Supplies &c.

Column Editor: Robert Espinosa

For Sale By Owner

Kwikprint gold stamper (no model no. given), Pratt Bookbinding Unit (double handle vise-press), hand typeholder, 3 sets small brass type, sewing frame and backing hammer. All reasonable offers considered, plus shipping. Contact Joseph Follmar, 1032 Caledonia St., La Crosse, WI 54603.

Suppliers

A new source for Japanese papers direct from Japan is Paper Nao, whose papers were included in a study by Sue Murphy and Siegfried Rempel presented at the recent AIC conference in Washington. Paper Nao will supply a list of types and prices of paper available, as well as detailed specifications on each type of sheet including cold extraction pH, handmade vs. machine-made, cooking method, drying method, and fiber type by writing Paper Mao, 1-29-12-201 Sengoka Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112 Japan.
Another source for parchments and vellums, offered for manuscripts, binding and restoration work is Benyon Ltd., Morrison Yard, 551A High Road N. 17, Tottenham, London.
Japanese papers impregnated with wheat paste and a fungicide to be activated by brushing with water for mending and the hinging of works of art on paper under the trade-marks INSTA-MEND and INSTA-HINGE are being marketed by Archival Products L.A., 12021 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 23, Los Angeles, CA, (213) 826-5250.
Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead announces price decreases on all their bookbinding leathers, including Chieftain goatskins, Aniline bookcalfs, and Alum-tawed pigskins and goatskins, due to the low value of the English pound sterling. The Hewit Alum-tawed pigskin is available in white, cream, and can be special ordered in a deep cream similar to the aged color. In addition they are now stocking an acid-free and buffered phase box board in 58 pt thickness, in sizes 30 x 40, 33 x 58, and 58 x 66. Contact your local distributor or A/N/W, 31-10 48th Avenue, Long Island City, MY 11101, (212) 937-7100.
Huckleberry Finn, a mail-order business supplying dental tools to craftspeople, sells brand-new tools, as well as like-new but discontinued items, factory rejects, and special, made-to-order tools. The 10-year-old firm obtains tools in quantity from manufacturers' overstocks and quality-control rejects, which they say often "look and handle just like the perfect tools," but usually cost less than one-third of the tool's original price to the dental profession. For more information, write Huckleberry Finn, PO Box 305, Cold Hill, OR.
Rio Grande Albuquerque, a jewelry supply house, offers many high quality tools useful to bookbinders and conservators. They have been an especially useful source to the column editor for such items as pliers, snips, pin vises, precision tweezers; miniature burrs, buff wheels, and abrasive points for flexible shaft or high speed hand tools; buffing compounds; and all manner of files and other tools useful for clasp-making. Two favorite items are their spring-loaded palm grip pliers, made in Japan in a variety of nose shapes, used as forceps while sewing through heavy materials, and their Glasgow brushes, a stiff, short natural bristle brush used to bring up the grain of the leather after covering. Contact Rio Grande Albuquerque, 6901 Washington N.E., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109, (800) 545-6566, for catalogue and price list.

Recommendations

The day of the brush for the application of paste and PVA may be coming to a close. Gary McLerran, who works with Craig Jensen in his new business in Austin, Texas, has introduced us to the use of the paint pad, sometimes called an edge trimmer, for the application of adhesive. It is nothing short of revolutionary for the fast, even application of a coat of adhesive on paper, cloth, board, etc. It is especially useful when large areas need to be coated quickly, particularly with the faster drying PVAs. The pads come in a variety of sizes from about 9" x 5" to 1" x 1", and one will quickly develop one s own preferred size for any particular job. They are made of a fine napped synthetic bristly layer about 1/8" thick embedded in a thin sponge layer about 1/4" thick. The thinner the sponge the better, as thicker sponges tend to hold too much adhesive. They are available in almost every paint and brush section of your favorite hardware store, made by a variety of manufacturers, with replaceable pads or in the throw-away variety. They wash up easily, seem to last well if well cleaned, and are quite reasonable, anywhere from $1 to about $7, with the pads in the $2 to $3 range. They not only result in greater working speed and efficiency, but they contribute enormously to those delicate jobs where the fast positioning of two materials to be bonded is crucial to the effectiveness of the operation, e.g. avoiding rapid expansion and cockling of the material.
Mindy Dubansky informs us of a source for leather paring. She writes, "Mr. Castrogiovanni's business hasn't been tapped by binders yet. He pares all leather in long strips but only 10" wide... For leather hinges, labels, and onlays. People can send or take him leather and specify how thin they want it pared. He does edge paring also... and you get both sides of the skin back, hair and suede side, nothing wasted." Contact Mr. Pat Castrogiovanni, Acme Leather Trimmings, Inc., 245 W. 29th St., New York, MY 10001, (212) 947-4360.
As a result of the announcement about the all-linen book-cloth from Islandreagh Dyeing and Finishing Co. In the Dec. '84 AN, the column editor has received only two letters indicating interest in a group order. The March '85 issue of Designer Bookbinders Newsletter indicated Paul Collet, 36 Marlborough Road, London M19 4NB, is trying to organize a similar group to make up the minimum order of 1000 meters. He says people must be willing to take at least 20 meters. Perhaps those interested in this country could become a part of that order, and should write to him to pursue this option.

Equipment

A couple of articles in Fine Woodworking Techniques 2, Newtown, CT: Taunton Press, 1980, which is a selection of articles from Fine Woodworking magazine, may be of particular interest to bookbinders. A very inexpensive dust collection system is described in detail in "Dust Collection System" by Doyle Johnson, pp. 22-24, using an industrial collector or vacuum and PVC pipe. An article on wooden screws and clamps in the same issue, "Wooden Clamps" by Richard Showalter, pp. 42-49, gives detailed information about their construction.

Note From the Column Editor

I am interested in compiling a list of those firms who will manufacture custom fit book boxes from measurements supplied by the client, including phase-type boxes/wrappers and clam-shell boxes. It would also be useful to know the type of materials used in their manufacture. If you can supply such boxes please contact the column editor (6339 HBLL, Brigham Young Univ. Library, Provo, UT 84602, 801/378-7654).

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