My first try with a French groove spine looked rough, but after 20 practice runs it's smooth

I was binding a small poetry book for a friend and the spine was all lumpy, the boards didn't line up right. I kept at it over maybe three weeks, using scrap paper to practice the groove fold and getting the hinge tension right. What really fixed it was switching to a bone folder from my old plastic one, and taking my time with the glue. Anyone have a favorite method for getting those clean hinges?

3 comments

3 Comments

patriciap521mo ago

Bone folders are a game changer for sure. Slow glue application makes all the difference.

johnflores1mo ago

Absolutely, using a bone folder to press things flat after gluing is the best trick. I used to get so many wrinkles and bubbles before I started doing that. The slow glue thing is key too, a little bead goes a long way if you spread it out carefully.

taylor66822d ago

Honestly, what finally clicked for me was actually wetting the bone folder a little bit? I know it sounds weird but the plastic ones just slide wrong and the dry bone folder would catch on the paper sometimes. Once I started dampening it just slightly, the fold came out so much cleaner and the hinge tension was way more even. I spent a whole weekend messing with scrap paper too, probably 30 or 40 tries, before I got that first perfect groove. The glue thing is huge though, I used to glob it on like a maniac and wonder why everything warped. Taking your time with a thin spread and pressing slow, that's the real secret. Tbh I think the bone folder switch is what made me stop hating French grooves entirely.