The exact number of pages that can be successfully hinged-in will vary from book to book. Remember, when pages are hinged-in, additional thickness (the Japanese repair tissue and paste) are being added.
Do not attempt to replace more pages than the width of the book spine will allow.
There are several options to use when hinging in multiple pages. One choice is to hinge the loose pages to one another as a unit and then hinge the unit into the text block. In another case it may be best to hinge each page into the text block one page at a time, especially if only 1 or 2 pages are being hinged-in.
The method needed will be determined by how you use the individual book.
Hinging-in is generally used when the text block is sewn and the pages open flat, or when reattaching a plate that was originally tipped onto a page in the text block.There is a description of sewn text blocks and how they are constructed in a previous post.
A detached page can be hinged to the page in front or in back of it. While each mend should be evaluated individually, the strongest mend is usually accomplished by hinging from the back of the detached page to the front of the page immediately behind it. That way, the Japanese repair tissue will support the page underneath as it is turned.
Each signature of paper is made of folios (single folded sheets) and each folio is made of 2 leaves (one single 2 sided page). When one leaf is detached, always check that its other half is still well attached to the text block. The other half might still be held in place by the original glue, or it might also be loose. 1. Check the attachment of the second half of a folio by finding the center of the signature with the detached page. Look for the sewing threads at the center of the signature and mark the center with a slip of paper. 2. Count from that center toward the detached page, then go back to the marker at the center of the signature and count the same number of pages in the opposite direction. That should be the other half of the folio. 3. If the other half of the detached page is still firmly attached to the text block, hinge in the detached page using the technique outlined in the post Hinging In a Single Page. 4. If the other half of the detached page is also detached or loosely attached, both halves must be reattached. 5. If the spine of the text block is accessible, use the instructions in the post Reattaching a Separated Signature Page to reattach both pages.
Detailed instructions for the techniques required for hinging-in are in the next few posts.
Tipping-in is one way to reattach a detached page or plate, errata sheet or replacement page. Tipping-in is not used to put a entire book back together. If too many pages are loose from the binding, the book should be resewn, or sent to a bindery. “Too many pages” can vary from book to book, but generally more than 3-5 pages is too many. Tipping-in is generally used on text blocks that are adhesive bound with tightly glued spines. The tight spine keeps the book from opening flat and will help to hold the tipped-in page in place. I have talked about adhesive bound text blocks and how these text blocks are constructed in a previous post. While the general rule is to use paste when repairing paper, glue is used when tipping in a page. Paste can be a better bond between paper, but it is not as flexible as glue. Since the tipped-in pages need to flex and bend, flexible adhesive is very important.
In the next few posts I will cover the basic instructions for tipping-in loose pages whether they contain text or images.
