How to Fix Antique Bibles
Whether your antique Bible is a family heirloom, a treasured keepsake or a valuable antique, repair to the pages, cover and binding will likely be inevitable. An antique book such as a Bible may need extensive work on tears and cracks or it might simply need a good cleaning. For severe damage or for an extremely valuable antique, enlisting a professional is advisable. If the damage is minor, you can use a variety of techniques and products to freshen up the look of the Bible.
Things You'll Need
- Large, soft eraser
- Ammonia
- Glass cleaner
- Non-dyed cotton cloth
- Eco-Flo Leather Weld
- Document repair tape
- Oil-free leather conditioner
Instructions
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Rub a large, soft eraser across the book cover or jacket to clean it, as suggested by the Leonard's Books website.
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2
Apply a mixture of ammonia and glass cleaner to a non-dyed cotton cloth. Only apply enough to barely wet the cloth. Rub the cloth over the cover of the book to remove mildew.
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3
Apply Eco-Flo Leather Weld, an adhesive, to the book binding or hinge to repair any cracks or splits, following the instructions on the packaging. This can be used to reapply loose pages as well.
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4
Peel away the backing from the document repair tape and carefully apply the sticky side to cover tears in pages or in the book's dust jacket. Once it is applied it cannot be removed with further damaging the page, so be sure you set it down exactly where you want it to stick on the first try.
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5
Apply an oil-free leather conditioner, such as Lexoll, to the cover of the book, following the instructions on the packaging. The website of Leonard's Books recommends conditioning an antique leather book twice a year.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
