Hello, I’m new to this group and wondered if anyone does bookbinding. A friend helped me make my first book, but she lives out of state and now i don’t have access to her supplies. Is there a local place to buy bookcloth? Does the makerspace have a paper cutting guillotine?
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The makerspace does have a paper cutter in the letter press area. Im unsure about the cloth though.
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Bookbinder here 
I’ve used the big Challenge cutter in the letterpress area to cut paper and trim book blocks. Last I knew, it requires an authorization class to use. Not sure if that’s still true. It does have some quirks and last time I used it the blade was very overdue for sharpening.
The only places to find bookbinding supplies in Wichita are Mrs. O’Leary’s and City Blue Print. Both have a very limited selection, and recently I think only Mrs. O’Leary’s had any bookcloth, and in a single color. I make my own most of the time, which is straightforward to do. Let me know if you want instructions. I can also recommend some good indie suppliers online that sell it if you want.
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Hi Gemma!
I haven’t been to the makerspace in person, but was looking at the photos of the challenger papercutter and it looks intimidating. I would want to take a class before messing with it, i think.
My friend has a manual one with a blade on a handle that we used to cut the text blocks. She suggested Hollanders online for the bookcloth and boards to make the hard cover, but I would rather shop local if I can. I didn’t even think about making my own bookcloth, how cool!
Do you use cricut to make cover designs?
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The big paper cutter can be intimidating. I don’t think there’s a manual cutting machine equivalent at the makerspace. Once you learn how to use the big one, the results are definitely worth it. I use a smaller electric cutter at home, like a scaled down version of that big one.
Hollanders is one option to buy supplies. Talas is a much larger store that has more of everything, except for the decorative papers. I’ve had a great experience with both companies, but the shipping costs are enormous! If you buy book board, be prepared to spend more on shipping than the cost of the board itself 
Bookbinding is such a niche thing so most local places just don’t stock supplies. I can count on one hand how many other binders I know in Wichita unfortunately. Hopefully all that may change now that rebinding and fanfic binding has become so popular over the past couple of years.
If I do buy IRL supplies, it’s usually on a trip to Kansas City. Blicks and Artist & Craftsman Supply both have a decent selection.
I don’t use vinyl for cover designs. One big issue using HTV is that it needs to be heated at a higher temp than the melting point in the adhesive in most bookcloths, which leads to messy bleed through. I think the people who are most successful with HTV use bookcloth that is handmade using starch paste rather than heated adhesive.
I use screenprinting (there’s a great studio for this at the makerspace), stamp and freehand foiling, and sometimes make stencils on the laser cutter for covers. If you want to try the HTV process, there’s a table-sized vinyl cutter at the makerspace that’s like a giant Cricut machine.
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There’s a small one that is pretty effective in the Visual Arts room. You’re welcome to use it. I’ve sliced entire reams of paper without an issue.
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As far as i know the Letterpress area is officially defunct, so I wouldn’t think certification is required. I wouldn’t quote me on that too fiercely, but I thought authorizations were tied to equipment associated with official spaces. If a space has been dissolved…then what good is an authorization? At this point we just have a floating tool.
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Authorizations ensure people are trained to use a machine safely and help protect machines from damage. They can also help people feel more comfortable using a machine, which leads to more use and more happy makers.
My two cents as someone who has used that machine a lot and has given authorization sessions on it: Some kind of required training should happen before anyone uses that machine.
I want to add that there newer versions of these machines on the market now that do the same thing but take up less floor space, are easier to use, easier to maintain, use less power, and are quite affordable (sub $3000 to purchase). IMO I’d ditch that Challenge beast (which is overdue for costly maintenance and has broken features) and fundraise for something that will fit the space better.
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@gemma You’d know far better than I. Perchance would you be interested in doing an authorization class for that machine? I’d pay for that.
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I would like to know for sure if there is an authorization needed to use the large paper cutter. I am getting ready to do a project and was counting on the use of the machine. I can say that I worked in a print shop for a cpl years as the print production lead and this machine looks an awful lot like the one I used then… I really think it may be the same make and model.
If no authorization is neccessary, I would be happy to meet with whoever wants to use it and have a little ‘class’ on it… 
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@GeekyBeth In the meantime you can feel free to use the manual guillotine in the VA room. Cuts through whole reams clean. Just be careful with the sizing knob, you sort of have to hold it in place as it does not lock into position.
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@ladymondegreen I won’t be around to do an authorization on it unfortunately, but it sounds like @GeekyBeth has the skills! I don’t know if an authorization is needed anymore so you might check with someone just to be sure.
A few quirks with the machine:
The blade has some dead spots and it really needs to be sharpened. We have no idea the last time the blade was sharpened or replaced - sometime before MakeICT got the machine. It will leave some diagonal drag lines along the cut surface, which is probably fine if you’re cutting single sheets but looks a bit ugly on book blocks.
AFAIK no other regular maintenance has been done on the machine either. Just a warning.
The lighted cut line feature doesn’t work, so you’ll have to eye the cut.
The backstop measure is off by about 1/16” so please don’t rely on that for accurate cuts.
There are two plugs on the machine. One goes in the 220 outlet behind the machine to the right, and one goes in the 110 to the left.
In the past, people have used the surface as a table for inky, oily messes. Definitely give it a good clean before putting good paper on the surface.
I think that covers most of it. The manuals are linked on the wiki I think.
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I have done paper cutter repair and maintenance, including blade removal, boxing for transport, and re-installation. Not the sharpening itself though, that takes a specialist with special equipment. I do know of several candidate sharpening shops to interview. Would you like me to look at this machine and give an opinion?
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Feel free to look into that, but the paper cutter may be going away if another area does not take over maintenance of it by the next board meeting. We have disbanded the Letterpress area.
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My two cents: If there is demand for a professional-grade paper cutter, there are so many better options than keeping that Challenge cutter. A newer machine would cost less in the long run, give better results, and be far easier to maintain. You can also get one that could fit through a standard doorframe and use 110v. The manual cutter currently in the arts area isn’t a substitute though.
Almost all of the equipment in the letterpress area is outdated and undesirable, even if it was functioning well. Keeping any of that stuff doesn’t make a lot of sense. The only exception is the laminator, which I was told a couple of years ago is on loan from someone.
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I have a sharpening expert in my back pocket and his shop is right around the corner from makeict… I know he would give us a great deal or possibly sharpen it for free if you can get the blade removed for me, I have not done this part of maintenance on that type of machine, I would be very excited to be present when you attack this project, as I am ALWAYS excited to learn something new!
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I would love to work to create a print shop of sorts! This is a passion of mine and a hobby I love… I like making little personalized notepads etc… I would enjoy creating a place to make little comb or coil books… glued books, and even buttons… all of these things involve printing, I don’t know if this would be an interest for anyone else or not… and I am not sure how to find out…
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I’m very new to bookbinding, but am loving it so far and would be interested in the space! I’m hoping to come to one of the open house sessions and see the makerspace in person.
My text blocks that i need to cut are less than a ream of paper, so i think i can use the manual one in the visual arts section too.
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I have made little projects that were fairly quick to execute. I don’t know if I would have the patience to sew a book together on a regular basis… but it would be a neat project to tackle every once and again for a special gift.
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There was interest in putting together a bookbinding group at MakeICT several years ago but it never came together. I’m certainly down for helping to make that happen. I’ve used a lot of the equipment at the makerspace for different aspects of bookbinding and would love to show other people. For example, nothing cuts book board better than the laser cutters!
We’ve talked in the past about doing bookbinding classes too. I’ve done workshops at other places, and another member who does Coptic binding expressed interest in teaching her style of binding too.
What do you think @ladymondegreen ? Can we put together a bookbinding/print shop corner in your area?
Classic binding equipment can be very expensive, but I was experimenting with making some laying presses in the woodshop so we’d have enough for a class. Originally they were going to live in Letterpress.
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