Spent 3 hours fixing a tear in a map I could have just trimmed

Picked up a 1920s atlas at an estate sale in Dayton for $15. One page had a big tear right along the fold. I thought I could mend it with wheat paste and Japanese tissue, which I usually do in 20 minutes. Three hours later I was still fighting the curl and the paste was bleeding through. Should have just trimmed the margin and moved on. Does anyone else get stubborn about preserving every inch of a page when a clean cut would be smarter?

2 comments

2 Comments

clark.iris1mo ago

Is it worth the hassle when a straight cut looks just as clean?

gavin_clark29d ago

Straight cuts do look clean, but they hide the actual seam under tension. A mitered corner on a picture frame or a baseboard turns looks right because the angle closes up tight when wood expands. Straight butt joints tend to open up a hairline gap after a season or two, especially in older houses that shift. Once you see that gap on a sunny wall, you can't unsee it. It's a small hassle for a finish that stays tight, not just a clean look on day one.