I've found an improved method for card covers (haven't tried for leather bindings). To relieve the internal stress which causes warping, first dampen the inside of the covers and endpaper as shown in video. However, you need to permanently change the fibre configurations after they have been wet. A slight pressure change is not sufficient else when the fibres are dry the distortion returns. So, using a sheet of waxed paper either side of the cover to prevent moisture from getting into the book, press the cover by itself in a strong press (not the cover and book, just the cover) for about 12 hours. This deforms the fibres but they still contain a lot of water. Next, place a smooth sheet of paper either side of the cover and a piece of blotting paper the other side of the smooth paper on the endpaper side. Now put back in the press (again, the cover not the book) for about 24 hours. Residual water from the fibres can then disperse into the blotting paper under pressure. After this procedure, the covers should retain their flatness for a lot longer and works better than the methods described. Hope this helps.

I use a dehumidifier not a humidifier and set it at 50% to stop pages going wavy It gets way to humid here in Australia. It’s really worked for that.

Thank you for always putting so much effort to explain every single detail. You're always doing a great job and your videos are awesome!! Thank you !!!!!

Loving these binding videos you are doing! Great work, keep it up I can't wait to see more.

Love the content and keep up the great work! I just wish you would post a shopping list for stuff in your other videos lol

As I was writing this comment, someone’s comment is soooooo similar to what I was about to say (so awkward lol)-nevertheless 😅😆🤣,Thank you so much for taking the time out to make such videos such as this one. I look forward to supporting your channel!

Great video! Please make a video about Bible Rebinding. Thanks. God bless

Oh man!!! You’ve saved my sanity. 😅😢😂😮😊❤ I’m learning book binding and belong to an Artist Bookmaking Group. The wonky leather book covers on my first all leather book covers are warped. So I finally gave up and have put under pressure between boards with moisture protection to pages snd lightly spritzed the inside of cover. Tomorrow morning I’ll see. But have sinking feeling it’s a WONKY book forever. lol.

I look forward to a video that goes through the process of printing page signatures from start to finish as well as page setup, glue and machine selection, etc. Not sure if you have that on the itinerary but it would be helpful

Interesting. One method I've done for this type of thing is line the board with sheets of paper and a comic book backing book. I put one a sheet of paper on the front and back of each the boards and then 1 backing board on 1 side to help stabilize it, usually on the opposite side that's warping. That way if it wants to start pulling and warping it's very minimal.

oh dear i gonna love you😍thank you

An option to guard against warping of your books that you cover and bind. Try before you make the cover coating the chip board with glue on both sides and allow the chip board to dry before moving along with your book binding and putting the leather cover on the book. By coating the chip board on both sides it balances out the warping from the gluing of the leather cover and assembling the book. Your 2 two leather book binding/covering videos are excellent.

4:28 I'm curious if the book might had needed to stay in the press longer. My mind thinks that maybe it still had the moisture in it when it was taken out of the book press. Then for the following week on the shelf, the moisture dissipated, causing the book to revert to it's warped shape since there was no pressure keeping it flat as it dried. Part of the reason I think of that is because of a method my friend showed me for straightening bowed wooden poles. We got them wet, and layed them on the cement of his car-port. Then rotated the rod, and rolled the tired of his boat trailer to sit on top and push the bow down. Then we let it sit until it dried. After it dried, it would hold it's new straightened shape.. I believe I seen videos of similar processes with other woodworks.. Though I do understand books aren't quite the same as lumber.

Nice! I was wondering if/when you’ll make a video about designing your book cover art?

Great informative video keep up with the content What do you think about the use of a plastic or similar book cover to completely negate humidity?

Awesome video as always! Im decided I want a collection like yours so I will get myself some basic items and start creating. Its just magnificent. Im curious about your HTV. Do you order it shaped or do you have a special printer to print the designs you create?

Did you know that chipboard has a grain direction? Combined with end pages and cover materials consider this when balancing these inherent forces. I’ve enjoyed this video 👍🏻

Where did you get that book press? Thanks for a great tutorial.

As someone who's just starting into reading, I'm aggregated. Just a few hours ago I thought it would be a good idea to sit outside in the spring sun, so I could get some color and Vitamin D, and I decided to bring my new LotR hardcover book outside with me to continue reading to pass the time. After an hour or so, I noticed that a few pages on both sides of where I was reading appeared slightly wavy. I figured it might've been from me gripping it too hard while holding it, being that it's heavy. A little while later, I noticed that all of the pages seemed to have a slight bow to them. I thought it was odd, and continued reading. A little while after that, I noticed the bow being more prominent, and then it clicked in my head that the sun was making it bow, probably by drawing out the moisture. Now I'm not sure what I can do to fix it, if there is anything. The cover still looks straight, I think, but all of the pages have a bow. So I can't get the cover to lay flush against the pages without forcing the cover to bow. I flipped through some of the pages and noticed that I can change the direction the pages bow. Hopefully it might straighten out, if the pages manage to draw in moisture, but I don't know. I don't know how long that might take. My OCD is probably either going to cause me to stop reading it altogether, or buy another copy. Though I'd hate to buy another copy, seeing that I just bought that one and I'm not made of money. **sigh** 😑 Edit: 🤔 If the cover is straight, maybe I could open the book covers, and lay all of the pages on the edge of a table, with the bottom cover hanging off of the table. Then place some heavy books on the pages only, to hold them flat against the table, and leave it for however long, hoping moisture returns and it becomes flat again... I don't know. This comment is basically a book at this point.

I wonder if you would have less seasonal warping in books that are bound during the dryer parts of the year. If you bound books in the winter, when dry air was the norm, maybe the base tension on the books would be lower, relaxing a little bit in the summer. That could cause other issues, of course, but it would be interesting to experiment with that idea.

It used to be a weekly regular task to damp wipe the books in the summer heat. A question : how do you have shelves with space for bookends?

I'm in Columbus, Ohio where we have notoriously cold Winters and am experiencing this currently with some of my RPG books. Should try a humidifier or a dehumidifier?

This might be completely anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt, but it may be something to try. I seal my books with a homemade balm consisting of sweet almond oil, coconut butter, castor oil, and beeswax. I usually notice the bowing happening sometimes before I seal the leather and then first I do what you did, where I wet the cover and the interior cover and then press it and let it dry overnight. The next morning I immediately apply the balm after taking it out of the press, let it sit for an hour or so, and then buff it off with sheeps wool. I usually never see the bowing happen after that again. (Though now that I say that, it'll probably happen, lol.) But my theory is that the balm moisturizes the leather and keeps it moist enough to prevent the bowing from happening. Maybe something to try! I can share the exact recipe if you'd like to experiment.

I have often thought that humidity would be bad in a library causing mold and warping??? I wanted to put an electric fireplace in my small library (one that uses steam for a more realistic flame appearance) would that be bad to use in a small library or would it actually be a good thing????

Unless you want to maintain your collection at 45% humidity year-long, my preferred choice of solution to problems like these is perhaps the easiest: Learn to Love The Warp!

You should teach me your ways! I’d love to visit, and learn the ways of the master. Think about it! 😌

Would you care to organize a weekend book binding class?

I had to pause the video after the glass half full joke in order to fit in the eyeroll and groan.

Would using actual wood work better? Or is it the leather that bows?

Instead of Chip Board if you use 1/8 or 1/4 sanded plywood you should not have to worry to much with warping....

Please use a microphone, so the sound would be so much better

Moisten books????? Humidifier!? Glass of water??? Blasphemy! You must keep your books DRY! One of the problems is, you said you normally keep them in a humid environment. That is what they are used to. I have a very small, and unimportant library. But I keep them in a controlled environment. Cold, dry, and no particulates. 10 degrees and 20% RH. All year.

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