Making A Medieval Book By Hand - Part 3 - Wooden Boards, Carving & Mortising, Attaching the Covers
Hello everyone, and welcome to my bindery!
This is Part 3 of my in-depth video series on making a medieval-style book - for more information see Part 1 here: This series has no speaking and a minimal amount of music for those who want to enjoy the peaceful simplicity of quiet hand-work. For those seeking insights into my materials and techniques, you can turn on subtitles to read my full commentary on the process as you watch! As it turns out, this is almost entirely a woodworking episode, which is not surprising considering that this is a wooden book! However, if you’d rather skip all the woodwork and go right to the assembly of the book you can just jump ahead to 20:41.
One of the key hallmarks of a medieval gothic binding is the material used to make the cover boards: wood. I have chosen red oak for my boards, which is native to my area and, being a very hard, dense wood, it is a close analog to the woods available in medieval Europe. I have selected a piece that has been quarter-sawn, meaning that the grain runs very straight and perpendicular to the thickness, which should make for very stable covers.
I had anticipated that this would be a labour-intensive part of the project, but it exceeded even my expectations, hence this video is dedicated solely to making the covers. I have cut out A LOT of the process, but I hope I’ve left enough in for those interested to follow along. I begin in the workshop by cutting the initial piece of oak into two boards, which I then plane smooth and trim to final width and length. Then it’s back to the bindery where I round and bevel the boards, leaving space for the final hardware. I mark the attachment points, then mortise the holes and recesses for the thongs and endbands. I cut wedges to hold the thongs in place and use them to attach the boards with glue. Finally I trim the wedges inside and out, and the covers are securely attached.
In the next video I will cut, pare, and apply the leather covering. If you enjoyed the film do consider subscribing so you won’t miss future installments. Thanks for watching!
List of Materials Used in This Episode
Boards: Quarter-sawn Red Oak
Wedges: Red Oak
Glue: Acid-Free PVA
List of Tools
Pencil
Carpenter’s Square
Marking Gauge
Bench Vises (front and tail)
Carpenter’s Rip Saw
Jack Plane
Measuring Tape
Stainless Steel rulers, various sizes
Marking Knife
Backsaw
Shooting Plane & Shooting Board
Block Plane
Chisels (1/8“, 1/4“, 1/2“, 1 1/4“)
Small Carving Gouge
Stanley Knife
Brass Mallet
Hand Drill
Paring Knife
Scissors
Small Saw
Bone Folder (handmade in-house)
Two Bricks
Selected list of Suppliers (Not affiliated)
Woodworking Tools: Lee Valley Tools -
Bookbinding Tools & Materials: George Hill & Co. -
Writing Materials: Wonder Pens -
________
You can now buy me a coffee here:
Or you can drop a tip in my PayPal account:
Four Keys Book Arts marbled papers and handmade books are available for sale in my Etsy shop, with worldwide shipping available:
Follow me on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
All original works of art in this video are copyrighted exclusively by Four Keys Book Arts.
Music Credits:
’Yonder Hill And Dale’ by Aaron Kenny -
’A Song Without A Name’ by Poor Inked Endings - Listen to and support Poor Inked Endings here:
Image Source Bibliography:
’Fig. 21: Mediæval Book-Binding’, from ’Gately’s World’s Progress’, Edited by C. E. Beale. Édition de luxe, Boston : Gately & Co, 1886, p. 283.
’Fig. 8: ’Travail de la Reliure’, from ’Procédés de la gravure (Nouv. éd)’, Lostalot, Alfred de, A Quantin, Paris, 1882. p. 26
#bookbinding #fourkeysbookarts #handmadebooks #medievalbook
22 views
231
52
2 months ago 00:24:06 1
Pink Floyd - Echoes / Live at Pompeii ( full )
2 months ago 02:22:37 1
Tropical Bossa Jazz ~ Best Bossa Nova to Help You Enjoy This Summer ~ April Bossa Nova BGM
2 months ago 00:00:22 1
On May 1st Labor Day, let’s use cartons to make a loom with your children. It’s so fun, and the clo
2 months ago 00:03:18 1
Sub Zero Project - Renaissance Of Rave (Official Video)
2 months ago 00:02:14 1
The ASICS Little Reminders
2 months ago 00:02:59 1
ERSHOV - ТОНЕМ - Премьера Клипа - 2020 12+
2 months ago 00:00:14 1
It’s so much fun to make a moving little hand. Children can play all day with kindergarten handicra
2 months ago 00:10:37 1
Cut in 5 Minutes! Wear in 9 Different Styles! As blouse, dress! Very Easy Wrap Skirt Sewing
2 months ago 00:01:01 1
making a stained glass crow #stainedglass
2 months ago 00:03:19 1
True Damage - GIANTS (ft. Becky G, Keke Palmer, SOYEON, DUCKWRTH, Thutmose) | League of Legends
2 months ago 00:21:34 1
Макияж одним брендом. Обзор косметики Astra Make-up / ЧТО КУПИТЬ?
2 months ago 00:03:26 1
Just Dance 4 - One Direction “What makes you beautiful“
2 months ago 00:54:16 1
Tucker Carlson JUST Revealed The Last And Most TERRIFYING Secret We Are NOT Supposed To Know
2 months ago 00:04:03 1
Myriad Celestia Trailer — “Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World“ | Honkai: Star Rail
2 months ago 00:26:08 1
Putin’s troops gain ground: How will Germany and the West respond? | To The Point
2 months ago 00:04:01 1
Dr Funk - Roadrunner (Drop D) Marcus Miller Inspired
2 months ago 00:38:55 1
Mini Funko pop Amigurumi doll | Body Base Amigurumi
2 months ago 00:00:23 1
Use paper towels to make a moving caterpillar for your children. Parent-child crafts, toddler craft
2 months ago 00:00:16 1
You can make a beautiful awning boat with a small piece of paper, take your children to try it! Kin
2 months ago 00:18:54 1
Ambient Melodic House - Live Looping by Reinhardt Buhr (Spitfire Audio Piano)
2 months ago 00:30:40 1
Betrayed! How German Auto Lost Their Engineering Soul and Lied to Fans, Customers and their Heritage
2 months ago 00:05:41 1
ULTRAVOX - We Stand Alone (1981)
2 months ago 10:26:40 1
Seaside Cafe Ambience - Bossa Nova Music, Smooth Jazz BGM, Ocean Wave Sound for Study & relax
2 months ago 00:00:31 1
Use straws to make a moving caterpillar for children to play in summer vacation. The children are s