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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

I’m happy to be back at the Book Arts Lab at Carlt

I’m happy to be back at the Book Arts Lab at Carlton University teaching for @cbbag_bookarts Ottawa Chapter. We’re doing book repair, but it’s nice to be surrounded by such nice printing equipment. #letterpress #bookarts #bookrepair #bookbinding

I’m rebuilding the endbands for a big bible in the

I’m rebuilding the endbands for a big bible in the shop. The original cloth was torn and weak, so I lined it with tissue and are wrapping them around new board cores. It’s nice to reuse the original materials of the book during a repair. #bookconservation #bookrepair #biblerepair #bookarts #torontobookarts

Join me at @g44photo this spring for some book and

Join me at @g44photo this spring for some book and book and box making workshops. Located at the 401 Richmond building in Toronto, it’s easy to get to for some evening book arts fun. Link at their website and my bio. #bookarts #enclosures #photographybooks #torontobookarts

It’s time to clean and repair the endbands on this

It’s time to clean and repair the endbands on this book. We soak and remove the original core. We’ll stabilize the tears and rebuild the emdbands to put back on the book. #bookconservation #bookrepair #bookbinding #bookarts #torontobookarts

We’re finally getting all the hide glue off this s

We’re finally getting all the hide glue off this spine. More Methylcellulose and scraping gets it all clean and ready for the next operation. #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleaningthespine #bookarts #torontobookarts

This paper and cloth lining put up a fight, but it

This paper and cloth lining put up a fight, but it all came off in the end. I use Methylcellulose to soften the paper and adhesive to clean off the spine. #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleaningthespine #bookarts #torontobookarts

Starting a new bible repair at the shop. Let’s get

Starting a new bible repair at the shop. Let’s get the cover and endpapers off the book so we can clean off that spine. #bookconservation #bookrepair #biblerepair #bookarts #torontobookarts

It’s time to lift the leather and paper on this bo

It’s time to lift the leather and paper on this book cover. We insert repair materials under the original to hide the repair. #bookconservation #bookrepair #liftingleather #bookbinding

Thanks to @e.m._harrison, my presses are getting a

Thanks to @e.m._harrison, my presses are getting a well deserved spa day. They’ll be clean and happily running by the end of the day. #letterpress #asbern #pressmaintenance #bookarts #canadianletterpress

We have two fun workshops coming up in the shop. L

We have two fun workshops coming up in the shop. Learn to make the Storage Book and the Drum Leaf Binding. These two books use adhesive rather than thread, and are great for photos and prints. Great for prototypes or finished art books. See them on our website, link in the bio. #drumleafbinding #storagebook #bookarts #bookbinding #torontobookarts

I added a paper lining to the spine of this book t

I added a paper lining to the spine of this book today. It supports the spine and makes the opening of the book flex correctly. The inside of this book is done, now I can work on the covers and spine. #bookconservation #bookrepair #spinelining #bookarts #torontobookarts

After a weekend full of teaching, it’s nice to hav

After a weekend full of teaching, it’s nice to have a quiet day making fills for some paper conservation. I use Japanese paper to fill in missing parts of the pages and apply them with wheat starch paste. #bookconservation #bookrepair #paperconservation #torontobookarts #bookarts

Had a delightful visit to Lumiere Press in Toronto

Had a delightful visit to Lumiere Press in Toronto. They make fine press books on photography and photographers. A lovely letterpress shop set up for limited edition books. I wish I had an Intertype machine for casting type slugs in my shop as well. Thanks to Michael for the great conversation and tour. #finepressbooks #lumierepress #letterpress #canadianletterpress

Cleaning off the old lining and adhesive from this

Cleaning off the old lining and adhesive from this book. Methyl cellulose softens the paper, cloth and adhesive making it an easy job. #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleanspine #bookbinding #torontobookarts

I’m toning Japanese paper for a new spine for this

I’m toning Japanese paper for a new spine for this book. Getting just the right color takes a little work, but can be so satisfying. #bookconservation #bookrepair #toningpaper #washi #torontobookarts

Repairing endbands for a big bible this week. Afte

Repairing endbands for a big bible this week. After removing and cleaning, they get lined with Japanese tissue and remade. #bookconservation #bookrepair #endbands #japanesepaper #torontobookarts

Today is a paper repair day. Page by page, we fix

Today is a paper repair day. Page by page, we fix tears in the paper with Japanese paper and wheat starch. It’s going to be a long day. #bookconservation #paperconservation #japanesepaper #bookrepair #torontobookarts

Turning in the head and tail of this new spine. It

Turning in the head and tail of this new spine. It’s nice to hide the repair under the original covering material and endpapers, if a bit fussy sometimes. Just gluing loose material down and some touch ups and it’s done. #bookconservation #bookrepair #reback #bookbinding #torontobookarts

I always make a “pair of pants” when doing two-on

I always make a “pair of pants” when doing two-on sewing of a book. Do you have a different shape you use? Two-on sewing uses less thread and creates less thickness or swell in a book, by jumping up and down while sewing across the spine. #bookbinding #swell #twoonsewing #abreviatedsewing #bookarts

Today I lined some boards for a big clamshell box.

Today I lined some boards for a big clamshell box. Lining on both sides balances the pull of the adhesive, and makes for stronger flat boards. #bookbinding #boxmaking #flatboards #bookarts #torontobookarts

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