Design Binding Commission - Week 3: Testing Board Structures
This week’s progress in the Design binding for the book “Singapore through 19th Century Photographs” is all about board structures. As my design idea involves a rather weighty front cover, I needed to make sure that my hinge is able to take the weight.
I am still working on the maquette and it is still very much as bare as it can be. The leather that I am using is just some small scrap pieces and will not be the same type and colour of the actual binding. Well, this maquette is all about structure, if it works, then the design comes in.
Even though this is a maquette, I cannot resist the temptation of making endbands. This was sewn using a silk thread that was toned in brown gradient colours and it turned out really beautiful. I need to make a note to buy all the colours they have available at the shop.
I was contemplating ideas on how I should hinge the boards when I came across a post on Pianel® by Benjamin Elbel. He will be teaching this method in his studio, next year, in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I am too far away and funds are a little short to go for such a wonderful masterclass. More information can be found here.
So I asked Benjamin if I could have his permission to try this method and discover it on my own, by trying to figure out how a leather and brass rod piano hinge might work and look. He was really kind to allow me to do so. Initially, I laced in my base boards very tightly like how it would be if the book would have been covered in leather, but it turned out too tight and therefore I had to loosen the boards. It needed almost 3.5mm allowance from the spine. Then I tried to attach the hinged boards to the board that is laced to the textblock. The book would not open. It will only open to about 90º and the board remained standing upright. This will not work as my heavy front cover might force the hinge to open fully and the stress might eventually cause material fatigue and fail.
I then took out the hinge and attached it directly on the boards that are laced to the textblock. But adjusting the tension on the lace-in tapes, I managed to get a sweet spot where the boards will open to a full 180º with some allowance.
So the boards are now attached, notes have been written, about where covering should be done before attaching the lace-in and the outer board. Next step, the structural support frame that will hold the glass and the ornate frame.