At Rest

Confession: I haven't begun repairing my copy of The Disappearing Floor yet. I did take some time to look the book over to check out what I needed to do and how to approach it. I'm still uncertain about how much work I want to do with the cover itself. I'd like to give it a proper repair, but I'm not sure how well I can manage the necessary work.

The best repair would be if I could separate the actual printed paper cover from the boards first, then back it with an intact sheet to back all the tears and weak areas, then replace the boards. I'm not confident that I can remove the paper from the boards without damaging them further. The same applies to the endpapers. If I had something to dissolve the glue and allow me to remove the paper, that would be wonderful. I don't know what would work...

So, I stalled the project while I consider. Ultimately, I want to record the repair work as fully as possible. That brings us to a second consideration - that of recording the repair work. I did spend some time working with OBS Studio to set up my cameras and audio so that I can start recording once I'm ready to do the repairs.

The issue is what will work best as a video. A full-length video of the repair would be long and feature moments of inactivity, but an edited video would mean a new level of project management that is again beyond my knowledge. I could learn, but I was looking forward to this being a more polished showcase of the process. That was always going to be a stretch, but it is a nice hope.

Since I'm not going anywhere soon, I think the stall will only be temporary. I want to experiment with the adhesive on the book, then get to work on the repair. I still need to think about the filming of the process. Is it enough to show the spine of the text block with the aging bits of fraying cloth and adhesive and explain what I plan to do, or do I need to show the full process of removing it and cleaning it up for new PVA?

I think the ultimate answer lies in the middle, with some repairs best shown in full, and others introduced, perhaps shown in a sample, then skipped for the most part. This may end up being more of a test, after all, if only of the video composition.

As an afterthought, I did another repair within the last year that I intended to upload to YouTube, but the audio didn't record properly, so I couldn't use about half of the footage. I started working on it to salvage what I could, but I wasn't happy enough with the result to post it. I may take a little time now to revisit it and try overdubbing some audio and see how that plays.

Rainy Day Project or The Corona Cure

I've got a copy of The Hardy Boys The Disappearing Floor that is in need of repair. I put off doing anything with it, with the intent of turning it into a repair project to put up on YouTube. Given shutdowns with the coronavirus, I feel like I have the time at hand to start working on it.

I have begun some preparatory work on the book in anticipation of repairing it. The text block had partially separated from the covers, and were only connected by the mesh backing on the text block, the crash (if memory serves me correctly). This fabric wraps over the text block and is what actually connects it to the cover of the book beneath the end papers. The mesh was fraying and the text block was pulling away from the covers. I used my x-acto blade to cut through the threads and separate it entirely.

My thinking is that I will need to replace the connecting tape to resecure the text block to the covers. The simple fix would be to use bookbinding tape to wrap the block and PVA to adhere it to the endpapers. Unfortunately, the text block itself shows signs of further separation. As the photo on the left shows, the pages are coming apart from each other even though they are still secure to the binding crash. It is clear that the fabric is very brittle and cracking as well as pulling apart, and the binding glue on the original is also brittle.

My first order of repair will be to remove as much of this original adhesive and fabric as I can, then apply new PVA to the text block once it is secure in my binding jig. When it is time to connect the text block to the covers, I will use binding tape to further strengthen the spine of the text block. This tape can be used to bind the text block to the underside of the endpaper, and with PVA to the covers themselves.

One concern with the covers, and frankly one of the reasons I've delayed starting this repair before, is some damage to the cover itself, particularly on the shoulders connecting the spine to the front and back cover. I had thought at one point to try removing the actual paper cover from the boards and replacing the boards with new cardboard. I still think that would be the best option, but I fear it is still beyond my ability. I will save that level of repair for another day.


As you can see in the two pictures at the right, the shoulder connecting to the front cover of the book is badly torn, even through the cover itself. Also, the end paper for the back cover has been separated. I'm not sure if the end papers were originally a larger sheet of paper, folded and affixed to the text block, then glued onto the covers, or if they were individual sheets glued together with the text block.

I think using a larger size end paper and folding it would give a better look and be more secure, but I think the other option is the one used. It is difficult to tell on some of these older books, since the glue fails, the mesh frays and tears, and the constant handling causes the joins between the end papers to crease and crack as well. I think the best option will be to separate both endpapers, clean the adhesive and attach them to the text block itself.

As for the damaged spine, I think I will find some index weight card stock and add a strip or two to the interior of the spine in order to reinforce it. Hopefully, this will also allow the paper of the cover to be straightened and by gluing it to the reinforced spine, should conceal the worst of the cut running down the shoulder. Another option would be to use book tape to secure the inside of the paper cover, then reinforce the spine. This is probably the better option. It will require lifting the end papers from the boards first. Actually, it may not even help, now that I think it over. The boards will still be attached to the paper cover, and short of replacing them, I won't be able to reinforce the paper itself. I''ll have to make a judgement call on this when I'm repairing it in actuality, based on what I find before me.

I will begin working on this later in the week, and post updates on my progress. I need to be sure to take photos as I go, in addition to filming the repair, in order to show the work as it progresses and how the repair comes out in the end.