how can i rebind a paperback book

[LeLivre]

i'm planning to ditch the covers of my old harry potter books because these were hand-me-downs and the previous owner (my clumsy elder sister) didn't really take care of it. so yeah, i want to change the covers and make it clothbound like penguin classics books but the thing is, i'm not really sure how to do just that wow yeah i have great ambitions that i can't even reach! if you have a guide you can share with me on how i can do this rebind successfully, please please reply to this thread.

 

[AgathaTristie]

First off, youll need to carefully remove the old cover and for that you can use utility knife. then if the spine is damaged you should reinforce it with glue to the edges and let it dry. now you can prepare your new cover and glue it by pressing it to the spine carefully. if there are wrinkles smooth them out with bone folder. to prevent sticking the pages place a wax paper between and press to book with a heavy object and let it sit like that for several hours. Once its dry remove any unwanted edges or stuff. if you like the cover to have more durability you can add a protective clear cover. hope this helps Let me know how it turned out.

 

[hoipolloi]

First off, youll need to carefully remove the old cover and for that you can use utility knife. then if the spine is damaged you should reinforce it with glue to the edges and let it dry. now you can prepare your new cover and glue it by pressing it to the spine carefully. if there are wrinkles smooth them out with bone folder. to prevent sticking the pages place a wax paper between and press to book with a heavy object and let it sit like that for several hours. Once its dry remove any unwanted edges or stuff. if you like the cover to have more durability you can add a protective clear cover. hope this helps Let me know how it turned out.

What glue do you use here? looking for a good glue for this same purpose. thanks for the steps!

 

[AgathaTristie]

What glue do you use here? looking for a good glue for this same purpose. thanks for the steps!

PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate), it's the best glue for bookbinding. It dries clear and it's pretty flexible

 

[LatteDayToday]

change the covers and make it clothbound like penguin classics books

Turning those battered Harry Potters into Penguin-style clothbounds is a cool idea!

 

[5titch4ndGlu3]

That sounds good! I've done a few like that as well. Do you normally create your own covers from scratch or do you reuse some old ones? Also, what kind of glue do you prefer for fixing spines?