For a very patient friend. 🙂
![Front title page of the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (1945) - thin paper edition (so true!)](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1-231x300.jpg)
Part 1 – Repairing the individual pages
This was my first book repair project.
I read a lot of books about fixing books.
I watched a whole bunch of videos, too.
Then, I boldly went where I had never gone before!
🙂
First step – separate the binding and the cover from the text block pages. This was the hardest step for me, emotionally, and I had to work up the nerve to go for it, but I knew it had to be done.
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/8041-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMG_8042-300x225.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/5-1024x690.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/21-1024x768.jpg)
Repairing individual pages . . . . there were many pages that could be helped by a piece of special page-repair tape for small problems (not regular tape!!) (Do you hear some ominous foreshadowing type of music in your head? You should!)
Quite a few pages needed some special attention, though, and for those bigger areas, I used Super Secret Extra Special Book Glue and Super Secret Extra Special Book Repair Tissue. (Not really. You can buy it, too.)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/13-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14-300x225.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/7-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/15-1024x768.jpg)
![paintbrush seen in close up while adding glue to two pages in the middle of them](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/11-300x225.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/12-1024x768.jpg)
(it’s just my regular shelf)
Below is version 2 . . .
I soon outgrew the shelf and just spread out all the pages on my spare bed.
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/17X-1024x649.jpg)
About halfway through Part 1 at this point.
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/610-1-1024x730.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/16-1-300x225.jpg)
Only a few.
Really!
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/19-1-300x225.jpg)
Dramatic photo of artsily arranged pile o’ pages, because I was in the zone.
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/18-1024x768.jpg)
Very fun project!
This was a great day!
Almost finished with Part 1 of this project . . . 1270 is not the last page . . .
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1270-1024x771.jpg)
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20-1024x614.jpg)
![Stack of book signatures](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/22-1-e1589262214669-768x1024.jpg)
(pay no attention to the little tear on the right….I fixed it later)
Part 2 – coming soon – Sewing the signatures back together into the whole text block.
Part 3 – Cover repair (coming later)
Part 4 – Put it all back together (coming later)
Stay tuned!
Here is my little workshop!
<3
![](https://bigthicketbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1500-1024x768.jpg)
Continue with Part 2 – Sewing it back together
1 thought on “Dictionary Repair – Part 1”