I finally figured out why my book spines were cracking after 8 years of binding

Last month I was trimming a text block and noticed tiny cracks along the hinge of a book I finished in 2016. I always thought I was using enough glue, but the issue was my spine lining material was too thin. A fellow binder at a workshop in Portland pointed out I needed a heavier weight mull, around 10 ounces, and proper rounding before backing. After testing her advice on three practice books, the difference was night and day. Has anyone else dealt with spine cracks and found a specific brand or weight of lining they trust?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.henry10d ago

A buddy of mine in my book club had the exact same problem last year. He was about to give up on binding after his fourth book showed hinge cracks near the spine. He went to a different binder in Chicago who told him it was all about the flannel lining, not just the mull. He switched to a heavy 12 ounce Irish linen and started rounding his books way more before backing. Now his spines look clean and solid, no cracks at all even on his older books from 2019. I think that kind of heavier lining material makes all the difference for long term durability.

holly_henderson8610d ago

Oh man, @west.henry, that sounds just like the nightmare I went through last year with my own projects. Did you ever feel like you were doing everything right and still getting those ugly cracks? I had the same exact issue with a set of journals I made - the hinges just gave up after a few months. That tip about the Irish linen is solid though, I've heard good things about that weight making a real difference. It's honestly kind of crazy how one little material swap can save your whole project from falling apart.