Binding Process

I started by folding all the pages of the journal with my trusty bone folder; isn't that such a delightful name for such an unassuming object? This is why archivists and librarians kick ass. For anyone whose curious I'm just using regular letter sized printer paper. It's not the best kind to use since its really poorly made if you want any sort of longevity, but its cheap! You just have to be extra careful with the book is all. Which I likely won't be.

Finished folding all the pages and organizing them into signiatures! A signiature is made up of 4 folded pages, and each folded page has 4 sides, so with 14 signiatures that makes 224 pages total for this journal! I can't wait to fill 'em all with Lighthouses.

*2026/03/16

I'm using chipboard for the cover here, and the spine is layered over with some Japanese wax paper. Chipboard is great for the cover because its more flexible than poster board but doesn't bend and warp like cardboard. The chipboard I use is on the thinner side because I plan to make a layered paper cover and I don't want it to get too thick; it's also the only chipboard I could find, so... begger's can't be choosers I suppose. Both the chipboard and the wax paper were aquired from a second-hand craft store! Basically people sell or donate their used & un-wanted craft supplies or ephemera; everything from magazines for scrapbooking, to linograph equipment ends up there. I really like using the cast off refuse of other peoples items & projects. There's something very lighthouse coded to me about it, almost as if I'm finding driftwood or shipwreck remannts that have washed ashore and incorporating them as decoration and infrastructure in my home. Rescuing the cast-offs and providing them with a second chance.

Now that everything is glued down (I use Lineco's pH neutral adhesive cause non-acidic glue lasts longer) I've got it pressed down and I'm leaving it to dry. My partner is making me a proper book-press, but until that thing is ready I'm using some heavy books of mine to hold everything in place until the glue sets. Usually I'd leave it for 48h but I'm on a bit of a time crunch to get this cover done, so 24h will have to do. Could I wait for the book press to be done and delay my book binding plans? Certianly. Will I? no, I've already made other books by using whatever heavy thing I had lying around to press it together and I'm not about to stop now. If you plan to do the same I would just suggest you put some wax paper in between your book and whatever you're using to press it so that if any glue bleeds it doesn't muck up your DIY book press.

*2026/04/13

Now that the chipboard is (probably) dry it's time to make the cover look all pretty! I'm placing essentially four different layers of to ge tthe desired affect here. First I'm folding two darker blue/grey sleeves that stop about 1-2 inches before the spine. In the second image you can see that I've folded the corners in over themselves to give it a cleaner, sleek look. I measured everything beforehand and cut it to size wth my (small) paper cutter. You absolutely do not need a paper cutter; you can use scissors, a ruler and a box cutter etc. All are equally valid and will give you great results. I just have shaky hands and poor coordination, so considering how much book-binding I do, a paper cutter was a worthwhile investment.

Next, I made two unique endpapers, one uses old stamped and hand-written letter paper, the other is actually a recipe for gooseberry preserve with a an additional burnt up drawing of flowering lavender. These were slid beneath the folded cover borders and glued down, after which the cover was glued down ontop of the endpapers. Preserved food was kind of a requirment for most lighthouse keepers, depending on the location of the lighthouse some were lucky enough to be able to keep some animals (such as chickens, sheep, cows, or pigs) and feed themselves that way. Other's were more inhospitable and relied on bi-yearly supply deposits and non-perishable or preserved food that would have to last until the nxt supply drop. Lavender is simply a plant that I like quite a bit. This is after all my lighthouse journal, so I can include whatever brings me joy really.

Finally, I cut out a 5 inch piece of imitation wood paper that I have on hand and curved it around the spine. The edges slide just past the dark blue/grey sleeves for a seemless transition. I used my bone folder to mold the paper cover to the shape of the spine and glued it down, followed by the glueing down of the blue/grey sleeves. I put some japanese wax paper in between the covers and the first and last pages so that if any glue bled it wouldn't stick them all together, now its being left for 48h beneath a jenga tower of books until everything dries. The astute viewer can spot my paper cutter, I wasn't kidding when I said its small; but it gets the job done!

*2026/04/14