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RPG Bookbinding


Darkholme

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Since it was a bit of a detail in the I thought I would start a new thread instead on continuing the discussion there.

 

Oh man, just picked it up and this is a nice meaty tome, had to use a 1" comb to bind it. Sheesh, i havent even finished Land of Ice and Stone. I've been waiting for something like this for quite some time and can't wait to read it. (i finally have a place i can have a village based on a left over or stayed-behind Roman cohort).

 

 

post-1690-0-54690300-1415152879.jpg

 

Ah, okay, I thought you were talking about the other sort of book binding, making your own hardcover books and using a paper folder (which I've always wanted to try, but looked tricky, looked like it required a lot of tools, and would require me to have a printer that could do 11x17 pages).

 

I don't think I've ever seen this kind of binding before. I have a couple of ring-bound things with plastic covers, but I had to get a copy shop to do it for me, and it cost me as much as buying a hard copy would have (I would have bought the hard copy had it been something I could find a hard copy of, and it was before print on demand was a thing).

 

How do these plastic comb-bound ones hold up, and how much does it cost you to do up a book (pages + ink + cover + spine)?

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Having done a fair bit of this for presentation work I can says that the binder/punch is the most expensive bit. They are generally sized by the number of pages they can punch at one time and punch the rectangular holes to take the comb binding all along one edge. The punched pages are then slipped over the binding which is put over a set of fingers and a lever pulled down to open up the binding. The pages slip over the open fingers of the binding spine and the lever released so that the spine returns to it's relaxed state.

 

Binding machine http://www.staples.co.uk/binding-machines/cbk/51.html

 

Combs http://www.staples.co.uk/binding-combs-covers/cbk/50.html

Nigel

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There's some great videos on how to bind a hardback book on YouTube. Been thinking about doing it myself. Doesn't look too difficult. I May do my manual of monsters books.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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There's some great videos on how to bind a hardback book on YouTube. Been thinking about doing it myself. Doesn't look too difficult. I May do my manual of monsters books.

 

How difficult it is depends upon access to equipment. 

 

Making the Sections is relatively easy if you can properly drill the pages. The biggest issue for home binders tends to be trimming of the pages so that you have a nice looking book with flush leafs (this generally requiring a hefty paper cutter).

 

SDLeary

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How difficult it is depends upon access to equipment. 

 

Making the Sections is relatively easy if you can properly drill the pages. The biggest issue for home binders tends to be trimming of the pages so that you have a nice looking book with flush leafs (this generally requiring a hefty paper cutter).

 

SDLeary

I think I saw a decent paper cutter for like 125 USD, but yeah. It's a 1-time purchase I think I would want to make if I started doing bookbinding.

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Since it was a bit of a detail in the I thought I would start a new thread instead on continuing the discussion there.

 

 

 

post-1690-0-54690300-1415152879.jpg

 

Ah, okay, I thought you were talking about the other sort of book binding, making your own hardcover books and using a paper folder (which I've always wanted to try, but looked tricky, looked like it required a lot of tools, and would require me to have a printer that could do 11x17 pages).

 

I don't think I've ever seen this kind of binding before. I have a couple of ring-bound things with plastic covers, but I had to get a copy shop to do it for me, and it cost me as much as buying a hard copy would have (I would have bought the hard copy had it been something I could find a hard copy of, and it was before print on demand was a thing).

 

How do these plastic comb-bound ones hold up, and how much does it cost you to do up a book (pages + ink + cover + spine)?

Well, my initial investment was about $60. $10 for the binder machine and $50 for 1", 5/8" and 1/2" combs, 20 sheets of plastic and a ream of paper. I was lucky i found the binder at a at an office sale in the buildings where i work. Most companies have these binding machines in their fulfillment areas or near the paper cutter so i'd check your office and just use it (if  you dont want to buy one of course). I've seen binders for a good price on ebay and amazon with free economy shipping, around $55-$65. To keep cost down, you just need to keep your eyes open and also look at coupons and sales for Staples, Office Depot, etc. At first i thought i was spending alot, but when i got going and started binding, i was getting alot of stuffed bound and when i had to resupply, i was like, 'dang, i bound alot of stuff!... how am i going to read all that.'

 

My cost is skewed though. The office i work in has 3 printers that are rarely in use so i take advantage of that. there are also some books i buy the hard copy of for my collection. Like with Mythic Britain if it comes out in hard copy and anything Delta Green or Glorantha RQ in Dragon Pass. Hope that helped and good luck. G

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I use the art of Japanese Book Binding. It is really simple. Punch a few holes through your printed book (or many if it is a thick one), use a needle and a thread to bind the sheets together, done. A printed book like Mythic Iceland is about 16mm thick and binding it takes about 5 minutes. Punching the holes into it is the most time consuming part.

 

Why do that? Because these books sit nice and flat against each other on a shelf and do not tend to fall over as the Comb Bind books do, mostly because of the plastic back. Also, you can write on the back of the book spine. Feel free to add 200g/sqm paper as front and back cover, or use the Comb Bind stuff for it. Or use a thick piece of cardboard for it.

 

To get best results, I use the Comb Binding Machine to punch the holes through the sheets as they are close to the spine and the thread bound books can better read.

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Here you go.

 

Most are Thread-Stitched as mentioned, some are glued (wood glue and paper towels, AKA Perfect Bound, but is very time consuming), others are purchases.

 

Bookshelf

 

 

Top view of a stitched book.

 

 

Side view of the same book.

 

 

So it did happen :)

 

If interested, I'll give a workshop next year at the Kraken convention. IMHO it's the easiest and best way to store, read and bind books (or anything with at least 30 pages of paper). Cheap, too.

 

Durability is unbeaten, the book in the pictures is currently my most referenced one, at least 5 times every day, and about 2 months old. The binding holds up well, but as stated you need to bind every single hole of the Comb-Bind puncher or the sheets will shift a bit. Nothing serious will happen, but when the sheets shift the book looks ugly. And I don't like ugly.

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