Tried the wet folding method for book cloth after 2 years of battling bubbles

I've been binding for about 5 years now, mostly personal projects and gifts for friends. For the longest time I could never get book cloth to lay flat without these tiny air bubbles showing up after it dried. Drove me nuts. Tried heavier glue, lighter glue, different brushes, even let the cloth sit overnight after gluing. Nothing fixed it completely. Then last month I was watching a video from some binder in Portland who showed wetting the cloth with a spray bottle before applying it to the board. I thought no way that works, but I was frustrated enough to try it on a project I was doing for my sister's wedding guestbook. Sprayed the cloth lightly, waited like 2 minutes, then glued and pressed it. Flat as glass. No bubbles at all. First time ever. I don't know why I never thought of this before. Has anyone else tried this or got another method that works better?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lee6d ago

Honestly, "asking for trouble with certain fabrics" sounds a bit dramatic to me. I've been wetting book cloth for a couple months now and haven't had any warping or rippling show up even on older projects. I think people overthink this stuff sometimes and a light mist isn't gonna ruin anything compared to dealing with bubbles forever.

elizabeths516d ago

Isn't it wild how we all find our own little ways to make things work?

michael_coleman106d ago

Your mileage may vary, but wetting cloth before glue feels like asking for trouble with certain fabrics. That extra moisture can make the paper underneath ripple or warp in ways that don't show up until weeks later. I've had better luck just using a thinner paste and letting the glue tack up for a minute before pressing.