Workbench notes

Short, unhurried observations from the bench. No schedule, no newsletter.

Why grain direction matters

Paper has a grain, set by the way fibres line up as the sheet is made. Folded along the grain, a page turns easily and lies flat. Folded against it, the page fights back and cracks at the fold. Before cutting a single sheet we tear a corner and check which way it rips cleanly. It takes ten seconds and saves a book.

Wheat starch paste

We cook paste in a small pan each morning: starch, water, patience, and a wooden spoon. It is slow, but it stays reversible, so a future conservator can lift what we have done with a little moisture. Fresh paste is smoother than anything from a tube, and it smells faintly of porridge.

Looking after old books

• Store them upright, not too tightly packed, away from radiators and direct sun.
• Avoid sticky tape; it yellows and leaves stains that are very hard to remove.
• Keep a loose cover and any fragments in the same envelope as the book.
• If something smells of mould, isolate it and ask before wiping.

The seasons of a bindery

Autumn brings guest books and wedding albums for next summer. December is pure gift work. January is repairs, because people finally open the boxes they were given over the holidays. Midsummer is quiet, and the bench gets cleaned, the knives sharpened, the leather oiled.