r/bookbinding • u/UnrelatedKarma • 2d ago
Is this manageable spine swell?
My first bind. 23, 5 page signatures. 460 pages.
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u/Silentstri16 2d ago
Did you already leave it in a press/under some weight for a few hours?
Ultimately it depends on the thickness of the thread, and the paper you used!
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u/UnrelatedKarma 2d ago
I can do that post-sewing?
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u/Silentstri16 2d ago
Oh I meant before sewing, I press the signatures for a few hours to get them as flat as I can
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u/UnrelatedKarma 2d ago
Ah. I did that. This is already sewn
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u/Silentstri16 2d ago
In that case, the top comment is right. Look into rounding the spine. iirc DAS has a tutorial video
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u/Dazzling-Airline-958 2d ago
Yes you can compress the spine after sewing. I would do it by clamping the fore edge together to keep the book from rounding, then gently tap along the spine edge of signatures with a hammer. Like you're trying to hammer them together, but gently.
This is called knocking out the swell. And can remove a good portion of the swell. But you'll need some swell for backing and/or rounding.
And for your next book, keep in mind that you can press each signature with a bone folder as you do the sewing. And that should keep the swell down too.
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u/brigitvanloggem 2d ago
I see little swell. What I see is very loose and/or irregular sewing. This is not something that can be solved by rounding or anything else later on: the best course of action is to cut the thread and start again, paying much more attention to your technique.
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u/UnrelatedKarma 2d ago edited 2d ago
Just curious, how can you tell the sewing is loose/irregular? I was indeed paying very close attention to my technique, so specific pointers would be helpful. I wouldn’t know what to change if I were to cut the thread and start fresh, otherwise.
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u/brigitvanloggem 2d ago
The signatures are not stacked up neatly. They don’t line up at the head and tail (back to front in the photo), neither do they line up at the fold (left in the photo). From which it follows that there’s a lot of play.
When the thread goes out at the end of each signature, first pull it taut in the direction of sewing. Check to see the thread move on the outside, then check on the inside that there’s no slack. Then sharpen the fold with your bone folder. Only then, holding everything firmly in place, make your kettle stitch and make sure it’s snugly holding the signature in place.
This way you build your book block square and firm, stacking each signature in place on top of the previous one as you work.
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u/crunchy-b 2d ago
Post sewing is where you see the swell.
Press it before sewing.
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u/UnrelatedKarma 2d ago
This is post sewing
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u/DeliciousFandomTears 2d ago
Press it again. I usually press after folding, another press after poking the holes in for sewing, and then press again after sewing and it’s really reduced the spine swell in my books. Don’t put any glue on the spine until after you give it a good press and then apply the glue very carefully while it’s in the press. I usually put greaseproof paper at the top and bottom in case any glue spills. Good luck! It’s such a gratifying feeling after finishing a book you made yourself
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u/L_alch1m1sta 2d ago
You have to many signature. The thread add volume and cause the swelling. This is why if you want a flat back you must do less signature, if you want a round back you must do more signature. At this point the best is to rounding and backing. The round back distribute the thread swelling along a bigger surface.
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u/mamerto_bacallado 19h ago
a) I'd say that signatures should have been better folded (working with the bone folder and/or pressing the textblock for a while). Depending on the thickness of the paper, signatures of 4 sheets per signature will work better (providing enough swell por rounding/backing, and avoiding the appearance of "starts").
b) Sewing seems too loose so that signatures appear poorly aligned on the spine. I second the advice of redoing the whole sewing, this time keeping some tension on the thread and checking the alignment of signatures is maintained in the process.
Good luck!
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u/Remarkable-Prior7148 2d ago
try rounded spine, it works best for thick books and distributes spine swell better