That trick with the bone folder and a heat gun I saw on a forum actually works

I was about 6 months into binding when a guy at a guild meetup in Portland told me to hit the crease with a heat gun before folding, and after 20 test folds on some scrap book cloth I bought for $8 at a craft store, I have to admit it gives you a way cleaner edge than just bone folding dry, anyone else got a tool they were dead wrong about?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wesley18d ago

Three years ago at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this old timer told me to sand my spine lining paper on a 220 grit before applying it to the book block. I straight up laughed at him and said that would ruin the adhesion. Tried it last month on a whim with some cheap Canson paper and he was 100% right, the grain catches the glue way better and I stopped getting those little bubbles under the Mull. That heat gun trick you mentioned works best if you tape off the area around the crease first with some blue painter's tape so you don't accidentally cook the cloth finish.

smith.jordan18d ago

Tape off the area around the crease first" - that's genius, I've definitely ruined a few covers by getting the heat gun too close and melting the finish. That old timer in Chicago sounds like he knew his stuff, sanding spine lining paper is wild but I can see how it'd work for grip. Honestly I was stubborn about using PVA for everything until I tried a wheat paste mix and it changed my whole approach to spine hinges. Little tricks like these are why I still go to guild meetups even when they're an hour drive.

eva_ward8818d ago

Funny how often counterintuitive advice ends up being the secret sauce in unexpected places.