The Communist Laser-Cut Dual Bookbinding Jig

thingiverse

True freedom of the press, my friends! Basement publishing for every scorned author! The internet is an incredible tool for saving old, public domain PDFs. But there's nothing like settling in with a real physical book. That's why I decided to start making my own. I call this jig the liberator bookbinding jig because all your books will end up looking remarkably similar - strong, rectangular, and robust little tomes that can withstand rough handling - just reprint them! The jig is two-sided and tailored for US paper: One side lines up an entire 8.5 x 11 sheet, while the other side lines up a half-sheet (8.5 x 5.5). Adobe Reader is fantastic at paginating your PDFs (booklet mode) so you can easily cut and stack your pages in the correct order. This jig was cut from 6mm Baltic Birch plywood, and requires four each of 4" x 1/4" carriage bolts, washers, and wingnuts for the clamps, as well as wood glue to assemble. The length of the carriage bolts is adjustable if you're working with thinner or thicker books. Each side will hold a maximum of about 400 pages, making an up-to-800-page book when printed double-sided. I use this jig to bind both my PDFs and compilations of my children's artwork into neat archives for later enjoyment. We've probably compiled six volumes of their art by now; we just can't bring ourselves to get rid of it! As far as assembly is concerned: Look over the PDF first - the green shapes go on the bottom side (half-size jig) and the black shapes are the top side (full-size jig). A few extra green pieces are added around the perimeter to act as a stable base when using the top side, and the top-side box acts as a vertical stand to keep everything upright while the glue dries. There's one clamp bar each for the top and bottom so you can really squeeze the binding tight. You'll notice the bottom clamp bar has square cutouts to fit the carriage bolt head. The instructions for binding are straightforward: Square up your pages in the jig, and then tighten the clamps to bring the pages together. Thoroughly paint the spine with your chosen glue, wait 10 minutes for it to soak a bit, then crank the clamps down tight to form the spine. Leave it sit until dry, and add a cover. Regarding binding: I've had good results with Aileen's Tacky Glue as well as somewhat strong but unattractive/foamy/lumpy outcomes from gorilla glue. You'll also notice I use both blue tape and plastic wrap to prevent gluing my book to the jig - it's definitely worth considering! There is an abundance of information and opinions on bookbinding readily available online - I'm certainly no expert. You can find plenty of discussions on adhesives, cover options, and various techniques. Go ahead and indulge in your foray into home publishing!