Re: [BKARTS] period cloth (was animal hide glue)

[Don Rash <studior@xxxxxxxx>]

The Musar Corporation wrote:
>
> Concerning book cloth, how well do acrylics stand up over time?  Acrylic
> is a plastic, right?  And plastics lose their plasticizers in time.  So
> will these modern cloth covers eventually lose their acrylic to dusting
> or flaking?

Don't have an answer for this one. All I can say is that given current
constraints- very limited range of available cloth for matching, cost
and time restrictions- acrylics seem the most reasonable compromise. I
have used watercolors, but the acrylics are a bit easier to use and seem
a little more robust. That's just my impression, though.
>
> Also, is there a problem with sizing cloth with starch by hand--besides
> the extra time it takes?

Nope. As I understand it, starch-filled bookcloth is made by filling the
pores of a rather loose weave cloth with colored paste. With work I
suspect one could produce a fairly accurate period cloth in this way.

Don Rash
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                       Spring[binding]Hath Sprung
         Worldwide Springback Bind-O-Rama and Online Exhibition
            Full information at <http://www.philobiblon.com>
                   ENTRY DEADLINE -- September 1, 2004

      Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive at: <http://www.philobiblon.com>
             ***********************************************