How to Make a Boiled Book: Part 2

[@BarbaraTristan444]

Awesome!👏

[@Kenzie5011]

Thank you!

[@issis666]

Absolutely beautiful work ... I've watched a lot of videos preparatory to trying to create my own work ... and your three are absolutely the most beautiful and the most helpful. Thank you!

[@wickedmessenger1]

Thank you! I, too, have watched a lot of bookbinding videos and there are a lot of TERRIBLE ones out there and also some with bad information. I tried to make the video I would like to see.

[@pennyalagha8069]

I wonder if you could turn them into framed pictures

[@brownbear728]

Just had to pause the video when you showed the jig you made for the headbands. IT'S BRILLIANT! I've actually stopped adding them to coptics because I couldn't get over the result that thing about several stitches in one station produces. Thank you for showing us your alternative, I think it's a great idea! Do you have a video explaining the measurements of your template?

[@wickedmessenger1]

The horizontal spacing was arrived at by experimentation. It depends on the thickness of the cord you use. The knots at the edge of the bookboard will naturally space themselves due to the cord -- the thinner cord, the closer together; the thicker, the farther apart. I took a 1" tall strip of bookboard and started knotting. There were no holes in it, just looped around the bottom and back up. After you make about 10 or so knots you can see how many knots per inch. I think in my case it was about 10 knots for 7/8" along the top edge of the book. Use dividers to space that out on your template stock and draw vertical lines at that spacing. The position on those vertical lines is up to you. It has to be enough to get the holes far enough apart that they won't spill into each other. I used a sawtooth pattern but there's no reason you couldn't use any pattern you can think of, as long as the holes end up far enough away from each other. As you found, the normal way of doing it from a single hole just doesn't look right when it's thin covers like this. Maybe it looks good on Daniel Essig's books with thick wooden covers but I had to find a way to do it with thin covers and arrived at this solution. I should make a video about the process. I have had other inquiries. Thanks for calling it "BRILLIANT." I've been trying to get the word out how brilliant I am but nobody will believe me.

[@brownbear728]

wickedmessenger1 Hahaha, it might have sounded like an overreaction XD Coptic headbands were the first type I ever learnt, and they have a specual place in my heart (they look so lovely from above, when finished ♡). You should definitely make a video about your variation, it's not often than someone comes up with an idea for change that's actually practical for this binding. For the moment, though, I'm starting a coptic to follow your directions and try this headband variation, and hoping it looks as cool as the one on your boiled book. Thank you for explaining the process! I'll let you know how it goes, if that's o.k. :)

[@wickedmessenger1]

Definitely tell me how it goes with your project. I'll probably make a video during my usual winter doldrums when I'm stuck inside.

[@noelathome]

Love it!

[@luharris-burr9913]

What paper did you use in Part One?

[@rneustel388]

So beautiful! What kind of glue are you using for attaching the paper to the cover boards?

[@wickedmessenger1]

I use PVA. You can also use wheat paste glue.

[@rneustel388]

+wickedmessenger1 Thanks for the reply! Are you thinning it at all?

[@wickedmessenger1]

No, that's the way it came, although I think you can get it in different consistencies.

[@marioncarver9697]

This is an astoundingly beautiful work of art! The textures, colors, depth, feeling of movement give it a breath of life. Thank you so much for sharing. Did you say what weight the paper is? P.S. Your house is much too clean for an artist. Do you really live there? Just kidding, I'm just jealous.

[@wickedmessenger1]

I've been having excellent results with Canson "Mix Media" 98 Lb art paper. I use the 18"x24"size and fold and tear it for a book of 9"x6" (sheets of 9"x12" folded in half). It's relatively cheap and I found that not all papers hold an imprint on both sides of the page. It's by far the cheapest and works the best of all papers I've tried.

[@veronkasago]

How to write on a so dark book?

[@Spinsjal]

My suggestion...use one of the printed papers for the outer signature then plain paper for the inner pages for writing...