How to Repair and Replace a Page Torn From a Hardcover Book
For those who love and collect books, caring for them is much like caring for a member of the family. When a much treasured book is damaged it is a difficult decision to part it.Repairing damage done to books can often restore them to a pre-damage state and if done carefully can return the book to useful and active service in your library. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2 sheets of onion skin bond paper 8 x 11
- 2 sheets of waxed paper 8 x 11
- Craft knife
- Scissors
- White paper glue
- Putty knife
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Instructions
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Prepare Spine Insert
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1
Using onion skin bond paper cut a 1/2-inch wide strip exactly equal to the length of the page being replaced and fold in half in the length direction.
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2
Cut a wax paper spine strip equal in size to the strip made in Step 1. Do not fold.
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3
Open book to page at which the torn page is to be re-inserted and place the wax paper strip flat against the page and tucked into the open spine of the book.
Prepare Book for Page Insertion
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4
With the book open to the page-insertion point use a small brush to apply a light coat of white glue to the page opposite the insert of wax paper.Brush on a glue in a 1/4-inch band at the spine opening of the book. Use the wax paper as a glue shield to prevent glue from being deposited on opposite page.
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5
Position spine insert (cut in step 1 of section 1) into the spine with one of the 1/4-inch sides of the fold against the 1/4-inch glue strip being very careful to align the spine insert with both the top and bottom of the pages in the book.Use a thin-bladed putty knife to push and tuck the spine insert deep into the book spine.
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6
Position page to be inserted on a scrap piece of paper so that 2 inches of scrap paper protrude beneath the page. Place sheet of wax paper on top of the page to be inserted leaving a 1/4-inch strip exposed from the top to the bottom of the page. This exposed 1/4-inch section will be that part of the page next to the spine. Using brush, apply white glue to the exposed 1/4-inch band from top to bottom.
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7
Position the page to be inserted into the spine insert with the 1/4-inch glue strip facing the spine insert 1/4-inch flap.Take care in aligning the page to the top and bottom and the side of pages in the book.
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8
Once the page is inserted and completely aligned, fold the spine insert 1/4-inch flap over the page and smooth out the overlap using putty knife from top to bottom of the page.
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9
Wipe any excess glue from page and spine insert with clean towel.Allow glue to dry overnight.
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Tips & Warnings
Take special care to align both the spine insert and the inserted page with the top and bottom of other pages in the book. The inserted page must also be aligned with other page edges in the book before final glue contact with the spine insert.
Take time to ensure the page to be inserted is properly faced before applying 1/4-inch glue strip and before placing in spine insert to avoid possibility of page being out of sequence. The 1/4-inch glue strip must be applied 1/4 inch from the edge of the spine side of the page and is always applied onto the page face with the lower page number.
