{"id":10205,"date":"2015-12-03T01:00:22","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T06:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/?p=10205"},"modified":"2025-09-15T15:47:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T19:47:17","slug":"conservation-conversations-making-an-old-book-whole-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/03\/conservation-conversations-making-an-old-book-whole-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservation Conversations \/\/ Making an Old Book Whole Again"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Before Treatment – front cover<\/p><\/div>\n

While I was a book conservation intern at the Newberry Library<\/a> this past fall, I had the opportunity to treat an incunabula in a wooden boards binding. The binding, while quirky with old DIY repairs, was structurally sound, and most of the pages were in good condition. The primary problem needing to be treated was that the front board had split, half\u00a0of it being lost along the way. As a result, part of \u00a0the text block was left exposed, torn and dirty. In order to prevent future damage to the text block, as well as to restore cosmetic integrity, we decided that the loss in the front board should be replaced and the damaged pages of the text block mended. What seems at first glance to be a simple, mostly cosmetic repair in fact required a nuanced execution and was important to the binding\u2019s stability. The volume was rare enough that the library could expect it to see significant use, so having a complete front board was important to help protect the text from future damage.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Before Treatment – Inside front cover<\/p><\/div>\n

The first step I took in treating the volume was to surface clean and mend the first three pages of the text block. It appeared that the half of the front board must have been missing for a big part of the book\u2019s life, because the pages were highly discolored and torn only in the exposed area.<\/p>\n

The next step was to trace the general shape of the loss onto a new piece of wood. Because the board split in an uneven way, resulting in variations not only across the board but thickness-wise, fitting the new board to the old was a finicky process. I used a tracing profile gauge<\/a> (a tool typically used to trace the shape of crown molding) to transfer the contours\u00a0of the broken board onto the new. I then used a dremel with various attachments to very slowly fit the new board to the old. This process took about three days of trial and error, slowly removing more and more material until the fit was more or less right.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

During Treatment – using a dremel to shape filler board<\/p><\/div>\n

\"IMG_3919\"<\/a>

During Treatment – checking fit of filler board<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

During Treatment – cutting filler board to proper length<\/p><\/div>\n

The old board had some slight shaping to it, so before fitting the two boards together, I had to shape the edges of the new board to transition seamlessly to the old. I did this by lightly sanding with a sanding block.<\/p>\n

To attach the new board to the old, I used wooden biscuits inserted into slots made in each board. The biscuits we had on hand were a tad too thick for the boards, so I sanded them down to a proper thickness. I then used a drill to make starter holes in each board and finessed the holes with the dremel\u00a0until the biscuits fit snuggly. I first\u00a0inserted\u00a0the biscuits into the filler board using PVA and then made slots in the original board that they would fit into.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_3940\"<\/a>

During Treatment – using a drill to start the slots in the original board<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

During Treatment – filler board with biscuits inserted<\/p><\/div>\n

It took a couple of tries to get the slots in the original board deep and wide enough so that the filler board would sit flush.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

During Treatment – checking the fit of the biscuit slots, still had a ways to go<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

During Treatment – the PVA\/wood shaving filler mix<\/p><\/div>\n

After the two pieces of board were joined together, there was still a small gap between them. While I wanted it to be apparent that new material had been added to the cover, I still wanted the transition from the original board to the fill to be as smooth as possible. I decided to fill the gap from the front with a mixture of PVA and wood shavings. The PVA dried clear, resulting in a fill that matched the new wood perfectly. I used the dremel to produce the wood shavings, because I found that if I used sandpaper, bits of black sandpaper grit found their way into the shavings, resulting in a dirty-looking fill. I decided to leave the inside of the board unfilled because it left the biscuits slightly visible, allowing a future conservator or researcher easy access to the history of the binding\u2019s repairs. The new board was left uncovered for the same reason.<\/p>\n

The result of the treatment was incredibly satisfying to see and hold. The book felt much more comfortable, resting between two complete boards, and I feel confident that the treatment will keep it safe and accessible for future researchers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

After Treatment – front board<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

After Treatment – inside front board<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

After Treatment<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While I was a book conservation intern at the Newberry Library this past fall, I had the opportunity to treat an incunabula in a wooden boards binding. The binding, while quirky with old DIY repairs, was structurally sound, and most of the pages were in good condition. The primary problem needing to be treated was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1353],"tags":[1884,1801,1943],"class_list":["post-10205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conservation","tag-conservation","tag-jacqueline-scott","tag-newberry-library"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Btis-2EB","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10109,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/28\/conservation-conversations-the-continuum\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":0},"title":"Conservation Conversations \/\/ The Continuum","author":"Henry Hebert","date":"October 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Typically very few of the items that come through a research library conservation lab are in their original or unaltered state. While library and archives conservation, as a field, is relatively young, many universities have had some form of bindery or mending division in operation for decades. We often find\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "conservation"","block_context":{"text":"conservation","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Newton's Opticks","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/opticks_before01-1024x351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/opticks_before01-1024x351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/opticks_before01-1024x351.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10247,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/13\/bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":1},"title":"Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In the interview at the beginning of the month, I asked\u00a0Kathy Abbott about Tomorrow's Past, an exhibit inspired by S\u00fcn Evrard's article in The New Bookbinder, Volume 19. The idea is to rethink the\u00a0approach of repair work in a contemporary and more visible way. In this post Kathy explains the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/QHoratiiFlacci4-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/QHoratiiFlacci4-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/QHoratiiFlacci4-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/QHoratiiFlacci4-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12466,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/15\/last-two-workshops-for-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":2},"title":"Last Two Workshops for 2020","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"October 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We are getting to the end of 2020 (finally) and these are the final workshops for the year. A cheerful hoorah and thanks to everyone who has participated in my online workshops since I began this past summer. I am working on new classes for 2021 and I'd love your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "workshops"","block_context":{"text":"workshops","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/workshops\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/LimpVellum-ErinFletcher.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/LimpVellum-ErinFletcher.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/LimpVellum-ErinFletcher.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10378,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/22\/conservation-conversations-what-drives-treatment\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":3},"title":"Conservation Conversations \/\/ What drives treatment?","author":"Jacqueline Scott","date":"December 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves as book conservators is how the object we are working on will be used. What is driving the need for treatment? Because there are often so many different treatment paths we can choose from for one object, this question\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "conservation"","block_context":{"text":"conservation","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10296,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/31\/best-of-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":4},"title":"Best of 2015","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Wow, this has been a busy, busy year and I can't believe that 2015 is coming to end. I want to extend my gratitude to the people who have helped contribute to the blog this year: I also want to thank everyone who reads the blog, subscribes to the blog\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "best of"","block_context":{"text":"best of","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/best-of\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/bestof2015e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/bestof2015e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/bestof2015e.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/bestof2015e.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11618,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/15\/upcoming-workshops-june-to-august-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":10205,"position":5},"title":"Upcoming Workshops \/\/ June to August","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"May 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"JUNE: Embroidered Leather Workshop June 16 \u2013 17 (Saturday \u2013 Sunday) 9:00am \u2013 4:00pm Conservation Lab at Texas A&M College Station, TX This workshop is presented by the Lone Star Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. During this workshop students will create a sampler of stitches suitable for leather.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "workshops"","block_context":{"text":"workshops","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/workshops\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Event-Photography-Flyer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10205"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10246,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205\/revisions\/10246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}