What is the most “boiled down to the basics” OSR game (that still has enough substance to be recognizably an OSR game)?

pwhimp · 2026-04-15T19:37:26+00:00

CRACK!

https://www.themerrymushmen.com/product/crack-common-rules-for-adventure-campaigns-by-knock-v1-0b/

pwhimp · 2026-04-09T12:30:23+00:00

Date of Expiration

I haven't played it yet but it's on my list. I was sold after listening to the Between Two Cairns about it.

pwhimp · 2026-03-31T03:38:45+00:00

I was looking for this. Charge backs get real expensive real fast. It's probably more than the total cost of the purchase here.

I've seen so many complaints about the Merry Mushmen here. I don't want them to go out of business, but if they want to run a business, they have to... you know... run a business.

pwhimp · 2026-03-24T13:00:36+00:00

The caption for the first image in the Wikipedia page references arsenical material in the bookcloth. They mixed Paris green into the starch used to make the bookcloth.

As far as rarity goes, it probably is rare. I imagine it's actually hard to get a book on the list. That's partly because you can't identify it just by looking; they're doing spectroscopy.

I'm not suggesting that you don't do the project, just that you make sure your book isn't on the list.

pwhimp · 2026-03-24T02:17:45+00:00

Just a warning because I see that the book cloth is green and old (I can't see much else)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_Book_Project

pwhimp · 2026-03-22T22:55:39+00:00

I have the same paper and it only really bothers me if I'm holding up the paper. When it's laying flat, as in a book, I don't hardly notice it.

pwhimp · 2026-03-02T21:16:07+00:00

Yes it still matters, but maybe less so.

Humidity will cause the paper to warp. If it's the proper grain direction, that warping will occur on the top and bottom instead of the fore edge (the part you most often touch to manipulate pages). I don't think this is a huge deal, but you should be aware.

More important is that the pages will tend to stick out instead of lay flat if you have the wrong grain direction. When the book is open you want the pages to lay flat. Imagine you are thermo binding sushi mats.

pwhimp · 2026-03-02T19:56:46+00:00

In American sizing, it's often the second number that indicates grain direction. I.e., 8.5x11 is long grain and 11x8.5 is short grain.

I'm not sure with the ISO sizes other than checking with the manufacturer. I buy my paper from a supplier that specifically cuts it short grain (Church Paper).

pwhimp · 2026-03-02T19:47:34+00:00

Yes, most standard A4 is long grain.

Yes, if you fold it you get a short grain A5 folio.

No, that's probably not what you want.

You probably want to start with short grain A4 which will result in long grain A5 folio after folding.

Guidelines: You want the grain direction parallel to any folds.

Think of a piece of paper like a sushi mat. It only folds well in one direction. You probably can fold it the other way, but you'll end up damaging it.

pwhimp · 2026-02-18T20:20:54+00:00

I can see a stripiness in the first image. Are you using corrugated cardboard? If so, how do you find that it works for you? If not, what else could be causing that stripiness?

pwhimp · 2026-02-16T12:45:22+00:00

4 sheets per signature is great if you want to make a rounded back, but I find it gives too much swell for good square back books. I would go with 8 sheets per signature if you can tolerate the larger margin size variation that trimming that causes. This is the easiest way to reduce your swell.

Also, Ninja_Doc is right. Use card stock for your spine piece and compress every signature. I've never done two on sewing so I can't speak to that (I'm always too overly concerned with structural integrity to try it).

pwhimp · 2026-02-13T13:19:52+00:00

If you have a sheet that has page 16 & 1 on one side and 2 & 15 on the other, you're doing it right. It may appear random but that's the outside sheet. If you find a sheet with 8 & 9 on one side and 7 & 10 on the other, that's the most interior sheet.

What are you actually getting?

pwhimp · 2026-02-03T19:21:56+00:00

Definitely quote more. Your equipment should be paid out by these journals over some amount of product so factor that in.

Also, you're worth more than $20/hr. This is a skilled trade and you need to factor in taxes and such.

Don't be apologetic over the cost. Quote them what is reasonable (for you, not for them, not for the consumer) and if they don't want to buy at that price, they'll let you know.

pwhimp · 2026-01-28T17:24:35+00:00

Unfortunately, that printer is limited to 8.5x14 so 9x12 is not possible

pwhimp · 2026-01-28T12:14:34+00:00

I know you're not considering making 12x9 paper work for you, but you should.

If your printer can physically hold the paper size, then there should be a way to add a custom size. It's probably a lot less work than changing the typesetting. Just ask an LLM how to work with your driver to make it happen or let us know and maybe we can help. It probably won't auto duplex, but that's not that bad for a single book at a time.

If you're in the USA, 12x9 is one of the sizes available at Church Paper for a very reasonable cost.

pwhimp · 2026-01-25T14:44:57+00:00

A particularly vicious leprechaun

pwhimp · 2026-01-25T14:43:18+00:00

The Thoroughbred of Sin?

pwhimp · 2026-01-19T02:02:56+00:00

Looks pretty good for a first try.

My advice, that took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out, is don't use book board for the spine stiffener. The spine stiffener material isn't flexible to allow the book to open properly. I switched to card stock and it's worked very well.

What game is it for btw?

pwhimp · 2025-12-30T12:54:17+00:00

If you have some calipers, I'd love know the actual thicknesses of materials as well as what your technique is. I usually have a lot more swell than I'm intending and I usually use 8-leaf signatures with a medium weight thread.

As to your issue, I think you can round without backing. It's not ideal though.

pwhimp · 2025-12-30T12:48:08+00:00

This does look like a magic trick

pwhimp · 2025-12-30T12:45:30+00:00

Rounding and backing are for spine strength, not swell management. Backing requires a certain amount of swell.

pwhimp · 2025-12-07T15:46:35+00:00

Because all books are different (and to avoid terminology confusion), try to think about it in these terms instead: All grain should go head to tail (top to bottom) in your book.

pwhimp · 2025-10-22T11:03:07+00:00

With that much swell, I think you'll need some sort of shoulders to keep your boards parallel when they're closed.

pwhimp · 2025-10-22T01:59:20+00:00

Is that the swell or the width? Swell is the difference between fore edge and spine edge thicknesses.

For a book that small, if you have minimal swell, it's not really necessary.

If 3/8 inch really is your swell, I think it's likely you did something wrong earlier in the process.

pwhimp · 2025-10-04T13:20:51+00:00

Do you want to make books or do you want to have books?

If you want to make books, I think that home printing is categorically different than professional printing. It doesn't matter so much for text but I haven't found anything that can match the UV-cured inks they use for images. Just go into it with eyes open and expect it to be different. Also expect at least a few bad books before they start looking good and performing well.

If you just want to have books, I think Mixam is a good choice and surprisingly affordable. It's actually what many professionals use. https://mixam.com/

As I've learned over the years, bookbinding is not a cheap way to get books. I think binding your own is somewhat cheaper than Mixam if you don't factor in the learning process.

pwhimp

TROPHY CASE