Two in One! Bookbinding Press

  

I got this beauty last summer in Romania from Mihai, a bookbinder friend. Being away until now, I haven't had the chance to properly test it, but the last few days I did so and I have to say that I love it! It combines two essential pieces of equipment for bookbinding, the lying press and the standing press. It also comes with two boards with beveled edges which makes it good for backing.

This type of press, the jobbacker, is usually made of iron which makes it a heavy equipment, but mine is made of wood and is quite light (for which I could bring it in my apartment). I confess at first I was a bit concerned about its stability but it actually proved to be very well made and perfectly stable even when filled at maximum capacity in vertical position. Hooray for Mr. Adrian Ghetea who made it for me. I'm very happy with it and grateful to Mihai for hooking me up with it.

For the locals who might be fancying one of their own, please check Mihai's blog because a similar press is still available for sale.

And while at it, please don't forget to check out Mihai's work, it's impressive!

http://artacartii.blogspot.com

 

 

2014 Blog Revival!

After a long year of silence I have decided to revive this blog. Inspite abandoning it I have continued to receive positive feedback on its content and I realized that people actually read it and find it useful. There are so many interesting things going on and I really look forward to sharing them with you. So here's to a great 2014 and Happy New Year to you all!

 

 

Gold and Silver Touches

Two books I recently finished. I indulge myself from time to time in the use of metal fittings. What a delight... a touch of old, a touch of silver or of gold.

The Legend

I just finished this book. Tooling was pretty hard on the hands but I feel it's well worth it :)

And a little sneak peek into the tooling process...

Finally, a little confession - I almost never sketch out my cover design before hand. I plan it in my head and adapt it as I go. But this time I needed some guidelines, so I used this paper adhesive tape which proved kind of useful, especially because it was looking so cool while ungluing. Gave me book art ideas... for the future! 

I'm Back!

My holidays are not yet over, but I missed my books so much that I couldn't enjoy another day without binding something :) So here I am, having a wonderful summer, spending time with my family and doing what I love most: books. This time, in a joint adventure with my sister!

 

So many new books... soon to be listed in the shop!