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Big River Bindery

Practicing the Book Arts in the Greater Toronto Area

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What’s Happening in the Shop

We’re working hard and having fun in the shop. See some of what we’ve been doing here.

bigriverbindery

We had a great first day at the book arts workshop

We had a great first day at the book arts workshop in Fernie, BC. Our tunnel books came out amazing, and the students all worked so hard. Today we move on to Carousel Books. Can’t wait to see what the students make today. #carouselbook #tunnelbook #bookartsworkshop #bookarts

While in Fernie, I was delighted to visit the stud

While in Fernie, I was delighted to visit the studio of Mike Hepher of @clawhammerpress. A converted garage holds his collection of presses and type, where he makes amazing prints with linoleum, wood, and type. He even let me try out the Vandercook. Thanks for the great tour Mike! If you’re ever in BC, be sure to make a detour to visit. #letterpress #vandercook #woodtype #printmaking

I’m out of the shop and away from Scarborough for

I’m out of the shop and away from Scarborough for the weekend, teaching in Fernie, BC for the Fernie Fibre Arts Guild. I’m excited to be teaching on the road again and can’t wait to meet the students and make some books. Plus we don’t have views like this back home. #bookarts #tunnelbook #carouselbook #fernie

Over the weekend I had a chance to visit @kozostud

Over the weekend I had a chance to visit @kozostudio in Toronto. It was an amazing shop with so much type and so many presses. They’re making lovely prints and I can’t wait to see what else they make. #letterpress #printmaking #studiovisit

I just finished an amazing week with a great set o

I just finished an amazing week with a great set of students at my @cbbag_bookarts workshop. We decorated paper, made two hard cover books, and make a preservation enclosure. A busy but rewarding week. #bookbinding

Unexpected bonus when one of your students is a ma

Unexpected bonus when one of your students is a machinist and tool maker. He’s getting some sticky tools working well again. My Kensol hot stamper had some parts that were bent and unused, but are ship shape again. Thanks Don.

Having a fun Sunday afternoon teaching for @cbbag_

Having a fun Sunday afternoon teaching for @cbbag_bookarts. We’re starting a week long class by decorating papers for our case bound books. Paste paper is easy and a fun way to start the week. #bookarts #pastepaper #cbbag #torontobookarts

Our fall workshop list is up on our website. Join

Our fall workshop list is up on our website. Join us to make a book, box, or conserve your collections. Flip through to see what is coming up and register at the website. #bookarts #bookbinding #torontobookarts

Last step is getting the original spine back on th

Last step is getting the original spine back on the book. We try to reuse and retain as much original material as we can in a treatment. #bookconservation #bookrepair #reback #torontobookarts

These endbands were split and broken, so we’re tak

These endbands were split and broken, so we’re taking them apart to rebuild them. Endbands like this were made of striped cloth over board. After lining the cloth, a new set will be ready to go back on the book. #bookconservation #bookrepair #endbands

A new bible on the shop that needs the old adhesiv

A new bible on the shop that needs the old adhesive and paper removed from the spine. Got most of it off, but will let a few spots soak for a bit to clean of off. #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleaningthespine #methylcellulose

It’s a paper repair day in the shop today. Fixing

It’s a paper repair day in the shop today. Fixing tears and guarding folios. Again and again. #bookconservation #bookrepair #paperconservation #bookarts #torontobookarts

Sometimes you have to take a book apart to get it

Sometimes you have to take a book apart to get it back together. This book had a detached cover and broken sewing, so it’s coming apart for paper repair and rebinding. We’ll keep the original covers and pages, and just add new material when necessary. #bookconservation #bookrepair #disbinding #bookbinding #torontobookarts

Back at work lining the spine of these books. The

Back at work lining the spine of these books. The paper lining supports the opening of the book and covers the cloth used to support the endpapers. #bookconservation #bookrepair #liningthespine #torontobookarts

Using my new handmade book cloth to add a replacem

Using my new handmade book cloth to add a replacement spine to this book. #bookconservation #bookrepair #japanesepaper #reback

Here I’m strengthening the toned Japanese paper we

Here I’m strengthening the toned Japanese paper we use for new spines with cloth. Laminating the two makes a book cloth that matches the cover exactly and will hold up to repeated use. Wheat starch paste and some pounding begins the two together. #bookcloth #laminatingpaper #japanesepaper #bookconservation

A little weekend tape removal in the shop today. C

A little weekend tape removal in the shop today. Catching up on projects and this masking tape needed to get off this endpaper. A little heat removed the carrier, then the leftover adhesive can come off. #bookconservation #paperconservation #taperemoval #tapeisevil

Make a trek to Oakville, Ontario to visit @pomelet

Make a trek to Oakville, Ontario to visit @pomeletterpress and see their sweet shop. Both the print shop and bindery were fun to explore, and we had a lovely conversation about letterpress bookbinding. Thanks for the great visit. #letterpress #bookbinding #canadianletterpress

Time for a new bible in the shop. I’m cleaning off

Time for a new bible in the shop. I’m cleaning off the old paper and cloth lining from the text block today. Removing the old hide glue and avoid paper will help this book in the long term. #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleaningthespine #bookbinding #torontobookarts

I had a lovely studio visit and chat with @somepri

I had a lovely studio visit and chat with @someprintstudio about an upcoming project. It’s great to see the experimental printing and artists’ books they produce. I can’t wait to come back to see more. #riso #artistsbooks #torontobookarts

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