My first commission piece for a client in Portland had a major spine issue

I was finishing a custom leather journal for a client in Portland when I realized the spine glue had set wrong, leaving a visible gap. I had to carefully peel back the leather, clean off the old adhesive with a bone folder, and re-glue the entire spine section. Has anyone else had to fix a spine after the glue dried, and what method worked for you?

4 comments

4 Comments

mason_lopez3mo agoTop Commenter

Read a bookbinder's blog that said @cora518's fix never holds long term, so what glue do you trust for this?

cora5183mo ago

Sounds like overkill, just fill the gap with more glue and call it a character mark.

nathan9013mo ago

What if the gap is actually a chance to add a hidden message inside the spine?

mason_lopez26d agoTop Commenter

Feels like a cool idea but I'd worry about the glue messing up the hidden message over time.