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WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Preservation Working Group
MANUSCRIPTS, ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (MASC)
CONSERVATOR'S STATEMENT 1998 (Gudrun Aurand)
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html) Dyed japanese paper handmade in Japan. Solid color. Chemical dyes. 90% kozo, 10% wood pulp. Wheat starch paste and mixture. s. adhesives Type of page to page attachment with adhesive. s.double fan gluing Term describes both: Both headband and tailband. A folded sheet of paper consisting of flyleaf and pastedown. The flyleaf is that part of the folded sheet which is the first and last page of the book. It may be colored or white. The pastedown is that part of the folded sheet pasted to the cover board. s. also colored flyleaves for original flyleaf repair. For detailed information on endpapers s. Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html) 1) The free part of a strip of kozo fiber paper, adhered to the spine edge of an individual leaf. Also: The term 'flange' is being used for a strip of material, wider than a guard, usually of parchment or paper, which is hooked around the outer quires and forms part of the sewn bookblock; it is affixed with adhesive to the inner face of the boards, thus providing a connection between bookblock and cover. The term is equivalent to the German 'Ansetzfalz' or 'Ansetzfluegel'. J.A.Szirmai: The Archeology of Medieval Bookbinding. 1999. P.61 note 9.
First and last pages of a book. May be colored and/or white. s. endpaper The hollow tube is used for case bindings where the text block is particularly heavy and /or large. Since the tube is attached to both, the spine of the text block and the inside of the spine covering material, the hollow thus formed provides extra support along the entire length of the spine. A hollow tube may be created on or off the book. s. also hollow A strip of kozo fiber paper, adhered to the spine edge of an individual leaf, as flexible extension. indirect Transfer method: Adhesive Application of adhesive to the original by secondary means. The stitch nearest to the top and bottom edge of each section. The thread exiting from the outermost sewing station is used, to climb to the next section being added, thus holding the sections together. A very thin, long-fibered strong paper with body and hard surface. Good for mending tears since it leaves a strong fibrous edge when torn (s. also water tear). Handmade in Japan of 100% kozo. Acid-free. 18 grams.
A white, powdery looking, organic substance. s. adhesives
Combination of PVA and methyl cellulose. s. adhesives One of the thickest Japanese papers that is strong, soft and supple. Recommended for spine linings in conservation work as it is thick and will conform nicely over a spine. One layer suffices. Also useful to fill in losses. Handmade in Japan of 100% Kozo. Acid-free. 60 grams. Few sheets or few sections stitched together but not bound, with or without paper covers. s. also: Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html)
The part of the endpaper, pasted to the cover board.
Polyvinylacetate, a thermoplastic, synthetic vinyl resin. s. adhesives
Indicates the option to separate previously bonded materials by different means. It does not mean restoration to a previous state without traces.
Partial cut into the thickness of a binder's board. With several light strokes of a knife, cut along the line to be scored. The cut is just deep enough, to allow the board to be bent comfortably along this line. s. also score: Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html)
Points along the fold of each section, through which the sewing thread enters and exits. Stippling describes the action of lightly pounding with a stiff bristled brush, the newly adhered and still moist spine lining of Kozo fibers. The brush is held at a right angle to the spine. Stippling aids in consolidating the text block. The paper fibers form a tight bond with the folds of the sections, as well as connecting one section to the next .
s. Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html) unsupported sewing A line drawn with a fine brush, dipped in water. The paper fibers are pulled apart along the water line. This creates a soft, feathered edge. Japanese mending paper is particularly suited to water tearing.
Used for all conservation work that requires reversibility. It dries slowly and stretches paper. s. adhesives
adhesives In conservation, I use several kinds of adhesives. Wheat starch paste, methyl cellulose and PVA. Each has different properties and is used by itself and in combination. Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/don.html)
mc A4M is a white, powdery looking organic substance. mc is sprinkled on cold water, mixed with a whisk from time to time. It slowly absorbs water and forms a translucent substance. reversible. 1 cup distilled water 1cup distilled water
Combine approximately 60% straight PVA with 40% mc (of eggwhite consistency). It extends PVA and has a slower setting time. Uses for mixture: .
Thermoplastic synthetic vinyl resin. Polyvinyl acetate is a white emulsion. It has a relatively low moisture content, dries quickly and creates a flexible bond. Used straight, to adhere board components when making boxes. It may be thinned with water or methyl cellulose. s.also mixture.
Used for all conservation work that requires reversibility. It dries slowly and stretches paper. It is easily removable with a poultice made from wheat starch paste or mc. Fresh paste is made as needed. Basic recipe Cook in a double boiler stirring constantly or in a pastemaker until milky color turns translucent (15 to 20 minutes). Transfer paste immediately to a glass jar and close the lid. The paste solidifies to a thick glob of paste and is stored sealed and unstrained in a cool place. As needed, paste is strained through silk screen. It is thinned to the desired consistency with either distilled water or prepared mc. Uses of paste:
bound photocopy If the pages of a pamphlet are too brittle for any type of repair Materials needed Pages photocopied with an inner margin of at least 40mm All dimensions may be cut slightly larger and trimmed later.
ASSEMBLY AND CONSTRUCTION Collate text and add flyleaves if chosen. Double fan glue. Set aside to dry under weight.
Material needed: Davey Board 1.00 thickness Gummed linen tape or strong paper PVA Cut Davey Board Body: 1 piece approx. 31cm long x 21cm wide Side Walls: 2 pieces 15cm long x 9cm wide Support Strips: 4 pieces 8cm long x 2cm wide
Body: Mark center of width, draw a line. Side Walls: The two pieces of board will function simultaneously: as side walls, to fix the angle of the body of the cradle and as legs, to lift the body of the cradle off the table. One long dimension of the side walls rests on the table, whereas the short dimensions are the uprights. Draw lines, to aid in positioning the body of the cradle. On a side wall piece, mark a centre line parallel to the short dimension. On this line, mark off 35mm from one end (the bottom end). Use this point to mark off 60 degrees to either side of the centre line toward the top end. Draw a line through the marks. The lines show position and angle for the body of the cradle. Prepare the other wall piece in the same way. Assembly: Apply PVA to one side each of the 4 support strips. Place the glued side of each, against one angled line. Apply glue to the short edges of the body piece, For more stability and a longer life, run a brush charged with pva along the jointed pieces. A stack of individual sheets is aligned and clamped tightly at the fore edge. The clamped sheets are bent over, fanning the sheets to expose about 1mm of each, along the spine edge. The fanned edge is glued then straightened. This process is repeated bending the pages to fan in the opposite direction. Before releasing the clamp and setting the text aside to dry under a weight, the pages are lightly pressed together along the spine edge, making sure there are no air holes left between pages. The narrow line of adhesive on both sides of each sheet, creates a strong bond. This process can also be applied to a stack of single folios.
Encapsulation This conservation unit is small and to buy an ultrasonic welder for encapsulation is not an option. We use double-sided tape to create a protective sleeve. Materials used Melinex 3 mil (also known as Mylar) Double sided tape ¼” wide Hot Tacking Tool with 1/16”circle tip Bristol Board .002 Measure object/s to be encapsulated Melinex: Add 5cm to each dimension, cut two sheets With lint free cloth wipe particles and dust off Melinex. Position 2nd sheet of Melinex; weight down; lift up one corner of the top sheet and remove release paper from double sided tape. Let Melinex drop back onto item and use cloth to rub down tape and secure contact. Begin removing the second and next strip of release paper forming a right angle with the first. Repeat until remaining strips of release paper have been removed. Make sure to wipe away from the taped edge towards the still open edges. Round corners. Use hot tacking tool to secure item into position. Test first to determine heat setting needed. Place encapsulated item onto Bristol board to spot weld. For small items spot welds along the corners will suffice. In the process of spot welding, polypropylene melts and rough edges form around the hole as it cools. Smooth the rough edges by burnishing both sides through another piece of Melinex. This flattens the edges of the holes and will protect adjoining pieces from scratches. 2. Image/information on one side only Considerations An item may be placed on a sheet of buffered, acid free paper prior to encapsulating if the item has no pertinent information on the reverse To keep an item from slipping, corner supports may be cut. Materials used Mohawk superfine, 80 lb. Text Melinex 3 mil Double sided tape ¼” wide Paper: Cut one sheet of Mohawk to size needed. Melinex: Add 5cm to each dimension of the Mohawk sheet; cut two sheets Cut corner support Arrange item/s on Mohhawk paper and secure into place. With an awl mark off corner. The pin prick should be positioned at least 1mm away from the item. Repeat for the three remaining corners. Encapsulating With lint free cloth wipe particles and dust off Melinex. Position 2nd sheet of Melinex; weight down;
The indirect transfer method is very useful, when a) trying to insert adhesive into small and narrow areas b) applying glue to very small pieces Spread adhesive on a piece of Mylar. a) Insert the prepared piece of Mylar into the desired area. To transfer the adhesive, gently rub over the area. While keeping the material under light pressure, slowly pull out the piece of Mylar. The layers can now be joined. To avoid damage to the original it may be covered with a piece of wax paper before applying pressure for overall adhesion. b) With tweezers place mending piece of paper onto the adhesive and make sure the adhesive is transferred all over and evenly. Lift the piece and position it. Cloth endbands with cord core. Sometimes it may be decided, to restore original endbands. The endbands are soaked in water, unfolded and the old paper, glue and cord-core are removed. If torn, the endband fragments are placed on a sheet of mylar and the weaving is aligned. A piece of colored japanese paper of matching color, is chosen for the repair. The lining piece is slightly larger than the piece to be repaired. Combination paste is applied to the mending paper. The mending paper is positioned with the adhesive facing the original endband and adhered. The mended piece is placed between a sandwich of Reemay and blotter and is allowed to dry under a weight. If sound, the original cord core may be reused. Preferably the cord is positioned above or below the worn area, of the original turn over. Adhesive is applied to the paper side and the cord is positioned. The reinforced cloth is folded over the cord and set aside to dry under a weight with a board pushed against the cord. Pamphlet with three holes. First and last hole no less than 5mm from top and bottom edge of pamphlet. When pulling the thread tight, be sure to pull the thread parallel to the folded edge and in the direction you are sewing. Pulling at a right angle will tear the hole.
Cut linen thread two and a half times the height of the pamphlet. Open to center of pamphlet. Begin sewing at the center hole. Start from the inside out, leaving an end of thread 40mm long. Proceed on the outside to the next hole, situated either at the top or bottom end of the pamphlet. Enter hole from the outside to the inside. Proceed to the hole situated at the other end by skipping the center sewing station with the loose end of thread. This time the thread is led from the inside out. Return and proceed to the next hole. This is the center hole. Bring the thread from the outside to the inside. This positions both ends of thread on the inside of the pamphlet. Make sure both ends are not on the same side of the thread. Tie a square knot over the thread. Fix it with a dab of paste. Pamphlet with more than three holes.
First and last hole no less than 5mm from top and bottom edge of pamphlet. The holes are spaced evenly between the two most outer sewing stations. Spacing from between 20mm to 40mm, depending on height and weight of pamphlet. Holes are punched with an awl through the center of the fold. Sewing starts in the center hole with an uneven number of holes, at an off center hole, with an even number of holes. Proceed from one hole to the next alternating between inside and outside of pamphlet. From the hole closest to the top or bottom of pamphlet return toward center continuing to alternate from one hole to the next between outside and inside. Always skip the sewing station with the loose end of thread where the sewing began. This way both ends of thread will be positioned at the same sewing station pointing the same direction when the sewing is completed. Make sure both ends are not on the same side of the thread. Tie a square knot over the thread. Fix it with a dab of paste. Oriental Style or Stab Sewing
A stack of individual sheets. Sewing through the text block. Sewing pattern is the same as for a pamphlet with more than three holes. Sewing starts in the center hole with an uneven number of holes, at an off center hole, with an even number of holes. In general, I use three spine linings, to prepare the mended text block for casing in. Because of its light weight and simultaneous strength, Kizukishi supports the text block without impeding openability. This seems to be appropriate for the majority of books with hollow spines, form the 18th through 20th centuries. If the shoulders are weak, a strip of Kizukishi is adhered to it for support. The strip is wide enough to extend from the base of the shoulder onto the spine by 2mm. 1st lining Kizukishi Length of text block, width of text block plus 20mm. The extra width will act as flange, to be pasted against an added endpaper, original or new. The first lining is centered on the pasted spine, adhered with a soft brush, then stippled.
2nd lining Linen or Muslin Muslin is used for lightweight, small to medium sized books. Linen is used for heavyweight medium to tall sized, thick books. Length to fit between stuck on endbands Width to extend beyond the edges of the spine by one inch. These hinges will be attached to the boards of the case. Generally they are applied underneath the lifted pastedown. 3rd lining Kizukishi Length of spine, wide enough to cover spine and hug shoulders.
Open staple by guiding steel spatula or flat kitchen knife under the open ends and lift them to a 90 degree angle. Turn the pamphlet over and remove staple. When manipulating the spatula, it may be helpful to place a piece of bristol board against the staple, to protect the original paper from damage. The rust spots are not treated
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CREDITS
Comments, Questions, Suggestions Please send feedback to aurandg@wsu.edu. Eventually feedback will find its way into a note in digest form which will be posted here and to the Mailing Lists of Conservation OnLine and the Book Arts List.
http://www.paper2book4you.com (Gudrun's new website) How to sites: http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/ http://www.philobiblon.com/bkrepair/BookRepair.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/preserve/materials.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/preserve/procedures.html Resources for Conservation Professionals: LAST UPDATED March 29, 2006 |
Terms, Particulars, Treatment Examples: Updated Annually
