There are a number of repairs you can do to help lengthen the life of your favourite books, and like any trade, there are a myriad of terms and tools that you don’t come across every day.
To help you through this maze, I have listed here (with links) all the information on this site that I have categorised as Book Repair Basics. It covers everything from how to decide if you should repair your book, what tools you might need to step by step instructions for simple repair tasks.
Let's have a look at the most useful tools you can have to help you repair your favorite books. A ...
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As you will see from the Resources page - I chose this book to include in my list of recommended ...
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Other Types of Cleaning Dry cleaning (as covered in a previous post) will only remove surface dirt. More advanced cleaning techniques ...
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When attempting to clean paper, always start with the least abrasive cleaning method before trying others. Keep in mind that cleaning ...
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Many books are repaired with clear plastic tape or "sticky tape". What appears to be a quick solution can become ...
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ADVANCED REPAIRS Serious repair problems take more time and skill to accomplish than any other level of repair. Often, books that ...
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Often a damaged book does not easily fit into a single repair category. It might be bound in an unfamiliar style ...
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Document repair tapes differ from common clear plastic in several ways. The carrier (the part of the tape that holds ...
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Most repairs involve moisture of some kind, be it paste or glue. When moisture is introduced into paper, board or cloth, ...
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We often keep large maps and posters rolled up - usually to save space. When you want to look at ...
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Heat set tissue is a thin tissue that has been coated with a heat activated, acrylic adhesive. The tissue is ...
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Tear a strip of Japanese repair tissue approximately l/2” wide and as long as the height of the page. Japanese tissue ...
Tell Me More Planning and Preparation
Where to start?
Is my book worth repairing?
Which repair method should I use?
Planning your repairs
Designing specific book repair work
Complex book repairs
Using bookshelves correctly
How to measure a book
How to test for grain in paper or book cloth
Book repair tools
Book repair sewing needles
Book repair thread | Linen thread
Preparing thread for book repairs
Tying knots
Drying book repair work
How to make a punch hole jig
Punching cradle instructions
Techniques and Methods
Cleaning pages of a book
Repairing paper
Simple or complex paper tears
Japanese repair tissue
Heat set tissue
Document repair tape
Clear plastic tape (sticky tape)
Repairs with document tape
Book repair – glue or paste?
Book repair glue
Wheat paste recipes
Repairing cut paper or pages
Adhesives and repair tissue
Repairing holes in book pages
Missing page corners
Replacing missing book corners
Re-attaching loose pages
Hinging in detached pages
Replacing missing pages
Flattening Rolled Paper
How to make clam shell book boxes
How to make a four flap wrapper
Modified four flap wrapper
Plastic book jackets
Binding pamphlets and booklets
Reinforcing spiral bound books
How to remove paperclips
How to remove staples
If the specific technique or problem you want is not listed here, please check both the Hardcover and Paperback Book Repair pages for more techniques that are designed for these types of books.
