Scrim, Mull, Super or Crash Substitutes // Adventures in Bookbinding

Рет қаралды 6,270

Күн бұрын

In this video I will take 10 minutes to explain why any quality thin cotton or linen is an acceptable substitute for scrim/mull/crash/super or other fancy lining and guarding fabrics like Fray not and aero linen and aero cotton. Starching the substitute material will make it easier to handle.
These videos are only possible thanks to the support of Patreons, and if you are able, your support would be greatly appreciated.
/ dasbookbinding
I understand not everyone wants to use Patreon. I also very much welcome and appreciate one-off contributions. This can be done through PayPal.me/dasbookbinding
DAS Bookbinding KZfaq Channel guide
dasbookbinding.com/2019/12/14...
00:00 Scrim, Mull, Super or Crash Substitutes
00:50 Generic cotton from a fabric chain store
02:00 Definition of scrim, mull, super, crash
02:40 Starching
04:07 Research into woven fabrics for bookbinding
07:46 Thickness
One problem with using old bed sheets and other used fabrics is that it has already started the deterioration processes. It won't last as long as a new fabric.
Woven fabrics are manufactured in long sheets which are put on to rolls. The warp threads run the length of the fabric while the weft threads go from side to side. I remember this by the silly saying that the weft threads go from weft to wight. The warp threads are under more tension while the fabric is woven and this is why fabric usually shrinks more in the warp direction after washing. The edge of the fabric is the selvage. The selvage is the easiest way to know which is the warp and weft directions.
If you decide you would like to buy some of the specialty materials, here are some of the suppliers.
Schmedt
www.schmedt.com/material/tech...
Hewits
www.hewitonline.com/Calico_Mu...
Ratchford
ratchford.co.uk/product-categ...
Talas
www.talasonline.com/fabrics-a...
Andersen's Bookbinding Supplies
bookbindingaustralia.com.au/p...
The starch I used was Silver Star laundry starch. But any refined wheat or rice starch will be fine. It can be bought from the suppliers above. The last place I know it was available was a few SPAR shops (not SPAR expresses, and the last one I know that had it was Canon Hill).
The paper by boffins in Oxford
Celia R. Bockmuehl, Nikki Tomkins, Johanne Keiding, Richard Critchley, Alan Peare & Debra J. Carr (2020) Woven Fabrics in Book Conservation: An Investigation into the Properties of Aerolinen and Aerocotton, Studies in Conservation, 65:7, 375-387, DOI: 10.1080/00393630.2019.1672442
doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2019...
How to access academic articles such as this behind a paywall. Many libraries pay subscriptions to the academic publishers and if you have an account with the library you can access the journals. All Australians can get a readers card for the National Library of Australia. You don't have to visit the library and you can login from home. This is how I accessed this article. Many universities will have access too.
The device I was using to measure the fabric thickness is a thickness did gauge. The cheap ones usually work fine. I have cheap ones at all my benches and sell them. The ones I sell I check the calibration and fix any minor issues. I find about 1 in 10 that I import from China need a bit of fixing before I can sell them. The one I started using in the video is a medium price European made one. And then I swapped to the super expensive Mitutoyo one that applies the same force every time.
Thanks to Peter Verheyen for sharing the Bill Minter story.
My current price list including Japanese screw punches.
drive.google.com/file/d/1JcKB...
The #DASBookbinding Channel is the perfect starting point for learning #bookbinding. It covers foundation skills, simple projects, technical methods, materials and more advanced bookbinding projects. The best way to find what you are looking for is the DAS Bookbinding KZfaq Channel guide.
dasbookbinding.com/2019/12/14...
English Closed Caption titles by Carrie Snyder coming soon. Thank you!!
The music used in this video is performed by Jon Sayles. Jon has some great classical guitar music on his website, which he shares freely.

Пікірлер: 65

@ArsLibris 10 ай бұрын

I love your generosity, your expertize and your humor. I hope you know how importantant your videos are to teach new generations. You are one my heroes.

@gabriel-bookbinder 10 ай бұрын

"even the ratty wrinkled frayed ends". I almost fell off my chair by laughing out loud. Your storytelling is the best. And thank you for coming back!

@carolinehawkins1105 10 ай бұрын

I have found that the thickness of the fabric is less important than the porosity, and fabric with an open weave makes a better connection with the paper and card. It often used to happen that if i was staying with friends they would have a damaged or old book or two waiting to ask me about, and if i could i would mend it for them. This meant that I used whatever cloth and glue and card and paper i could find in their house that could be reasonably appropriate. So I've gradually learnt a lot about making do with odd materials, mainly about cloth. ( and have rescued quite a lot of books.) Your videos are easily the most useful bookbinding classes I've found, i really appreciate them.

@myllerfilm 10 ай бұрын

I use Washi paper a lot for bookbinding. It’s long fibers make it behave almost like textile. All Washi is traditionally made from mulberry tree fibers. Yes, there is a lot of variation in density, weight, smooth or rough, sized or not sized etc., but if it’s Washi, it’s mulberry. I think it is best to use only one company when using Washi. You learn their different styles quickly. I am lucky to live in northern Thailand. The local variation of mulberry paper is called Saa. There is a papermaker located about 100 km away, and his workshop makes paper to order, by hand. It is very nice to visit his workshop, he very openly shows how he does things from cooking the mulberry bark to the finished paper. No machines involved. Japanese Washi, like from Awagami factory, tends to be more refined. But I like the direct human connection to this wonderful material.

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

What a wonderful place to live. I buy my washi from Ozu Washi. They have been great at helping me find papers that meet my needs, plus plenty of others just because they are beautiful. Unfortunately I lost most of my collection of washi in the flood last year. I need to start collecting again. I've started avoiding the description mulberry as it confuses many people with the mulberry berry tree. Kōzo is less ambiguous. And there are papers made with the bast fibres of gampi and mutsumata, which are also washi. For most people even some of the machine made papers with a wood pulp content would be fine to use. Thanks for sharing. DAS

@toshirok4481 6 ай бұрын

This attitude to materials is closer to the authentic art of Bookbinding (and less closer to modern attitude to always buy special things, most of the times mercantile tricks!) Thank you for the exoneration (if I say it correctly )!

@Mubashar60 3 ай бұрын

Thank you! That was very interesting and informative. Having started as a hobby (bookbinding my own book of short stories), I faced similar challenges finding mull. After trying ribbons (strong but too thick) and looking for mull (a kind person gave me a small sample) I decided to experiment on different fabrics and then found in my junk box meters of raw cotton Indian mulmul (muslin). I didn't have starch so tried diluted PVA. I laid the muslin down on waxed paper, painted diluted solution on it on with a foam brush then hung it to dry. Presto, a crisp stiff mull! I carefully ironed it (on low heat) by using paper towl on both sides. That got rid of any wrinkles. Easy to cut and trim. Doesn't stretch or fray. Sticks well. Once in the spine, flexible too. Oh, before "starching" I pull-tested which direction the fabric doesn't stretch. That I kept vertical to the spine.

@suedurrant6798 9 ай бұрын

Interesting your bit about bias fabric. I'd certainly been taught by some bookbinders that it was stronger but as a seamstress it didn't make a lot of sense. Thanks Darryn for bringing some rigorous science to bookbinding.

@flatbrokefrank6482 10 ай бұрын

Love the dental reference - me too!

@alvaromarcoperes8273 10 ай бұрын

Same happens here in Brazil! 😂😂😂

@vdc7153 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for all your excellent advice, knowledge, and time you invest in passing on your experience and innovation. You are THE source for me! Sending you all my best wishes, fond greetings from Switzerland 🙏💕

@zein9227 10 ай бұрын

That's a great video on a often overlooked topic. You do us all a great service with your videos! I usually use gauze with a low threat count and it works just fine for me. I find the type of binding and endpapers to be much more important for the overall stability of the book. By the way, I really like your dry humour!

@katyahum9826 4 ай бұрын

Your viddeos are tehbest educatory videos on bookbinding subjects I found in the net _

@conniewhall3109 8 ай бұрын

Fantastic. Thank you for a very detailed tutorial. I was mesmerized. Best day now.

@JRCSalter 10 ай бұрын

When I first started bookbinding, I used some muslin or cheesecloth for the mull. Worked well enough, though I have got some proper bookbinding mull now.

@daveturnbull7221 10 ай бұрын

I found a couple of good sellers on ebay that were selling 100% cotton fabric with a fine weave but unfortunately they only had a few pieces which I've now used up and both are no longer on ebay. I've only visited a fabric store once and my problem wasn't the staff but the other customers who objected to a man being in there and asking stupid questions. Thing was I'd been sent there by my boss (a woman) with a very specific requirement so I stayed and annoyed all the customers.

@martinnyberg6553 10 ай бұрын

I knew there was a reason I saved those old ripped bedsheets! 😅

@berolinastrassmann 10 ай бұрын

Great tips, thanks! I chuckled when you said "We are not working on the Book of Kells!" ☘️ A timely reminder. Good tip about Tyvek. I have quite a lot of it lying around and always asked myself whether it could be used for bookbinding and if so how. While testing I found out it can be coloured using alcohol inks or markers. Have you reinforced spines with it? I would be interested to learn more about Tyvek's uses. Thanks also for all the tips on starch. I have some old 💯% cotton pillow cases, and will upcycle them for bookbinding now. It is still possible to find powdered starch here in 🇩🇪. Thanks again!

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

I mainly use Reemay (different brand - but same) as a support material when treating paper and as porous barrier. I don't use it for spine lining but I know it is regularly used in the conservation community. Happy binding!!

@alessamiridis5476 10 ай бұрын

I had just been looking for substitutes for mull for the past couple of days when I saw this video! Perfect timing! Thank you for sharing your experimentation and expertise!

@honestabe7080 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for this. You are such a wealth of information!

@laurencet4502 8 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for this. It is very useful

@HalfPastSleep 10 ай бұрын

So good to have you back!!!

@Ninjadoc2000 10 ай бұрын

Great video! I have been looking for scrim alternatives for a while! Thank you DAS :)

@ryanchicago6028 10 ай бұрын

That looks pretty fun. Thanks for sharing the video!

@GR8FLMD3AD 10 ай бұрын

So much good information!

@candelariaatalaya5709 10 ай бұрын

Wonderful video. ❤❤❤❤

@HeathenHammer123 10 ай бұрын

a great vid as always! Cheers.

@502deth 4 ай бұрын

completely new to this. i saw some videos of making mini-books, so i thought id try that. the cloth they used over the spine looked like a very loose cheesecloth. i used a roll of thin (single layer) cotton gauze from teh first aid kit. i seemed to work well.

@wileecoyoti 10 ай бұрын

Great video as always! Personally I've come to the conclusion that if I am buying bookbinding materials I'll favor bookbinding shops (online, there's nothing remotely near me) just because it seems like the community is small and they need the business. But I'm a pinch this will come in handy!

@marsbeads 10 ай бұрын

I would report that rude employee.

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

More annoying than rude.

@marsbeads 10 ай бұрын

@@DASBookbinding 👍

@FireheadLazzo 10 ай бұрын

"I find that bookbinders can obsess about the most unimportant things" Okay so we're just directly attacking me now XD

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

I include myself also:)

@user-pd6vh5qo6w 9 ай бұрын

Really enjoy your videos. Ever so helpful. Do you have to use starch? Could you use unstarched cotton?

@DASBookbinding 9 ай бұрын

Sure. I thought I mentioned that you can use it unstarched but it is just harder to work with.

@mikezinn7212 10 ай бұрын

I bet the store started with the letter S and ended with T. Same experience here in Sydney!

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

Yep

@mikezinn7212 10 ай бұрын

@@DASBookbindingWow, an Interstate staff attitude! I've sworn for the last 25 years never to go back there and yet.....

@DickMoriarty 10 ай бұрын

I love how helpful your videos are for me personally - I learn a lot. I have bought mull but find it quite heavy to use so I started to use silk which is also readily available, has a very high thread count and can be found in craft shops for screen printing or silk painting quite cheaply if you buy a roll. So a big thank you for all your help

@lordulmo6765 10 ай бұрын

Hi dear darryn, thanks for your tips and this video was very useful one ❤. I have a problem i hope you teach me some tips about it or talk a little about it in videos. My problem is the brush i use for glue. After some time i need to buy new one becuse its be come dry or its loss its hairs when im washing it.

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

The tip I've been given by a couple of big name binders is to thoroughly wet your brush before using. Soak it and then give it a good swing to get most of the surface water out. The idea is the water gets into the tiny pores and stops the adhesive going into these where you then can't get it out. That's how it was explained to me. I think it makes a big difference. I also wash my brushes with some soap. I use Sunlight laundry soap. Also let you brushes dry hanging down so the water doesn't;t flow back up into the ferrule. Hope that helps.

@Admiral86Untidy 10 ай бұрын

I checked the description in the hope you may have put a link to the book of Kell's 😂

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

In the 1950s one of my bookbinding heroes did rebind TBoK. A very poorly treated book by bookbinders in the past.

@AsymptoteInverse Ай бұрын

Do you know much of sizing using cornstarch? I live in the US, and that's the only readily-available starch source accessible to me.

@DamienWise 10 ай бұрын

I've had mixed results from branches of a big-brand fabric shop in various suburbs around Melbourne. Would you care to cast a spotlight on the culprit?

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

I'd like to put them in the shade. I need to find a small local seller.

@juliawhite7938 10 ай бұрын

Very helpful. Do you worry about bugs using wheat / rice paste?

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

No more than the paper which they love too.

@juliawhite7938 10 ай бұрын

@@DASBookbinding excellent advice didn’t think about that 😂

@toshirok4481 6 ай бұрын

I've recently heard that in old times used to add a bit of alum to make paste(wheat flour) in Greece.

@meikaloofssamorzewski4275 3 ай бұрын

@@toshirok4481 In Australia we also add the antisceptic call Dettol to stop it going off too quickly, perhaps it would put off rodents too...

@williamcampbell6185 10 ай бұрын

Has anyone experimented with raw silk? It seems like that could be stronger than either cotton or linen.

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

Yes, silk has been used in bookbinding a lot in the past. Silk does seem to deteriorate much faster than cotton and linen. It's also expensive and less common. For awhile all fine press books were sewn with silk. Doves Press used this green silk thread and they'd unravel the tails of their knots. The first time I saw it in one of their books I thought is was a squashed moth.

@carolinehawkins1105 10 ай бұрын

These days I look at bookbinding from the other direction - i rarely make a new book now, but mostly only do repairs, which i find more satisfying. But this involves a lot of varied materials. There is often doubt about whether a cloth is 'strong enough' to use for mull. I dont think the strength is really too much of an issue, so long as the cloth is open-weave, light-weight and in good condition. If a case-bound book ever falls apart it should fail at the connection between the cover and the book-block. This causes the least damage to either the cover or the body of the book, and is the most easily repaired. (If the book is bound on cords it should not be depending on mull and is a different construction anyway) So a light, open-weave cotton cloth that is not too worn will do well. I usually use woven (not knit) cheesecloth. Thinned paste made with flour will stiffen the cloth if laundry starch is not available. Unless of course you are binding the book of Kells, (or other rare and valuable historical book) then consult a very good conservationist.

@jessiej1746 10 ай бұрын

Do you think it’s possible to create a fireproof clamshell for valuable books?

@carolinehawkins1105 10 ай бұрын

Making a fireproof container is relatively simple compared to making a container to protect books from the heat of a fire. Even sealed the heat could turn the book to cinders or crumbly bits, and if it is airtight to exclude oxygen the container could explode?

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

I thought I'd answered this question recently. Harrison famously had a design for a fireproof enclosure. I'm not sure how effective it would be for the reasons someone has already mentioned.

@nataliapockets 10 ай бұрын

gahahaha the customer service in some place is just so bad I know :D

@bigjarn 10 ай бұрын

Is there a Mrs.DAS, or sig other pup pet or mam?

@DASBookbinding 10 ай бұрын

Mrs DAS is my biggest supporter!

@bigjarn 10 ай бұрын

@@DASBookbinding So Nice to have !

@0playnicekids Ай бұрын

My goodness how awful to experience a rude cutter in a fabric store. They are usually the nicest people. I guess she dropped a few stitches in her life.

@DASBookbinding Ай бұрын

I survived and maybe she is a really nice person but had a bad day. I've been known have those and hopefully no one talks about me on KZfaq because of it:)