... homemade journal ...

[TMLee]

Such fascinating stuff and such beautiful work. TMLee, your journals never cease to amaze me. You have such a great eye for color and artwork.

 

I love my journals. I wish my handwriting wasn't such a horrible scrawl so I could post a picture or two in that other thread.

 

Thank you KCat for your kind words.

I am happy that you are using them journals ...

[TMLee]

 

 

Hmmm. The best guidelines I have seen are in Jen Lindsay's "Fine Bookbinding: a Technical Guide", where she firmly says 'it depends'. For this application I am not backing at all, just paring down the board edges, so section swell isn't quite the factor it usually is in choosing thread thickness. I have been using 18/3 (which is 18 gauge thread, with three plies), mostly because it is what I have on hand. But I think I may switch to 18/2.

 

 

Thank you for your replies....

 

Yes, I have been using 18/3 threads.

They are just about right in size in terms of aesthetics, for the journal size and paper grammage that I usually use.

 

 

I have been using 10-sheet (20 leaf, or 40 page) sections, which does seem to balance strength with thickness.

 

Okay, do you mean TR paper ?

Yes, I am using 10 Folios in one signature.

 

 

Have you seen Keith Smith's books on stitch wizardry? Just leafing through them is enough to make you dizzy!

 

Yes, Thanks ,

I learnt the double-needle coptic stitch from his book.

Yes great books he has.

(takes a bit of effort to study his diagrams though.)

 

check out Inabindsupplies where you can find some reasonably priced, reasonably thin waxed Irish linen thread, lots of wonderful colors to choose from.

 

The colors certainly cover the rainbow. I don't see much information on thread size, though.

 

Yes these linen threads are 18/3 size.

 

If you like silk, in the whole color spectrum, try Treenway Silks. Hmmm. Kumihimo place ribbons anyone?

 

 

I havent tried silk threads yet.

I am not familiar with them.

They look like they can be compressed , hence losing its 'body'.

 

I need to look for that book you recommended.

[TMLee]

This is my second attempt using Tomoe River paper entirely in the bookblock.

 

I am still using

7 Signatures , 10 Folios each. (280 writing pages)

 

but this time I reduce the size of the thread to #20 gauge.

Its slightly finer.

Unwaxed linen thread, natural colour.

 

This time , since the signatures are sliding around, I decided to not allow them to slide by clamping them with much lesser force.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/002.jpg

 

I used clothes pegs only , pretty weak clamping force ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/003.jpg

 

still some sliding of the signatures , at the ends where there are no more stitches.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/004.jpg

 

top view

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/010.jpg

 

the other end

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/011.jpg

 

The finished product...

Looks better though ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/014.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/015.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/018.jpg

 

Closeup

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/019.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/020.jpg

 

Top view of corner

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/021.jpg

 

Full spread

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/023.jpg

 

The stitches are smaller.

The patterns are harder to notice too.

 

I havent added any ribbon pagemarker yet.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/017.jpg

 

 

The covers are a nice GEMATEX - Olive Green bookcloth

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20117%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/Journal%20117A%20GEMATEX%20-%20Olive%20Green/016.jpg

 

The thickness of this journal is the same as my usual A6 journals bearing heavier paper - 135gsm

It probably weighs the same too.

 

I am not sure if the journal works, becos its clamped a lot less tightly.

Anyone tried this method yet , ie loosely clamped while glue is applied?

 

I guess my next attempt is to try same size of signatures and folios still, then stitch with :

- thinner thread - maybe #25 gauge, and also

- going back to 0.8mm thread size , and loosely clamped.

Edited February 23, 2013 by TMLee

[D Armstrong]

I have been using 10-sheet (20 leaf, or 40 page) sections, which does seem to balance strength with thickness.

Okay, do you mean TR paper ? Yes, I am using 10 Folios in one signature.

 

Yes, this is in TR paper. It's what has gotten me back into book binding.

 

I havent tried silk threads yet. I am not familiar with them. They look like they can be compressed , hence losing its 'body'.

 

You might be surprised. Silk actually has very little loft to it, and so doesn't have much compression. It also depends on how much twist the factory put into it, but silk is quite similar to plant fiber in behaviour (I should warn you that I do spinning and knitting, too, so warn me if it gets too technical!)

 

I need to look for that book you recommended.

 

Jen Lindsay? If so, it's only really available through Oak Knoll Books, the publisher. I should warn you that it is a great book, well worth the steep price tag in terms of the information in it. However, ironically, the binding is abysmal. Cheap Chinese construction--although it is sewn, thank goodness--with glue that literally fell off in pieces within three browsings. I simply re-glued using PVA, but the cover has some glossy coating which totally resists taking the glue. I have been meaning to email Oak Knoll about it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[TMLee]

I have been using 10-sheet (20 leaf, or 40 page) sections, which does seem to balance strength with thickness.

Okay, do you mean TR paper ? Yes, I am using 10 Folios in one signature.

 

Yes, this is in TR paper. It's what has gotten me back into book binding.

 

I havent tried silk threads yet. I am not familiar with them. They look like they can be compressed , hence losing its 'body'.

 

You might be surprised. Silk actually has very little loft to it, and so doesn't have much compression. It also depends on how much twist the factory put into it, but silk is quite similar to plant fiber in behaviour (I should warn you that I do spinning and knitting, too, so warn me if it gets too technical!)

 

I need to look for that book you recommended.

 

Jen Lindsay? If so, it's only really available through Oak Knoll Books, the publisher. I should warn you that it is a great book, well worth the steep price tag in terms of the information in it. However, ironically, the binding is abysmal. Cheap Chinese construction--although it is sewn, thank goodness--with glue that literally fell off in pieces within three browsings. I simply re-glued using PVA, but the cover has some glossy coating which totally resists taking the glue. I have been meaning to email Oak Knoll about it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

 

Ah ... Back into bookbinding ... Great !

Might try silk thread one day. And yup , too technical for my understanding :embarrassed_smile: Wonder if I have ever seen it before.

And yes, the price of the book is pretty steep.

[D Armstrong]

Might try silk thread one day. And yup , too technical for my understanding

 

Sorry about that. This might help.

 

"Loft" refers to the amount of air space trapped between the fibers when it is twisted into thread or yarn.

 

Natural fibers tend to be made of either protein (animal-produced) or cellulose (plant-produced). Protein fibres are very lofty--there is plenty of space for air to be trapped inside, and therefore they are good for insulation. This is also why they are stretchy, and compress when squished. Wool is king here, but hairs like alpaca and dog are in this group as well.

 

Cellulose fibers tend to be very dense and smooth (think cotton or linen). They do not have nearly the same amount of air trapped between the fibers, and so do not provide the same insulation. And, they do not compress much, as the act of twisting them into thread has pretty much compressed them completely. Cellulose fibers tend to be relatively weak (although you have probably noticed that flax (linen) is much stronger than cotton). This group includes flax, cotton, and ramie (a kind of nettle).

 

Silk, however, is in a category of it's own. It is the strongest of the natural fibers. It is the smoothest and straightest in form, and can be spun very, very thin, but still retain great strength. And it has almost no loft, so it doesn't compress much at all. And the nice thing is that there are a wider variety of thicknesses available, just because it starts out so thin.

 

Just don't ask me about synthetic fibers (including the ones billed as "natural", like bamboo, but which are highly and toxically processed)! I tend to stick to the naturals. But I figure it's always good to know as much as possible about your materials.

[TMLee]

Might try silk thread one day. And yup , too technical for my understanding

 

Sorry about that. This might help.

 

"Loft" refers to the amount of air space trapped between the fibers when it is twisted into thread or yarn.

 

Natural fibers tend to be made of either protein (animal-produced) or cellulose (plant-produced). Protein fibres are very lofty--there is plenty of space for air to be trapped inside, and therefore they are good for insulation. This is also why they are stretchy, and compress when squished. Wool is king here, but hairs like alpaca and dog are in this group as well.

 

Cellulose fibers tend to be very dense and smooth (think cotton or linen). They do not have nearly the same amount of air trapped between the fibers, and so do not provide the same insulation. And, they do not compress much, as the act of twisting them into thread has pretty much compressed them completely. Cellulose fibers tend to be relatively weak (although you have probably noticed that flax (linen) is much stronger than cotton). This group includes flax, cotton, and ramie (a kind of nettle).

 

Silk, however, is in a category of it's own. It is the strongest of the natural fibers. It is the smoothest and straightest in form, and can be spun very, very thin, but still retain great strength. And it has almost no loft, so it doesn't compress much at all. And the nice thing is that there are a wider variety of thicknesses available, just because it starts out so thin.

 

Just don't ask me about synthetic fibers (including the ones billed as "natural", like bamboo, but which are highly and toxically processed)! I tend to stick to the naturals. But I figure it's always good to know as much as possible about your materials.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain.

Its much appreciated.

 

Looks like silk is worth trying.

I suppose they are more $costly ?

 

What are some silk threads sizes you have used before?

Do they come in the same threadsize nomenclature ?

Is there a silk thread that is near #18gauge in size?

 

Pics are most useful.

Thanking you in advance for the trouble.

[TMLee]

This is my third attempt at crafting a journal entirely of TOMOE RIVER paper.

 

I slowed down all the processes in every stage of the crafting, hoping to make closer observations and thinking thru what might happen if I did this or that.

 

To keep systematic in my learning process, I avoided making too many changes in too many areas.

For example, I maintained the size of the Signature - keeping it at 10Folios in each signature and keeping the number of signatures to seven (7) only.

This way I can narrow down and troubleshoot what I did differently that would bring a different result.

 

I went back to using that 0.8mm polyester waxed thread becos it was the smallest flat thread I had.

I noticed the signatures had problems when clamped round threads that were thick enough to cause the paper to slide out of dead centre position.

 

The threads also contributed to 'swell' , although I would like to think that the swells were tolerable , aesthetically speaking.

 

What I cant solve (yet) is the last signature where my knots are located. These knots occupy more space and create more 'swells'.

When this happens, I notice the last signature , when clamped, tends to rotate out of position.

The crisp spine cannot stay dead centre.

I shall point it out below.

 

Folding the signatures

I folded each folio one by one (tedious)

Inserted 10 folios in each signature.

 

After folding, I went over with the bonefolder again to make the signature crisp again.

 

Piercing

To pierce, I have to fold the signature backwards to pierce from the spine side of the signature.

This is my usual technique, to ensure all my stitches line up perfectly.

 

In my first TR journal attempt, I was a little impatient at this stage.

The piercing cradle I had , had that gap was too wide for this TR paper.

The TR paper is so soft, even at 10 Folios, a gap thats a little too wide, will allow the entire signature to deform as it squeezes thru the gap from the pressure of piercing.

 

To avoid repeating that mistake, I hastily made a quick remedy - creating a narrower slit for the needle to pass thru.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/001.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/002.jpg

 

After piercing, I used the bonefolder again and made the signatures crisp in their folds.

 

Stitching

Taking jesse.bo advice, I shall go buy myself smaller needles in order to reduce the size of the piercings when I pull thru. This will help keep the bookblock tighter.

 

Clamping

This is the stage where I exercised more care and attention.

I decided not to clamp tightly like what I usually do.

I didnt want the signatures to slide out of position.

I used less strong clamps.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/003.jpg

 

Here you see the signatures kind of staying in position.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/004.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/005.jpg

 

The end result

Looks pretty neat. But no where as perfectly neat as my other journals bearing heavier paper.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/006.jpg

 

The journal here is not glued yet on the spine.

Glueing will not change anything in terms of the alignment of the signatures.

So what it looks like now will be the final result after glue is applied.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/007.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/008.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/009.jpg

 

Here you see a comparison with the second TR journal I made recently.

Becos I clamped a little more this time, you will see that this journal is just a little bit thinner than the green one.

Just a little.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/014.jpg

 

The stitches on both these journals are not the same size.

The orange one is 0.8mm flat threads.(near #18gauge)

The white one is smaller at #20gauge.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/015.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/016.jpg

 

Here is the 'fishtail' effect from 10 Folios in one signature.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/022.jpg

 

comparing the 'swells'

Here you can see the last signature that is 'rotated' out of position.

The last signature is leftmost , next to the pocket.

The knots inside are causing a significant swell for this signature to remain unaffected.

Notice how flat the first signature is (extreme right) - becos this is where the stitching starts, and it passes thru the signature only once !

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/023.jpg http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/024.jpg

 

 

No ribbon yet ...

Most likely I have to look for thinner ribbons.

The paper is too thin to cope.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/011.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20124%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/Journal%20124E%20GEMATEX%20Raw%20Umber/012.jpg

 

 

I am hopeful.

I guess making a few more will reveal some more areas to modify for improvement.

Edited February 25, 2013 by TMLee

[timjthomas]

Very nice!!!

[D Armstrong]

Looks like silk is worth trying.

I suppose they are more $costly ?

 

What are some silk threads sizes you have used before?

Do they come in the same threadsize nomenclature ?

Is there a silk thread that is near #18gauge in size?

 

Pics are most useful.

 

My experience with silk is extensive in spinning and knitting, rather than binding. Treenway has good photos, and seems to use the same gauge system as other threads: 20/2 and 8/2 for thread. And yes, it's more expensive.

 

They are quite helpful, and I would encourage you to contact them and ask questions. Oh, and the ribbon they have comes in a good variety of widths, and is very, very thin (thinking again of place marker ribbons).

[TMLee]

Looks like silk is worth trying.

I suppose they are more $costly ?

 

What are some silk threads sizes you have used before?

Do they come in the same threadsize nomenclature ?

Is there a silk thread that is near #18gauge in size?

 

Pics are most useful.

 

My experience with silk is extensive in spinning and knitting, rather than binding. Treenway has good photos, and seems to use the same gauge system as other threads: 20/2 and 8/2 for thread. And yes, it's more expensive.

 

They are quite helpful, and I would encourage you to contact them and ask questions. Oh, and the ribbon they have comes in a good variety of widths, and is very, very thin (thinking again of place marker ribbons).

 

 

Thanks for the link.

[TMLee]

My 4th TR journal attempt ...

 

In keeping with the Japanese theme ,

Japanese paper with Japanese motif on the covers ...

 

This is a variant of #87 "Scallops" ...

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/013.jpg

 

The spine is not glued as yet...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/015.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/016.jpg

 

Not exactly aligned again , but its ever so slight ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/018.jpg

 

The thread is 0.8mm , red to match the flyleaves ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/021.jpg

 

No ribbon marker .... yet ...

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/020.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Journal%2087%20Scallops/Journal%2087A%20Scallops/012.jpg

 

I am still trying to figure out what is causing the little mis-alignment.

I am unsure, but I think it has to do with the piercing of the stations.

The piercing if off-centre, will force the signature to twist out of position.

The reason it can twist is becos the paper is superthin and soft and will yield to forces put on it.

 

I am experimenting with how to pierce more accurately.

I may have to make another piercing cradle - an upside down 'vee'.

I would like to hear others' experience ...

 

I dont have this problem with thicker papers becos they fall neatly into place.

Becos they fall into place neatly, the piercing is seldom out of position from dead centre of the spine.

[ZachWasniak]

Really nice work.. Wish my creative side kicked in more.

[TMLee]

Really nice work.. Wish my creative side kicked in more.

 

Thanks

[TMLee]

My 6th TR Journal attempt ...

 

I think I am slowly getting the hang of it....

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122B%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/001.jpg

 

What I am most concerned about is trying to achieve the same size of the signatures thru out.

I took the advice of a member over at the Book & Paper Arts Forum and tried the following :

1) folded an entire signature at one go.

The reason is to have a rounded spine and not a sharp-edged spine on the signature.

 

2) pierced from the inside to outside,

becos I couldn't fold the signature backwards to pierce from outside.

 

I also thot about how to make the first signature same thickness as the rest.

This is becos the first signature has threads passing thru it only once, instead of 2 as in all other signatures.

My previous journal - the 5th TR journal , carried this idea. ie the first signature had additional folios to make it thicker till it matched the other signatures.

 

Here is a pic where I am very close to achieving uniform consistency in the signatures.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122B%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/007.jpg

 

What I dont like about piercing from inside to outside, even tho I am using a template to pierce accurately , is that the signatures dont line up at the head and tail end neatly.

Kind of jagged , some tall , some short.

But I notice there is a marked improvement visually in the thickness of each signature side by side each other.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122B%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/008.jpg

 

The spine hasnt been glued yet.

What I can do before glueing , is to make fine adjustments , tugging at the signatures, to move them into a "perfect" position.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122B%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/003.jpg

 

What I have also done differently for the last few journals is to start stitching from the other end, ie, the rear, then finishing at the front.

What I noticed was that the last signature doesn't look good becos there are knots inside.

I flattened them with a pair of pliers.

But it still contributed to the 'swell'.

 

I wonder how to resolve this.

[yllstonewolf]

Thanks very much for all of the wonderful information about binding with this great paper. Just a quick question - since this is Japanese paper and flows a bit like fabric, has anyone tried a Japanese stab binding(which is sewn on the edge through flat sheets of paper)which requires a soft flowing fabric-like paper to work well. It seem as if it would be a perfect match! Here is a link with some beautiful examples. My link

I've been hand binding books for nearly 20 years - I rarely make Japanese stab bound books because western paper just doesn't work the way it needs to for this to be a "friendly" binding to write in - I may try making one with the Tomoe River paper and see how it works!

 

Cheers,

Rags

[TMLee]

Thanks very much for all of the wonderful information about binding with this great paper. Just a quick question - since this is Japanese paper and flows a bit like fabric, has anyone tried a Japanese stab binding(which is sewn on the edge through flat sheets of paper)which requires a soft flowing fabric-like paper to work well. It seem as if it would be a perfect match! Here is a link with some beautiful examples. My link

I've been hand binding books for nearly 20 years - I rarely make Japanese stab bound books because western paper just doesn't work the way it needs to for this to be a "friendly" binding to write in - I may try making one with the Tomoe River paper and see how it works!

 

Cheers,

Rags

 

 

Thanks for the link.

Those are indeed beautiful examples of stab binding.

 

Maybe you should try doing one in stab binding and share your experience with us. :-)

[TMLee]

Okay... this is the 7th TR Journal ...

and I think I made good progress

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/007.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/008.jpg

 

The threads are 0.8mm flat profile polyester, rice white.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/006.jpg

 

Following good advice, I did some things differently.

 

1) I folded the entire signature at one go (instead of folding each folio)

 

2) I couldn't fold the signature backwards on itself in order to pierce from the outside.

So this means I had to pierce from the inside using a template.

I made another piercing cradle - one with a more acute angled "vee" to keep the piercing as accurate as possible.

 

3) I made the first signature thicker than the rest. Added a few more folios. This is becos the first signature is thinner than the rest, due to that single (instead of double) pass of thread in this starting signature as you start stitching.

 

 

The new DIY Piercing Cradle I made. With a sharper "vee".

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/DIY%20Piercing%20Cradle/001.jpg

 

The piercing jig or template ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/DIY%20Piercing%20Cradle/004.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/Stationery%20Paraphernalia/DIY%20Piercing%20Cradle/005.jpg

 

 

Here is a pic comparing all the TR journals crafted so far ...

 

From left - 3rd TR Journal , then 4th TR, then 5th TR, 6th TR and today the 7th TR journal.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/024.jpg

 

Comparing the extreme left and the extreme right journals , I'd like to think that I made noticeable progress ...

3rd and 4th TR are individually folded folios.

They are also clamped and glued.

5th ; 6th ; 7th remain unglued as of now.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/026.jpg

 

5th TR (the one in the middle) shows the first signature on extreme left is slightly thinner than the rest.

The last signature (extreme right) shows the 'swell' caused by the knots of the thread ends inside that signature.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/025.jpg

 

What you can also see is the slight curvature of the head and tail of the book. Look at 4th TR (second from left).

This is due to my usual method of clamping.

And I realize I have to modify my methods becos of the thinness/softness of this paper.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/027.jpg

 

and so I clamped differently, taking away the pressure from the head and tail of the book...

I did this instead ...

one clamp in the centre and away from the spine (the paper is so smooth and thin, it will slip and slide when clamped over the thick thread inside the signatures).

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/003.jpg

 

the result is the head and tail end of the book stays a consistent thickness - no curvature or compression here ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/010.jpg

 

Compared to the 1st TR Journal

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20151%20Plain%20Green%20Cotton/012.jpg

 

This is a nice one

 

7 Signatures, 10 Folios each, except for the first one which has 12 Folios.

Total = (6x10) + (1x12) = 72 x 4 = 288 writing pages.

 

Ribbon not installed yet.

 

Up for sale if anyone is interested.

Just email me.

Edited March 7, 2013 by TMLee

[TMLee]

This is Journal 139A "Laughing Leaves" finally completed

 

A6 size.

 

7th TR Journal attempt.

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/003-1.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/016-1.jpg

 

Glue applied on the spine ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/006-1.jpg

 

Ribbon installed

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/007-1.jpg

 

To match the black flyleaves...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/010-1.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/005-1.jpg

 

Full spread

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/008-1.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/009-1.jpg

 

The inktestpage ...

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/011-1.jpg

 

The Colophon...

PELIKAN M620 Chicago

filled with DIAMINE Monaco Red

and

ROSETTA North Star

filled with NOODLER'S X-Feather (Black)

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/012-1.jpg

 

Black rubber elastic, matte

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/017-1.jpg

 

Writing paper : TOMOE River Paper, 52g, Cream

7 Signatures,

10 Folios each, except for 1st Signature with 12 Folios

Total 288 writing pages.

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2011/2011%20JOURNALS/Journal%20139%20Laughing%20Leaves/Journal%20139A%20Laughing%20Leaves/002-1.jpg

[TMLee]

Greek Binding ?

 

In trying to achieve symmetry especially on the TR journals ,

I followed some advice from the other forum on bookbinding.

Someone suggested Greek Binding, to achieve symmetry.

 

I havent had a chance to refer to Keith Smith's book yet.

So , I attempted this out of impatient curiosity.

I stitched the two halves, starting with the covers at both ends...

 

I am not sure whether this is correct - ie, whether this is Greek Binding ?

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/020.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/025.jpg

 

 

The spine is not glued ... yet .

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/022.jpg

 

 

What I like here is the symetry achieved, on both knots at the covers, at the sewing stations.

Unlike my normal journals where I start from one cover and end at the other.

In those journals , the knots at each cover are different.

 

The signatures on this one also appear all same sized, except the middle one.

 

The paper here is 80g, sugarcane bagasse paper.

I used 6 Folios in each signature.

 

I am not sure how the TOMOE River paper at 52g only, will perform under such stresses from the stitches in the middle signature.

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/023.jpg

 

I ended up with four threads passing thru the middle signature.

And is it normally so many threads here?

 

I decided to try to reduce the number of knots so I tied the two ends in each pair of stations.

 

Still .... looks a tad too busy ...

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/026.jpg

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/TMLee/2010%20JOURNALS/GEMATEX%20SERIES/Journal%20122%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/Journal%20122C%20GEMATEX%20Dark%20Purple/028.jpg

 

Is it possible to reduce this number of threads passing thru here ?

 

How ?

 

Would appreciate if someone can show me what a Greek binding looks on the inside, ie the middle signature...

 

many thanks in advance

 

Edited March 10, 2013 by TMLee