max68•1mo ago

Spine alignment keeps failing on my hardcovers

I've tried every method, but the books often come out crooked. It's driving me nuts. Any tips to fix this?

3 comments

3 Comments

Watched a YouTube tutorial on book repair once... ended up with glue all over my hands and a spine more crooked than before. The book looked like it had been in a fight. I swear, some of those methods make it worse. Now I just accept a little tilt in my shelves, gives them character. Still drives me crazy though.

harperc791mo ago

I tried that same tutorial last summer, the one with the white glue and clamps. My copy of 'Moby Dick' ended up with pages stuck together and a cover that wouldn't close right. Some of those guides make it look easy, but they skip all the hard parts. I've also learned to live with a few leaning books, though it bugs me every time I see them. At least your book has a story now, I guess. You're not alone in the DIY book repair disaster club.

bailey.sandra1mo ago

What tutorial was it? I followed one for a paperback and ended up with glue seeping out the sides, hardening into a crust. Now the book won't even open flat. Those guides never show the clean up mess either. Totally get why you'd just let the shelves tilt.