Bookbinding - Dealing with Warped Boards

It is quite common, when making a book, to find that your boards have warped as a result of materials contracting when drying. This can be particularly evident with full leather bindings. Here I show you how to compensate for warped boards by adding linings to the inside and I discuss the considerations when doing this. (It also demonstrates why grain direction can be critical!)

[@Shemm57]

Thanks a lot for this video. Exactly what I needed for a new project.

[@thinkingahead6750]

Nicely done and well commented. One day I hope I'll make it to one of your workshops.

[@Fragkogiannakis_Vasilis]

ΚΑΛΗΜΕΡΑ ΑΠΟ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ. ΟΠΩΣ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΚΑΤΑΠΛΗΚΤΙΚΟΣ ! ! !

[@bookbindingtips]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful.

[@ernestobarrera2927]

Thanks a lot for this video, Glenn! I'm still reading and watching videos before trying leather binding myself. I really thought this procedure would require a special "pull" paper to work properly (50-75 gsm). Now I'm glad to see that regular 100 gsm printer paper does perfectly the trick At 7:32, maculature says "Fun in the Time of COVID". Tell us you selected it on purpose.

[@kennewell4242]

👍🏻Looking forward to seeing the video of the books being tooled🤞🏻

[@bookbindingtips]

Not sure about that! There are many people who can gold tool a lot better than me!!

[@jdh_images]

Great explanation to an annoying problem.

[@TheConour]

Thank you - learned a lot from this!

[@edition-deluxe]

Pretty crazy solution. I'd like to think there are other ways to fix warped boards, as a solution to restoring a old book, or a finished book that already has end papers. Plus if you do a bunch of layers isn't the paste down going to look weird?

[@Oreanor]

it's not a sudden solution, this is kind of a principle - to paste a compensate sheet that is needed also to align with thickness of leather wraps. Otherwise the endpapers will be noticeably deformed (sure, this is only about binding new books)

[@ibeamish1]

I am having this issue on a split board binding that needed a couple of layers of infill between the edge of the quarter binding material to the fore edge, with decorative paper over the sides. Two layers of the thin green board, like what I see here, make up the body of the board. I should have known there would be too much pull on the front with the infills. Unfortunately I have already adhered the paste down with, alas, PVA-Methyl Cellulose mix. The moment I take it out of the press it starts to warp outward exactly like this. My question is: what about leaving it in the press, maybe with blotter, for an inordinately long period of time? Could that save it, Glenn?

[@bookbindingtips]

I think that would be unlikely to help once the board has dried fully. You can however often 'encourage' a warped board back into shape by carefully bending or rolling over a dowel, but it can be risky!

[@JasonJason210]

My perpetual problem when I buy secondhand books that have been stored in damp conditions. Once they warp it's very hard to get them back. The solution you show is no good for collectable books that have intrinsic value. What I do is put them back in a relatively damp environment and wait for them to go back to the right shape. Then, into a book press, and then apply heating gradually over petiod of about one month.

[@rachel_of_autumnbow]

Do you make your own handmade paper? It would be great to see a video of that process. Also I loved this! The result looked like magic!!

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi Rachel - Thank you! No, I don't make my own paper I'm afraid. Making good quality, thin, consistent paper is a highly specialised job, so I leave it to the experts!

[@edition-deluxe]

What would have prevented this in the first place--leaving to dry longer, more weight, or different materials needed?

[@bookbindingtips]

You could make board by laminating paper and thin millboard together and the makes it quite stiff. If there is an extra piece of paper on the inside of the board it will pull it inwards a little so this will counter the pull of the leather to some extent. But you almost always have to correct warp a little after the leather has been secured.

[@marcofederspiel635]

Diese Art von Verwerfung führe ich auf eine falsche Faser Laufrichtung zurück… aber egal wie , man könnte es mit einem oder zwei zusätzliche Papiere in der innen Seite ausgleichen

[@ChrisBrown-qg4xo]

Do you actually use a tin plate? Or is it aluminum?

[@bookbindingtips]

To be honest I'm not sure what its made of - It could be zinc or maybe stainless steel, though aluminium maybe too soft. I bought mine from a hardware store. The general terms for these though is 'tins', presumably because that it what they used to be made of! As well as keeping moisture away from textblock, it also prevents the thickness of the turn-ins from marking the text block when it is pressed under weight.

[@ChrisBrown-qg4xo]

Minute 4, I’m highly caffeinated, and ADHD, but imma need to go slow down just a bit there my friend, even I didn’t catch all of that. 😂

[@bookbindingtips]

Do let me know if there is something that isn't clear or needs more explaining . . .