Hardcover books are more complex in their construction than most paperback books so the repairs can sometimes be more involved. I have listed here the techniques that are covered on this site and I do encourage you to seek the assistance of bookbinders if you are unsure of whether to repair your book or not.
There are many basic repair techniques listed in the Book Repair Basics section – if you can’t find what you need here, it may be listed there.
Replacing Missing Corners
It is not uncommon for a corner of a hard cover book to be damaged or destroyed while the rest of ...
Replacing Missing Pages
When a page is damaged beyond repair or has been previously mended with clear plastic tape, it may have to ...
Resewing a Damaged Text Block
Often the sewing thread in one or two signatures will break while the rest of the text block sewing is sound ...
Resewing a Damaged Text Block – Part 1
GAINING ACCESS TO THE TEXT BLOCK SPINE The spine of the text block must be accessible to resew loose or ...
Resewing a Damaged Text Block – Part 2
CLEANING AND RELINING THE TEXT BLOCK SPINE Depending on the condition of the text block spine, the spine lining paper and ...
Resewing a Damaged Text Block – Part 3
PREPARING THE TEXT BLOCK All the necessary paper repairs should be done before starting the sewing procedure. Mark the centers of ...
Simple or Complex Paper Tears
Paper tends to tear at an angle so most tears will have a top and a bottom. If the tear passes ...
Tearing Japanese Repair Tissue
Japanese repair tissue is usually torn so that the edges are feathered, not cut sharp as they would be with ...
Tightening and Repairing Loose Book Hinges
The previous post talked briefly about how most hardcover books are constructed so that you know which part actually needs ...
Tying knots
There are two basic knots used in book repair - the weaver’s knot and the square knot. The Weaver’s Knot ...
Using Bookshelves Correctly
Books often receive a lot of abuse before they even leave the bookshelf. They are yanked off the shelf by the ...
Wheat Paste Recipes
Over the years I have been asked for (and tried) many variations of recipes for wheat paste. Here are three ...
Hardcover Book Repair Techniques
Tightening and Repairing Loose Book Hinges
