The Rebuild

The last few weeks I’ve been writing about my blank bible project. You can read the first post here and the second post here.

Building A Bible

Once everything was apart, it was time to build it all back up bigger and better.

The first step was basically to take each signature, separate the pages and add a blank page to each. Somewhere along the way I discovered the way to insert them so that the last paper was a printed sheet (Since I wanted 2 printed pages between every blank page and each sheet in a signature is folded over this made it exactly where it needed to be in each signature). from there I stacked them in order.

Once all pages were inserted and signatures were stacked together I began sowing them together. This is where the binding needle and thread come in.

At some point I figured out that it’s easier to sow if you use an awl to punch holes through the center. My one mistake that I would change is that I didn’t measure the holes evenly ( I eyed them). Next time I would measure them so the the pages turn out evenly stacked (You’ll see what I mean when you see the end result.)

Onto more sowing.

Once the initial sowing was finished, I tied 4 main strands across all signatures to hold them together better, make the binding tighter and sturdier.

Next step was gluing the Bible. Basically the start of that was creating a “book press”. Basically two prices of plywood forming a clamp. So I cut out some super-cloth to size. Clamped the book, then used book glue.

I also added 4 bookmarks. I had extra’s from the Moleskines so why not?

Next, let it sit for several days to dry out and apply 2-3 more coats of glue.

Next I added book headbands and some thicker paper on top of the super-cloth. Both the paper and super-cloth will be used to attach the “book-block” to the cover later on.

Creating the Cover

This was the one part I wasn’t clear on how to do. I’d spent less time thinking about this than any other part. Specifically, the edges and corners were a conundrum. How do you get those rounded corners? So I began researching. While researching I discovered that Crossway was about to release an interleaved ESV within the following 3 months….3 years too late Crossway. 🙁

I now know how to create rounded corners and hope to post another rebind I did (not interleaved) with those. I also hope to recover mine in a few years with a cover that has rounded corners. Until then this is what I did. Some of the principles (like using poster board first to figure out the measurements) will still apply.

I started with poster board and cut out the rough size I needed for the cover.

Next I cut out the cover off of the poster board pattern I’d created.

I opted for folding and sowing the edges. So the next step was to punch holes all the way around  and then sow the edges.

Next step was to see if it fit the bible once sown.

Next, I had to have some end papers in order to attach the cover and the book block. I basically used half of the original bible end paper to measure the new end papers.

So this next part is the other thing I would do differently and will do differently when I create a new cover for the bible in a few years. Basically, I got impatient. I just clamped the bible folded together which ruined the end paper and made the bible cover harder than I like. Next time I’ll clamp each side separately and give the glue\end papers for each side a chance to set against the cover well….and I’ll round the corners. 🙂 For now here’s what clamping it was like.