CREATE YOUR OWN BOOKS FOR FUN AND PROFIT!
HERE'S HOW YOU DO IT!

Part 2: Gluing Your Book:

9. After your book is printed, cut the pages apart and stack them neatly in the proper order. Tap the edges of the of the pages on a smooth surface so your stack of pages is square and straight. The neater your book block, the more professional your book.

10. Grasp you book block tightly, keeping it neatly aligned, slide it into your binding board, and clamp it tightly, leaving about two inches of the spine sticking out.  The part sticking out will be glued, so make sure it is the spine side of the block. (It is easy to get it wrong - We've done it.)

11. You are now ready to glue the pages into a book block. There are many glues that will work, but we can't recommend epoxy based adhesives or woodworkers glues. It is generally desirable to use a glue that is flexible when dry. You can use Weldwood contact cement. It dries fast but can be messy, difficult to clean up and has nasty fumes. You can use Aleene's Tacky Glue. It is a craft glue that dries slowly. It is non-toxic and cleans up with water.  We recommend polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue designed for bookbinding.

12. After you have clamped the pages in the binding board, fan the pages at the spine by bending them over with your hand. Apply a good coating of glue to the spine, but don't go to the ends of the spine. Leave about a quarter inch at each end so glue doesn't squeeze out.. Then bend the pages  in the opposite direction and apply another coat of glue. This method is called, "fan gluing" and the purpose is to apply a bit of glue to a thin strip on the side of each page at the spine.

13. Cover the spine with a piece of wax paper and fold it down about an inch on each side of the spine. The wax paper is used to keep the glue from messing up the boards. Hold it all solidly, loosen the clamping bar, slide the book block against the stop block, and retighten the clamping bar.  Check everything carefully to make sure the book block is still straight and square; this is your last chance to straighten it. You can generally straighten things by loosening the clamping bar slightly and pressing against the spine.

14. After the glue begins to dry, you can carefully remove the book block from the binding board. Set it aside and press it with a weighted piece of plywood, a stack of books or something similar. Don't remove the book block or attempt to open it until the glue is completely dry; about 24 hours for pva glues.