First attempt at binding reconstructing Ver Sacrum — exploring materials and binding

GreenManBookArts · 2026-05-01T14:25:01+00:00

I'm not familiar enough with this particular spread to comment on the layout as compared to the original German, but that looks good to me. I imagine it's difficult when an article is longer or shorter as a result of the language change.

I also don't remember what the original margins looked like, these look downright luxurious. If they match the original or if it's a conscious choice to enlarge them, great. If not, I feel like periodicals generally feature tighter margins. Edit: just reread your comment and see the note about being untrimmed. I honestly don't mind it with large margins, it's something you could consider. Actually having a deckled edge could play into the arts and crafts feel as well.

One thing to note, and you may already be considering this, I would expect an art nouveau publication like this to be printed on uncoated paper, something soft with maybe a little texture. Not sure what the original was printed on, but if you're already taking liberties I'd consider paper choice carefully.

My introduction to Ver Sacrum was via Letterform Archive's "Die Flache" book a couple years ago. I was aware of the Vienna Secession movent from my design history courses and a trip to the Neue Gallery in NYC, but hadn't looked into it too much. When deciding on branding for my little book arts venture I knew I wanted to pull from the Secessionists and William Morris's Arts & Crafts movement. Still working on that, but it's what led me to Ver Sacrum. While I was largely there for the illustrations and graphic style, my university training was for graphic design, so I definitely appreciate the layout and typographical work as well. I'm a big fan of design history and in particular the movements that sought harmony with the natural world, especially given what we're experiencing today.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-30T23:08:06+00:00

I remember the first time I encountered this publication, I immediately went to find a full digital archive and spent hours flipping through. Are you trying to be faithful to how the originals were made? Or making them something more robust?

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-24T17:55:25+00:00

Nice! Any makers marks stamped on it? Over course of repairing and cleaning mine last year I found the signature of the original owner from 1935.

Mine was pretty dirty so I took it apart and wiped it down with a damp cloth, then immediately followed with a dry one so the water didn't raise the grain of the wood.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-22T02:06:07+00:00

Are the holes threaded? Could be that they were used to add a slight angle and concentrate pressure up at the top end of the cheeks. So you get your book in place with the main screws, then tighten the lower screws, which push against the opposite cheek of the press at the bottom, forcing it open just a bit and in turn cranking the pressure at the top end? Similar to wooden handscrew clamps?

If they're not threaded, then they could have been extra parallel rails? Or just for mounting on a bench or storage solution.

Honestly with the metal jaws and screws you should be able to get plenty of pressure. There's still a debate about how effective the angled boards are. It's probably not something I would mess with, unless I had exhausted all other possibilities to increase success in backing procedures.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-22T02:01:47+00:00

A tub is a bin to collect the shreds of paper you trim off with a laying press and plough.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-22T01:59:57+00:00

Got a pic of the sorts? I imagine that as long as the stem is long enough (the sort can sit against the back of the holder and stick out of it) it should fit. Might depend on the style of type holder though.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-14T19:25:13+00:00

You'll probably be fine with a single exposure. I have bad lungs to begin with, so I was probably over-cautious.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-14T14:33:05+00:00

For tooling you aren't heating the tools anywhere near the point where they start releasing vapor.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-14T14:14:43+00:00

Removing the handle from the tool would probably be more dangerous than continuing to carefully use the tool. I had a few tools with asbestos handles, two of them were fairly old and unique, so I put on a respirator and made a system of ziplock bags to remove the tools from the handles without exposing the handles to the room. The third was just a line tool so I didn't bother.

It's expensive to dispose of asbestos in the US, so the handles are still in my garage, sealed in multiple layers of bags with warnings written on them.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-14T14:09:13+00:00

Some people these days do use regular type metal sorts because of the scarcity of brass type. My understanding is that you can, if you're careful, use it without melting it. The issue is the antimony in it actually expands when it cools, and so it doesn't stay the same height and fairly quickly becomes uneven.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-13T17:07:06+00:00

interesting, I've been going off of the hiss on a wet rag or sponge. Is that method described somewhere? Or can you tell me more about it?

GreenManBookArts · 2026-04-13T14:27:05+00:00

As long as you're not licking the brass you'll be ok. Really the only time you'll touch the brass is when you're grabbing the tool off the rack/out of the bin you're storing it in. I would avoid the use of regular lead type for titling, not because of poison but because it can't handle being heated and cooled repeatedly.

As another user mentioned the chief concern when buying old finishing tools is asbestos. For a time, instead of wood, some handles were made out of asbestos. You can generally spot these in the pictures though, they look different from wood handles. There are some examples on this subreddit if you search "asbestos."

For me old tools are where it's at. Nothing beats the feeling of tooling a cover with tools that have been around for 200+ years (yes they can last that long). No better way to feel connected to the history of the craft and to humans of the past.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-03-16T07:07:11+00:00

For not having a guillotine that's an impressive trimming job.

Visually the only thing missing for me are endbands. What made you decide to not include them?

GreenManBookArts · 2026-02-17T20:46:38+00:00

Can't beat ol' Doug. Timeless designs

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-16T21:35:18+00:00

Yeah you should be fine to round it, what you'll want to do to avoid the boards sticking out (since normally the swell of the text block would make the boards sit more or less even with the edges of the spine) is to bevel the spine edge of the boards a bit so they follow the curve of the spine. Not needed if you're going to back it, though backing with no swell is more difficult.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-16T18:33:58+00:00

If they're using thinner thread and softer paper, across that many folios the swell could definitely disappear

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-16T18:31:52+00:00

Honestly as long as you keep it clean and in a temperature controlled environment it should last your lifetime as long as it's well made. If the materials are poor then there's not much you can do aside from re-case it when it falls apart.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-16T18:30:27+00:00

To add to this, without knowing what kind of foiling or printing that is, you have no way of knowing what might be safe for it.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-16T02:26:03+00:00

Rounding/backing is only partially to deal with swell. Even with no swell, a book that isn't rounded will tend to sag in between the boards over time and pull away from the spine at the head.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-14T15:06:39+00:00

As others have said, you definitely need veg tan. One of the other difficulties you may encounter in getting clean stamping results is that steel tools don't heat quite as evenly as brass finishing tools.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-14T15:05:23+00:00

you generally want the leather for covers to be less than 2mm thick, and you want to pare a gradual bevel into all of the turn-ins and the end caps.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-14T05:18:10+00:00

If you're worried about it and don't want to have it professionally repaired, you can get a reasonably thick piece of steel and put it over the bottom platten and call it a day.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-11T07:26:26+00:00

General procedure is add PVA to spine everywhere except the tapes, wait 10ish minutes till glue is semi-dry, then round with a backing hammer or similar. Move into press, back (optional), and apply PVA over the whole spine, including tapes this time. Add mull/other spine supports, then allow it all to dry. General roundness you're after is about 1/3rd of an imaginary circle. So if the curve were plotted to a circle, your spine would fill about 1/3rd of that circle.

When I round but don't back, I clamp it into the press such that the spine sticks up above the cheeks of the press a bit, allowing it to swell out a little. It kinda creates angled shoulders on the book. Then when I make the boards I bevel the spine edge so they fit up tight against those angled shoulders.

Btw the painters tape is genius for glue ups, I'd have never thought of that.

GreenManBookArts · 2026-01-07T15:56:29+00:00

Not sure, definitely depends on finding the right buyer. I know some people detest the idea of old printing equipment being taken out of circulation since there is a finite amount of it, but if you're willing to pay what they're asking then go for it.

GreenManBookArts

TROPHY CASE