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BOOK REPAIRS
These techniques are appropriate for research collections. The goal is to keep books on the shelf as long as possible using methods that do not cause harm. However, rare or
valuable books should not be repaired in-house by these methods. A conservator should be consulted to determine a course of action that will preserve the book's value and historic integrity.
Tipping-in loose pages or plates
"Tipping-in" means putting a thin line of adhesive (a 50-50 mix of PVA and methyl-cellulose) on the edge of a piece of paper and attaching it to a page without other
hinge material. Illustration plates in art books sometimes become detached; they can be reattached by this method. You can also tip-in an occasional loose page in a book. If you find a loose page, check
its conjugate (the other half of the folded sheet.) It may also be loose and need to be tipped in where it belongs. If there are many detached pages, the book should be evaluated to determine whether it
should be replaced, withdrawn or sent to the bindery for full resewing and binding.
Place the item to be tipped-in face down on a piece of waste paper. Put another piece of waste paper on top, 1/8"-1/4"away from the edge to be tipped. Apply
adhesive to the exposed edge, brushing from the center out.
Remove and discard top piece of waste paper, lift item and position in desired location. Rub down through a piece of Remay and
blotter. Remove blotter, leave a strip of Remay if desired. Place strips of wax paper on either side of the page to prevent moisture from spreading. Close book and dry under weight.
If plates are still attached on just one edge and you want to reduce the risk of their being removed, you can tip them in on the other three sides.
Cut a piece of Mylar or card stock a little longer than the item. Apply an even 1/4" line of adhesive on the card or the Mylar as
described above. Slide the card about 1/8" under one of the edges of the plate. Rub it down gently. This will transfer the adhesive from the card or the Mylar to the back of the plate.
Repeat procedure for the other edges. Rub all the edges down gently through a piece of Remay and blotter (or paper towel).
Remove blotter, leave sheet of Remay or wax paper if desired, close book and dry under weight.
There are other ways of attaching loose pages or plates to books, as follows.
Hinging
If the page or the plate to be inserted is thick, it is often better to hinge rather than tip it. This is because thick paper does not bend
easily and would cause undue stress on the "host" page. This is even more likely if the paper is brittle. A thick, tipped-in plate is also more likely to fall off.
If the pages are short-grain, they should always be hinged.
A hinge is a narrow strip of paper attached lengthwise (like a piano hinge) to the page to be added. Choose a Japanese tissue of
suitable weight and color. It should be thicker than that used for repairing tears. A good, all-around choice is Sekishu, which comes in white and natural.
Sometimes the page to be hinged needs to be trimmed a little in order to accomodate the added hinge. It is better to trim the gutter
edge than the fore edge, especially if the edges of the book are gilt or marbled. Determine ahead of time how much needs to be trimmed off the gutter edge so that the hinged page will line up
with the fore edge of the book. However, if the fore edge is very damaged and the book is not a rare book, trim a small amount (say,
1/8") off the leaf at the fore edge. When a leaf has been detached from a book for some time, all the edges are often frayed. If the
book is not a rare one, trim the edges before hinging. The page will then fit better in the book and will be less likely to tear further.
Hinging a leaf
Cut a strip approx. 5/8" wide by a bit longer than the height of the page to be hinged. The grain of the hinge should always be long.
Place the page to be hinged on a sheet of waste paper. Place another piece of waste paper on top, about 1/4" away from the
edge where the hinge will go. Apply adhesive to the exposed area. Remove top waste sheet and move page onto a clean, absorbent surface, such as blotter covered with Remay. Discard used waste
paper. Position the strip of Japanese tissue over the pasted area. Cover with Remay and blotter and rub down with a bone folder. Replace blotter with a dry one and let dry under weight.
When dry, trim both ends of the Japanese paper hinge flush with the page. Fold the loose stub over and rub down with the bone
folder. Put a piece of waste paper under the folded stub and slide wax paper between the waste paper and the page. Apply adhesive to the stub. Discard waste paper but leave the wax paper strip in
place. Position the hinged page where it belongs, aligning it as precisely as possible with the head and tail of the book. Rub down with a bone folder through the wax paper. Add another strip of wax
paper behind the adjacent page to prevent moisture from seeping through.
If the binding is tight, it sometimes helps to slip a piece of bristol or a thin ruler under the hinge flap.
Push the ruler gently to move the page into position in the gutter of the book.
Guarding two leaves
The term "guarding" refers to the joining of two leaves using a narrow strip of paper in order to create a fold line between the leaves. A guard is a type of hinge.
If you place a straight edge on the countertop as a jig (use double-sided adhesive tape to prevent it from moving, or put a
weight on it), it will be easier to align the tops of the leaves accurately by jogging them against the jig.
Position two leaves on a sheet of waste paper. Adjust space between the leaves and align the top of leaves. Place a weight on each leaf.
Tear a strip of Japanese paper approximately 5/8" wide and slightly longer than the leaves. The grain should be long. Place the guard
on a piece of waste paper and apply adhesive. Pick it up with a microspatula and center it on the inner edges of the leaves. Rub down through Remay and blotter. Replace blotter and let dry under
weight. Trim excess at each end when dry.
This two-page section can be tipped directly into the gutter.
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