Note: This particular project combines tips and instructions from all over the Internet with some of my own improvisations. I learned a lot throughout the process, and, while my notes below may make for dry reading for the casual reader, hopefully they will help someone else with their own project!
In Part 1, I experimented with several binding methods and settled on screw-post binding. Now, let’s watch it come together!
First: Pages
| CONCEPT |
The page material of a screw-post photo album is very flexible, floppy actually, so the pages will bend easily and lay over each other. My cardstock pages more rigid, so in order for them to lie flat when the book is open, I needed to add some sort of hinge. Scoring and folding the cardstock would work, but it looked messy and made me nervous about it tearing after prolonged use. Luckily, I happened upon a more attractive method: linen tape.
Linen tape is used mainly in bookbinding and for mounting artwork to frames. It is basically tape with fine thread woven into it, making it strong, flexible, and able to stretch–ideal material for a soft hinge.
Basically, each of my 31 pages was made of three parts:
A. The actual printed sheet (around 8″ x 10″)
B. A strip of the same type of paper (around 8″ x 1″) with holes punched in it for the screw posts
C. A strip of linen tape holding them together and acting as a hinge.
Even with the incorporation of this hinge, all of my pages would not lie completely flat. Online, the general consensus is that screw-post books with more than 30 semi-rigid pages will not lay flat; there is simply too much material for the hinges to bend around. So, my massive tome with 31 pages of cardstock is too thick.
After some brainstorming, I decided to try staggering the location of the hinges. I would start at the front of the book with the hinge a certain distance from the screw posts and move slightly further with each page until the middle of the book, at which point I would start moving back toward the screw posts.
When assembled, the edge of the pages look like this:
This allows the pages toward the middle of the book to be able to comfortably bend around the pages before it without placing stress on the hinge or the paper. Here is the finished book opened to the middle spread:
This was the most complicated part of the whole portfolio process, but luckily it paid off. Instead of shifting the hinge location a tiny amount with every page, I shifted it 1/8” every 5 pages to simplify the process.
Look, a visual aid:
| MATERIALS |
Linen tape
After a fruitless search that no doubt left a wake of confused employees at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels, I found Lineco Linen Hinging Tape in the small bookbinding section at an awesome Austin art supply store (Jerry’s Artarama). I bought self-adhesive as I’d read that the gummed version is difficult to work with. It was just over $10 for 35’ x 1.25” width, and I used a box and half for my prototype and my final product.
I would also suggest picking up a bone folder–although not vital, it works better than a finger to smooth the tape and creates clean crisp folds when necessary.
| PROCESS |
1. Printing
After shopping around at the local printers, I chose Kinkos/FedEx Office. They were a bit more expensive (and corporate), but their print quality and color ended up being what I wanted. They were also able to cut and drill in addition to printing.
I designed my pages in InDesign (all hail the Adobe Creative Suite) and set it up to print as three different PDF’s including the appropriate bleed and crop marks. Once at FedEx Office, I used a few diagrams and lots of explanation to communicate exactly what I wanted them to do—
-print and crop a total of 31 sheets of 80# laser (cardstock) to three specified sizes
-cut 31 strips of the same 80# stock to three specified sizes and drill two ¼” holes
The process took a lot longer than expected due to issues with both their color printer and cutter, but I eventually got everything back just as I asked. I paid over $100 for everything, but that seems to be pretty average for double-sided color cardstock printing. Given, I could have done everything but the printing myself to save a little money, but I was willing to pay the extra for consistency.
2. Preparing the tape
I cut the tape into strips of 5/8” wide (half of the 1-1/4” width) and 16-1/2” long. (The extra ½” is necessary for the overlaps.)
3. Page Assembly
As outlined above, I matched each size page with the appropriate strip and laid them on my cutting mat with ¼” between.
The bone folder helped to apply the tape smoothly and kept my oily fingers away from the soft linen.
Starting on the front, I applied the tape, leaving about 1/2″ at the top to wrap around the back.
Flipping it upside down, I brought the tape around the back, finishing it with the overhang from the front. This is where the bone folder came in handy.
Repeat 30 more times and the pages are done!
Second: Cover
| CONCEPT |
I handled the front and back covers the same way as the pages, except I took advantage of the linen tape hinge and folded the strip with the drilled holes underneath. This hides the screwposts when the book is closed and leaves the cover completely flat.
| MATERIALS |
Basswood
I wanted my portfolio to have a certain amount of tactility and weight to it, and I’m a sucker for both the feel and look of wood. Initially, I chose basswood for the covers because I was used to working with it in architectural models at school, but the material also fits my methods. Without power tools or a laser cutter (or the budget to buy them), my Xacto and metal straight edge were my weapons of choice, and basswood is soft enough to cut with them. It’s also easy to find in thin sheets, as I didn’t want the portfolio to weigh too much.
My covers needed to be at least 8-1/2” wide, but the widest you can find at Hobby Lobby and similar craft stores is 4”. I ordered a couple 24” x 9” sheets from National Balsa. They arrived in the rectangular box shoved to one side with packing peanuts filling the rest of the box—not the shipping conditions I would have expected, but they were in fairly good condition. They were slightly bowed but not so much that I would complain. They also ended up being just shy of 24” long, so I’m glad I got extra.
| PROCESS |
1. Cutting
I used the same method for the covers as I did with the pages inside: one thin strip w/ ¼” holes drilled for the screwposts attached to the main piece with linen tape.
I cut the sheets down to 8-1/2” x 12” covers, and, ow, my wrist hurts just thinking about it. Cutting with the grain took about 4-5 passes with a new blade and was very clean. However, making those 8.5” cross-grain cuts took a dozen passes, at least. The cut edges didn’t turn out that pretty, but it was nothing my trusty sandpaper couldn’t handle.
With the same methods, I cut the strips and drilled the ¼” holes with a cordless drills. This thin basswood likes to splinter when drilled, so I had to sand them smooth afterwards. Luckily, when the portfolio is assembled, the screwposts hide the leftover messiness.
2. Sanding
After cutting, I sanded all of the surfaces smooth with 100 and then 320 grit sandpaper and also rounded the edges. I hadn’t originally planned on the latter, but as I sanded, it made more and more sense. This was the first detail that helps to set the covers apart from the naked pieces of wood I started out with. The two sheets of wood also made a nice sound as I clapped them together (teehee). All senses are important when designing hand-held objects.
3. Staining
After sanding, I applied two coats of MinWax Golden Oak with a foam brush. Although the stain can said not to, I sanded with 320 paper between each coat and afterwards.
4. Finishing
Then came 3 coats of MinWax Fast-Drying Polyeurethane (sanding with 320 between each coat). To finish, I used a finishing pad to buff out a few rough patches, then I was finished finishing.
For my first serious wood finishing project, I think they turned out rather well.
5. Preparing the Linen Tape
The white linen tape looked strange next to the nice dark grain of my wood covers, so I actually dyed it in coffee to give it a nice yellowish tint. The adhesive did not seem to be affected, at least not that I noticed. It was able to hold the wood covers. As you can see below, the dying process made the tape bubble up and pull slightly away from the paper backing. It’s a testament to its forgiving nature that I was able to smooth it out when applying it to the wood.
I’m happy to report that my portfolio now smells like coffee. Like I said, it’s all about engaging the senses.
6. Cover Assembly
Same process as with the pages, but this time the strips would actually be folded under the cover instead of lying next to them. I used the bone folder to make sure the tape filled all the space in between the wood.
Third: Overall Assembly
| CONCEPT |
Pretty simple, really. This screw-post design is very easy to switch around at a later date; the only thing that is permanent is the linen tape.
| MATERIALS |
Screw posts (aka Chicago screws)
I bought these at Lowes for < $1 per post. The posts were ¼” diameter and ranged from ¼” to 1” thick. They also sold ½” extensions, so you can mix and match until you get your ideal thickness. (Mine was 7/8” total–3/8” + ½” extension.) (Note: Home Depot did NOT carry these metal posts—only plastic ones.)
When making my prototype, the screws left grey marks on my cover and pages. A coat of clear fingernail polish solved that problem.
| PROCESS |
Results/Bottom Line
I’m pleased! As I mentioned, I did learn a lot about bookbinding, finishing wood, and printing in the process. I feel like this project may have given me an appetite for bookbinding and construction, so stay tuned in case I feel adventurous again.
–If you’re interested in seeing the content of my portfolio, you can find it on my website: www.julieksavage.com
–If you’re looking for more help with screw post binding, I suggest these sites for how-tos and images:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Screw-Post-Binding/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.shelterbookworks.com/blog/2011/7/7/screw-post-binding-with-rounded-spine.html
http://www.nabookarts.com/details/index.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/modern_artifacts/with/541929898/#photo_541929898
If you are working on a similar project and you have any tips or interesting moments you’d like to share, feel free to comment!
hi. i was wondering about the measurements that you made to the small strips of wood that you used for the cover. Were they the same 1″ that you used for the pages in group 1 and 5?
Yep! The wood strips are 8.5″ x 1″.
How did you accommodate for pages that bled across the gutter? I’m making mine in a similar way, but I would love for my drawings to be consistent. The linen tape hinge on the paper pages detracts from that somewhat.
That is one drawback of this method. Especially in the middle, there is a about a 1/4″ gap between pages, plus about 1/8″ inch of translucent linen tape on the inside of each page.