Rebinding a large book in sections

Melina Avery <melina-avery [at] northwestern__edu> writes

>... The volume is 68 x 51 x 4 cm in
>size and very heavy. The pages are stab-sewn in five sections of
>about six sheets each. The paper is strong and heavy, and each
>section is intact. The sewing holding the sections to one another
>and the adhesive between the textblock and spine lining has failed,
>and the sections were fully or partially detached from one another
>and from the cover when I started the project.
>
>The curators and I want the book rebound and functional, and we want
>to retain as much of the original structure as possible. I have
>removed the textblock sections from the case and detached them from
>one another, but I will not disbind each section. I hope to rebind
>the book in its existing stab-sewn sections, either utilizing the
>existing sewing holes or lacing through the remaining intact sewing.

What puzzles me about your inquiry is that you state you want the
book "rebound" functionally.  For me functionally means that the
openability and strength would be some of the primary criteria.
Taking this into account, since the original binding is not to be
preserved as per original, why the requirement that the original
stab sewing be retained? Stab sewing is a very poor way to bind a
book, especially because of the strain it puts on the wrong part of
the gutter edge of the leaves, while also keeping the leaves from
being able to open to the spine fold.

As for books I've done like this, I would suggest the leaves to be
completely disbound and to guard them into bifolia and normal
sections. That way they can be sewn through the fold and you have
the additional option of having it bound any way you wish--leather
cloth, paper etc.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:37
                 Distributed: Sunday, February 6, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-37-004
                                  ***