Why does nobody mention how many spines you wreck learning to round properly?

Overheard a guy at a guild meetup in Portland say he's never cracked a spine in 10 years and I just sat there counting the 7 I've ruined this month alone, so is everyone else magically gifted or am I the only one applying way too much heat before the backing hammer?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkera2224d ago

Wait until you try rounding with a stack of old, dry paper. That's the real spine killer. I've legit seen people tape a credit card to their thumb to try and spread the pressure, which works, but then you're fighting the tape slip. Nobody ever talks about how your left hand position matters more than the hammer. If your fingers are too high on the spine, you're basically snapping it in half before you even start. Also, watch your elbow angle. If you're coming in at a weird tilt, you're torquing the whole bind. It's not about heat, it's about letting the paper relax naturally and not rushing the first few passes.

jamie_white23d ago

There was this old binder at a shop I used to visit who swore by soaking the spine with a damp cloth, not heat, and letting it sit overnight. He said the fibers need the moisture to relax evenly, and any hammer work before that is just asking for cracks. Tried it a few times after that and honestly, my wreck count dropped way down once I stopped rushing the prep.