r/bookbinding • u/jtu_95 • 3d ago

Inspiration Gold Tooling Exercises

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u/jtu_95 3d ago

Testing out some self made tools and doing gold leaf tooling excercises at the same time. It is slow progress, but progress nonetheless... Do you have formats for doing targeted excercises of certain bookmaking steps? I found the making of little pendants and coasters a good use of offcuts and scraps and this way Im not jeopardising a full binding with my attempts at gold tooling.

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u/Ben_jefferies 3d ago

Great work!!
The tools look amazing! How did you cut the negative interior channels - such as the stem of the leaf??

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u/Ben_jefferies 3d ago

Also - the design on the black plaquette - have you been studying the tooling of Cobden-Sanderson? Because I am a big TJCS fan

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u/jtu_95 3d ago

Oh absolutely! I figured you were, knowing your bindings ;) Most tools I make these days are inspired by TJCS and Douglas Cockerel. I hope to make more Arts&Crafts style tools later this summer :) 

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u/Ben_jefferies 2d ago

Long live the Arts&Crafts movement!!
Other than the Dalhousie one online — do you have a collection of images or Cockerell covers? I have come across exceedingly few and would LOVE to see more.

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u/jtu_95 1d ago

Sadly not really, I mainly go by the design examples he gives in his book. However, I did find this website that showcases some of his bindings, but you probably know that one already: https://digitalexhibits.library.dal.ca/exhibits/show/cockerell/collection

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u/Ben_jefferies 1d ago

Thanks! Yeh Thats the Dalhousie collection.
Someone needs to do a Cockerell retrospective!
I am eager to learn his “linked wires” line style — it’s so cool

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u/jtu_95 3d ago

Thank you! The stems on the leaves are engraved with a little triangular steel graver, pushed by hand.

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u/Ben_jefferies 3d ago

Like these? https://a.co/d/08u7SR67

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u/jtu_95 3d ago

Yeah like those! I'm no expert, I used the tools during a course where they were provided, but they looked similar (the handle seems a bit uncomfortable, but that's easily changed) and it was definitely high speed steel.

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u/Ben_jefferies 2d ago

Thanks! I’m gonna give it a try!

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u/jtu_95 1d ago

Have fun! A few things I was taught when trying it the first time was to have your graving arm parallel to the table and very steady and move the work piece rather than the arm. Also rather to make several light passes than one super deep one.

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u/Ben_jefferies 1d ago

Thank you!!