When leather bindings break at the joints, the traditional approach is to reback the binding with leather. However, rebacking is time-consuming, and many small or slim volumes are not robust enough to stand up to invasive restoration. Furthermore, some old leathers—especially on tight-backs—are so fragile that the act of lifting the leather can cause irreparable physical and aesthetic damage. In this workshop, Dominic will show how to use Japanese tissue as an effective alternative.

Japanese tissue has long been used for repairing paper, as it is very thin and remarkably strong. The pioneering work in recent years of conservator Don Etherington has shown that it very useful for repairing certain kinds of damage on leather bindings. Not only that, the repairs are less invasive, less time-intensive and often stronger than more conventional treatments.

The techniques covered include: choosing Japanese tissues; dyeing with acrylics; the use of solvents for cleaning leather; the use of Klucel-G in consolidating leather; reattaching boards on small or slim bindings; headcap build-up; corner repair; interior hinge repair; the use of leather fleshings to build up loss; touching-up scuffed leather; and the use of wax and leather dressing.

Materials to bring: bone folders, Q-tips, scalpel (inc. curved blades), cutting mat, dividers, metal ruler, pencil, scissors, glue brush, artists' brushes (various sizes), ace bandage, acrylic paints (Liquitex pref.), artists palette and lid, Japanese 'water brush pen'.

Workshop + Materials fee: $330

Date & Time: Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, 2015 | 9:30am – 5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Note: Please review the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class

About the Instructor | Dominic Riley

Dominic Riley learned bookbinding at age 16 from Benedictine monks and at the London College of Printing. He spent the last 10 years in San Francisco teaching, lecturing and restoring rare books. He now has a bindery with Michael Burke in England's Lake District and serves as vice chairman of the Society of Bookbinders.

He also recently won the top award of £10,000 ($15,670.89) at the second Sir Paul Getty Bodleian Bookbinding Prize 2013 ceremony.The BBC filed the following report. To view the original go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22841501

Past Student Reviews

"Dominic is a masterful teacher. Very good with ALL students"

"Class was extremely well paced. Dominic is an excellent teacher and raconteur"

"Fantastic!! Lots of fun and I learned so much"

"Superb! Set the time frame very well so we could all complete work. Very helpful to slow learners!"