Took me 3 weekends to fix a crooked spine on a 1890s hymnal

I was restoring this old hymnal from a church in Dayton and the spine was warped so bad it wouldn't close flat. I tried humidifying it slowly but ended up having to fully re-back the thing twice before it sat right. Anyone else ever spend way more time on one issue than you figured on a restore job?

3 comments

3 Comments

cole_baker1mo ago

Patience is key with old leatherbacks, they fight you every step.

kim.jake1mo ago

My grandpa had a 1972 F-100 that taught me the meaning of patience. I spent an entire Saturday just trying to get one bolt off the timing cover. Ended up using a torch, a breaker bar, and a lot of cuss words. After about six hours, I got it. Then realized I forgot to drain the coolant first. Made a mess all over the driveway. Old trucks just like old people, they don't move fast and they hold a grudge.

rowan_thomas841mo ago

My record is 14 hours on a 1920s desk clock, ended up rewinding the mainspring three times before I realized the pivot hole was worn oval. It's funny how these old things teach you that fighting harder usually makes it worse, you gotta step back and see the real problem. I think that's true with a lot of stuff in life, not just fixing old junk.