, your voice, your hands, your books, it's gourgeous! You really inspire to make my own notebook ❤

[@Beryllahawk]

This series is so good, and I'm so glad you're doing it! The no glue aspect of this really does make it so much simpler to handle. Great work! Also - wanted to mention that the waxing of thread was NOT something I'd ever tried, but I took the advice you gave about using a candle for the wax. Though I was in fact making a piece of jewelry and not a book for that, the wax was STILL a huge game changer, so thank you very very much for that little piece of wisdom!

[@LaTonyaBooker]

Just a great alternative for spiral sketchbooks. I really like the way it lays flat.

[@XyerDark]

This type of binding being so easy to reverse has a lot of appeal for those just starting out that might want to do a more proper bind down the line. I'd also love to see a video on the books you'd recommend for bookbinding since you've shown quite a few on your shelf.

[@malnont]

This is going to help me when crafting note books for my nieces and nephews

[@ordinaryimages]

Excellence in Production, Clarity, and Technique !!! I've made over 100 books and know dozens bindings yet I picked up a little tip [folder on signatures between sewing to control thickness]. Subscribed.

[@emmahayes111]

I love that style of binding I am going to use that soon. I plan on making some little D&D note books for my 8yo twins for Christmas as a part of their ‘intro to D&D kit’. Great tutorial thanks

[@hannahgallagher2289]

The best tutorials I have found, thank you!

[@edskodevries]

Just finished mine, it looks nice and it was fun to do! I found that the trickiest part was to keep enougg tension on the thread, it ended up being a bit too loose. Thank you for the inspiration, love your videos!

[@adamvandenboogard509]

This video was great. It has inspired me to make a book for my wife for valentine's day. I had more trouble finding a suitable book to bind than actually binding it. Normally i make plastic models but very much enjoy watching another person ply their craft. You truely are a talented binder and artist. Thank you again for the inspiration.

[@KathleenRenninger]

Great video! I think this is what I need for binding my junk/art journal, adding beads to the thread on the spine. But I'll definitely try one without beads first, so I get the technique down. Thank you, as always.

[@JMCatron]

As much as I enjoy your other series, I am LOVING this explainer series. I will be making several of these books tonight, and I look forward to your next installment!

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Have fun!

[@hone7]

Thank you Dennis, just watching this video was so satisfying. But I want to give it a try for my journal.

[@subtropical1228]

I'm so inspired! I can't wait to try this out - so many possibilities!

[@adrianaschzh]

Thank you sir for letting me know about this art of bookbinding, I will try to follow your guide. Thank you!

[@RomantiCynic]

Loving this series, Dennis! You are really building things up in a logical order, adding complexity as you go. I'm spellbound by your bookbinding! 😄

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Thank you, I'm so glad you're liking the series!

[@Ultra_ZAZ]

This is a very nice video, thank you Denise for the good tutorial.

[@deetrvl4life875]

This seems like an Easy Peezy, breezy project! Thank you! I found that as I watched this very basic simple project my imagination really woke up with ideas of my own. I watched your very masterful series on the Medieval book and your D&D book before watching this one and I was just engrossed in the sheer beauty and entertainment of watching YOU. I found that concept interesting from a personal point of view. Thank you so very much for sharing. Also your Videography is superb! I would love to see a 'Making of' video on how you do these! ♥

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

Thank you, Denise I'm loving this series and can't wait to try it next summer.

[@jamesstoffel6835]

Great tutorial - thank you for posting this video!

[@renske9637]

Thus looks amazing, thanks for sharing! Also putting that book you showed in the beginning on my wishlist.

[@jamiev281]

Wonderful video and instruction. Thank you for inspiring me to try this technique!

[@Achenar15]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to make such well made videos

[@dragnflei]

I just finished my first book! 😃🙌

[@IronEarthDesigns]

Thanks for this video. I've been watching and re-watching and making the book. Had a few snafus. The cover paper, which was 3 layers glued together, cracked when I folded it. The second cover, which consisted of three papers that I thought were too lightweight individually, so I glued those together as well, was not glued properly. When I tried to fold it, parts of the layers were coming apart and it wouldn't lay flat. I couldn't live with it, so I discarded that one. I finally settled on one layer of 300 GSM watercolor paper. I did the fold the old-fashioned way by folding up against the ruler from measuring in the middle, and scoring the line before I folded it. So far so good. I decided not to press my luck, and wait until tomorrow to do the sewing. Very satisfying!

[@rhodalewis30]

Thank you for this fun little project! I just made one today! 🙏

[@Ahmed_Saadawy]

Easy,cheap and looks awesome this is my new favorite method ❤️

[@arcanlia]

I love your work pal. The effort and care that you put on your creations it's incredibly inspiring to me. As a fellow craftsman, I salute your art and passion. Hope to reach that level of care someday in the future with my own works. Greetins from Chile.

[@MSAL1C3]

Thanks for this video and this series! I very recently started bookbinding (partially inspired by your vids!) and this was a great step forward between simple, single signature pamphlet stitch pocket journals and full on casing in hard bound books. After doing one of these start to finish, I did a modification of this by combining the techniques you showed with some I saw in another video and added a printed marble paper by wrapping it around the cardstock. It made the book stronger and added some visual interest. Excited to see more of these beginner videos!

[@Lisa_B-S]

Thanks for the tutorial - I jsut made one myself and it was so much fun!

[@danyg4063]

Thank you for this series. You know, I'd always been tempted to attempt some bookbinding, but was always really intimidated. But after this video, I walked two blocks down to my local Blick's Art Supplies, picked up a few nominal supplies for about 30 bucks, and I'm going to make a few handmade sketchbooks for my little sisters for Christmas. Thanks for giving me the push I needed, as well as the tutorial to get it done. :)

[@karma13612]

Excellent tutorial! Loved the tips as well. Thank you!!!!👏👍📚❤️🙋🏼‍♀️

[@beagru5706]

Thank you very much for shearing 🎩📖📚🍀🌻

[@suewallis100]

Brilliant Denis !😊

[@stacyola]

How fun. I love bookbinding!!

[@robbabcock_]

Wow, very cool video!👏

[@stefandenic7144]

Thank you for the very educational and useful video. I would be very interested in further in depth problems and solutions by mr Smith. Best regards, Stefan

[@besthobbit]

you could weave between the spine threads too. That would look neat.

[@toshirok4481]

Very nice video. I like very much the explanation and the tips. Thank you!

[@xphoenixrising]

Oh I really like this! Can't wait to give it a try!

[@lightbulbnirvana]

I will have to try this technique for sure! Well done video! Thanks Dennis!

[@FourKeysBookArts]

You are very welcome

[@mrnnhnz]

Nice series Dennis, thanks for sharing.

[@kevenreis224]

So good!

[@UlrichVIII]

what a great tutorial! thx for sharing :D

[@lucas23453]

I recently bought Books Without Adhesive or Glue, im going to give the tortoise japanese binding a shot.

[@Medita_con_Marisol_B.B.]

I loved it !! suscribed and liked :), gonna try soon book binding, loved your tutorial and tips based on your personal experience, be well!

[@Ahnii]

Love the series, binding your own books/ notebooks really intrigues me and your creations are looking awesome! Could you maybe make a video about all the different types of bindings? I'm looking for the type of art/notebook where the pages are completely flat no matter which page you open? I've seen these only one or two times, really prefer them to the normal notebooks, but don't even know how they are called...

[@mjsimunovich013]

Your channel is absolutely amazing. I have idea for a journal/tome that I believe you’d be interested making but only when you have the time.

[@rhondawilliams2140]

I really like this one. I will be trying it. ❤

[@lilpixie25]

I can’t wait to try this, thanks for taking the time to teaching in this series.

[@lafrancemeyers7728]

Lovely 🥰

[@sergiovasconcellosocriativo]

Thank you for sharing, master... I loved this technique! Cheers

[@_sadwax]

You made this series so easy to understand and follow! Honestly great teaching. Looking forward to learning how to make the punching cradle. I saw it in the other video and was hoping to learn more about it. Subscribed for sure. Keep up the amazing work!

[@beakytwitch7905]

I used waxed dental floss for binding thread.

[@AllenVoorEef]

I've been looking forward to trying this one for weeks, and now that I finally found a moment to sit down with it I'm elated! Your instructions were clear and helpful, I didn't mess up once and now I have a cool little sketchbook made with zero frustration. I'll definitely be making a bunch of these with friends & looking forward to any new tutorials you'll be publishing. Many thanks for sharing you knowledge with the world

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Amazing, I'm so happy for your success! Thank you for sharing.

[@Mizai]

i made it and now im making a hard cover for it

[@erinbrown8172]

The so much I'm subscribing and liking

[@monikalantos7493]

The thread on the finished book looks like the warp strings of a weaving. I wonder if you can make a little weaving on the rootlet of the book. It would look really nice if possible.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

We envy your work.

[@elliottclaus7584]

length to estimate thread: height of the book for each signature, x2. aka if signature is 5 in tall, and there are 6 signatures, 5x6x2=60 in thread.

[@salihk4441]

Good Presentation, keep going 👍

[@happiness1988]

Wow! Thank you very much=)

[@samfalkson6393]

Dennis, do you have slowed down version of your knot to end the stitch at about minute 17:17? I can't seem to get this right when I try it

[@walterchamberlain9052]

Thank you, Dennis. I'm really enjoying your videos. Very clear and detailed. I wonder if you have any experience in binding written books (books with content rather than blank pages. I'm curious about how to layout the printer, etc. for making the signatures come out oriented correctly, which can then be bound. Thanks for your wonderful videos

[@neilthebookguy]

Great video! I just bought some of your recommendations from the Chapter 1 video. Excited to try out some binding! Also, can you make a video about some resources for those of us who like book resources as well? I saw your shelf so would love to hear what you recommend.

[@danieldaniel625]

Hi! Thanks for making this tutorial series. I'd like to ask if you're going to make some tutorials on a traditional book binding? By that I mean the binding that involves gluing, hard cover covered in leather, engraving, etc (sorry If I'm miscalling the things, I'm really new to it).

[@Parabola001]

Great video! Would this technique work with a simple leather cover instead of the heavy paper?

[@caingodrich737]

It is so beautiful that I will have to try to make it. The book at the beginning of the video is not available with us.

[@mwk1996]

Thanks!

[@FourKeysBookArts]

You are so welcome!

[@kitanowitsch]

It would be nice to see printed books bound like this.

[@Funnywargamesman]

Anyone have advice on how to get the cover material? Do you need a specialty store? Recommendations on gsm?

[@steevemartial4084]

Great video as usual. I wonder which factor I should consider when deciding how many sheets need to go in a signature?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Paper weight and/or thickness are the main factors for signatures. Typically between 4 and 8 sheets are commonly used, with thicker papers using fewer sheets, while thinner papers can permit more sheets. Thanks for the question!

[@steevemartial4084]

@@FourKeysBookArts Thanks for the answer :)

[@DanielCoffey67]

Hello from Scotland Dennis. Out of interest what weight (gsm) of card stock would you advise for this project please?

[@daboo444]

Those videos are so great! I'm starting my journey with bookbinding with some hand-crafted, quite thick (~150gsm) and I can't wait for future videos! Any tips for folding signatures of that thick, raw (edges not trimmed) paper?

[@BritHar]

Hello! I am really enjoying your videos. Do you mind sharing where you get your cover stock for these? I am having a difficult time finding any large enough. Thanks!

[@rh9915]

Good Stuff

[@LauraJayne64]

Where can I look for the cover paper that is so much larger?

[@carolinelabbott2451]

Where I live in the UK I can buy larger card sheets at most print & stationary shops, and Art supply shops.