Bookbinding - Paper Repairs

This video shows how I approach simple paper repairs - filling in missing areas and also dealing with small paper tears. Although I am not a qualified conservator and there are other ways to do this, I find this approach to be a practical method for straightforward in-situ repairs. The hard bit is often finding the right kind of paper to fill-in lost areas!
UPDATE: Thin light boxes like the one shown in the second part of this video are now available online for less than £15. Just search for 'A4 Ultra-thin Portable LED Light Box'.

[@Leo1406hongkong]

Hi Glenn, Very clever and it is professionally done too. Thank you.

[@iluvmusic375]

This video was just what I needed. Thank you 😊

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you for very good video.

[@blancabeatrizgarcia6632]

Excellent video, what Japanese paper reference do you use? Thank you

[@margaretb.4123]

This is an excellent video, Glenn. I love the slim light box you have. Regarding tweezers, I have a pair used by philatelists, the ends of which are rounded flat and look similar to a spoonbill. They're decades old and similar tweezers are available off the internet for a varying range of prices. Your comments for the light box have just popped up on my screen and I'm going to order one right now. Thank you.

[@bookbindingtips]

Thanks for watching! Those tweezers sound great - probably quite stable to use I would think. And yes, the thin light box is great for this kind of work and quite inexpensive too.

[@ahmedlyna1018]

Merci beaucoup

[@personalaccount2169]

Hey Glenn. I love this video it's very relaxing! I also love how much respect you treat to the book. Question: Could a a tear be replaced with a typed script from the computer of the same book? Would it be difficult to do? Or would i be best off just handwriting the missing text?

[@bookbindingtips]

Glad you liked it! If it's your own book then of course it is up to you, but were I doing this for a customer I would either leave it blank or find a copy of the original book on line (The internet Archive is a good resource) and print off a copy of that page on suitable paper to use for the repair.

[@personalaccount2169]

Thanks Glenn. The same method is used on this second-hand 1800ce Lutheran bible I have but, unfortunately, someone used Scotch Tape instead of soluble resin like in your video. How would a professional like yourself remove Scotch tape from a Bible leaf? Pages resemble the same quality as in your video here.

[@ernestobarrera2927]

Thank you for sharing!

[@bookbindingtips]

You are welcome Ernesto!

[@pozzimusica]

Hi !! This is a very interesting video - it popped up when I researched how to tape tears in an old bible. For those of us who are less skilled, is there a particular brand of tape you recommend ?? For an 1870s family bible, it needs TLC, from an art museum. Thank you.

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi and thank you. You should never use a standard sticky tape (such as Scotch tape or Sellotape) to repair pages because it will fail over time, the plastic carrier may lift and the adhesive browns and can soak irepairably into the paper. There is a conservation tape called Filmoplast P paper repair tape which is much better in the long term and not too expensive, though using good quality Japanese tissue and past as I have shown in my video is by far the best solution in most cases. Hope that helps!

[@pozzimusica]

@@bookbindingtips Hi ! Thank you very much for your kind help. I will put the Filmoplast P paper repair tape in my Amazon cart !! I look forward to watching more of your repair videos.

[@marlenebrown2569]

Could you be specific about your paste? What is the brand, type? What is it made of? Is it specific enough that you would have to order it from a specific store?

[@bookbindingtips]

I buy my paste pre-prepared from a bookbinding supplier in the UK - usually Hewits. But it is basically a wheat starch paste. You can also get very good rice starch pastes. Some are in powder form, some you have to cook, some already made up and it is down mainly to personal preference which you would use.

[@jayroland9481]

Excellent video (love the slight Derbyshire(?) accent BTW). For minor tears I've been using 3M Micropore tape, it has excellent adhesion though can be removed if required and also allows the print to show through! I wonder, do you offer a rebinding service for antiquarian (1600's - 1700's) books? I have a few that have loose/detached boards that are well beyond my skill/patience level. Jay (ex Derbyshire now Cornwall).

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi Jay - well spotted - Derbyshire it is, Chesterfield in fact (with influences from a few other places!). Yes, I do re-bind and repair books but leads time is quite long at the moment given other work in hand. You can always e-mail me some images (details on my signaturebindings.co.uk website) and I'll be happy to take a look. Otherwise there are a few binders in the south west - maybe contact the western region of the Society of Bookbinders for recommendations.

[@edition-deluxe]

I personally just glue closed tears, and would have in that second case too. I think glue would look better than that tape.

[@bookbindingtips]

I would never recommend using tape. In the video I am using strips of Japanese paper secured using wheat starch paste. And yes, sometimes the tear does lend itself to re-securing using paste without the need for additional support.

[@GreggHavens]

Glenn. I am a beginner at this bookbinding. In fact I've only worked on a few books that were in my mother's attic. Where and what kind of paper do you use for repairs like this? I looked so many places and videos but haven't found a paper supplier and the specific papers you use. Thanks in advance.

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi Gregg. That is one of the difficult things with paper repair unfortunately, as it depends of course on the paper used in the book. Ideally it needs to be the same thickness, colour and finish as the original, but sometimes you have to compromise. I don't know where you are based but in the UK we have Shepherds bookbinding suppliers in London who hold hundreds of different papers in stock including hand made and Japanese papers. Realistically though you need to go and feel the samples in order to choose what you need. I also keep loose end pages and scraps that have come out of other books I have worked on because you can sometimes find a match that way.

[@mariomoretti9059]

the blue tape is paper or laminated paper or other material ? thanks and congratulations for the excellent work !

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi! Sorry, I'm not sure which blue tape you are referring to? Perhaps you mean the silicon release paper used to protect the pages beneath when pasting. This is just a waterproof paper which won't stick to the pages, but you can also use acetate or other materials for this.

[@mariomoretti9059]

@@bookbindingtips hi, I mean the blue roll from which the back covering of the book is obtained and on which the title of the book is then applied..!

[@bookbindingtips]

@@mariomoretti9059 I think you must be looking at a different video - there is no blue roll here and we don't look at the covering or titling of the book at all. . .

[@byronperrine5556]

Where can one purchase the type of paper you are using for repairs? I've had difficulty finding it.

[@bookbindingtips]

Depends where in the world you are. Here in the UK there are only a few suppliers, but possibly the best choice is available at Shepherds bookbinding supplies in London. The Paper Foundation is also entering the market with a range of UK made hand-made papers.

[@vanessamurillo9228]

Hello gleen I need you’re help! 🙏🏻 There’s anyways you can repair my marriage license 🥺 it’s in four pieces, or maybe help me figure it out how can I do, please let me know if a contact you via email, thank you so much

[@bookbindingtips]

Hi Vanessa - drop me an e-mail at [e-mail] and I will see if I can point you in the right direction.