#bookbinding resources

This is Irish Linen Bookbinding Thread, from Talas (a well-respected bookbinding supplier).

Linen is used because it is an extremely tough, long-staple fiber. Linen withstands wear much better than cotton. This particular thread comes pre-waxed with just enough wax to make it strong and prevent it from untwisting, but not so much that it's sticky to work with. It comes in multiple thicknesses. However, one spool of this will set you back between $13 and $24, and while it will last you a while, that's still a pretty hefty chunk of change, so let's look at alternatives.

Alternative #1: Sewing Thread

Sewing thread is a very common option.

Pros

Commonly available, even at places like Walmart

Significantly cheaper

Many people already have some

Cons

Varies widely in quality, and therefore in durability. Cheap polyester thread is not going to hold up to nearly as much wear as high quality cotton thread

Thinner than much bookbinding threads. I'm not going to get into thread weights here (I looked it up to try and give some recommendations but it turns out that thread sizing is bonkers and kind of complicated) but because it's thinner, it has the dual problems of potentially cutting through your paper, and wearing out sooner.

Does not come pre-waxed.

Some solutions for these problems

Double or quadruple your thread when you sew with it. Luckily, unlike other types of hand sewing, it's very easy to sew in short chunks, knot in new pieces of thread, and hide knots where they can't be seen, so you don't have to use long, tangly, unwieldy pieces.

Wax your thread. You can buy straight up chunks of beeswax for pretty cheap (plus it has lots of other uses!), or you can buy those little "thread magic" or "thread waxer" items at craft stores.

Don't buy the absolute cheapest thread. I know this is a post about cheap thread alternatives but it's better to buy one spool of good thread than a big box of dogshit thread. (ask me how I know)

Alternative #2: Embroidery Floss

Pros

Also commonly available

Thicker

Comes in lots of fun colors, which is nice for exposed-stitching binding styles

Can also be used for making your own decorative endbands, embroidering your covers, and other fun bookbinding-related activities

Cons

Not as cheap as sewing thread

Not necessarily manufactured for tensile strength since embroidery isn't usually put under a lot of stress

Unwaxed

Solutions

Make sure you only use cotton embroidery floss, not rayon or wool

Make sure to wax it with beeswax

Alternative #3: Waxed Dental Floss

Make sure that you are getting thread based dental floss, NOT plastic based dental floss!!

Do NOT get this stuff:

The stuff you are looking for will say "waxed" on it.

Pros

Cheap

Readily Available

Already Waxed

Manufactured to stand up to abrasion

Cons

May be hard to find unflavored

Archival Quality unknown, potentially not the best

Long term strength unknown - while it is meant to stand up to quite a bit of short term abrasion via the teeth, it is also a one-use product in most cases.

Solutions

Know what you're getting into

Use for beginning and testing purposes, so you can get the hang of skills before committing more expensive materials

Essential resources:

Don't skimp out on these - seriously. Not worth it. Where I can, I'll provide self-made alternatives, but these things should definitely go on your 'must get before I begin' list.

Bone folder (after you fold your signatures, crisp up the fold by pressing the edge over the crease. It'll flatten the fold and make it easier to press).

Book press (you will need this at multiple stages of the process, essentially to flatten everything up. I went for a traditional one, but you CAN use two boards with clamps, anything that you can essentially clamp the book tight between).

Awl (kinda a needle on a stick - used to poke holes for sewing into each signature. I'd recommend getting a proper one, most aren't too expensive! Some binders saw their holes in, but it's a bit risky for first-timers!)

Punching cradle (a device that has equidistant holes to guide your hole-poking, so that every signature is punched in the same place. PLEASE get this).

Waxed linen thread (make SURE it is waxed, which will prevent the paper ripping when you sew it. I recommend 25/3 weight linen thread, usually in a 'natural' or 'cream' colour).

Paper (make sure it is SHORT GRAIN, will explain later. I recommend 80gsm paper in a 'sand', 'natural' or 'cream' colour, as white paper tends to look IMO not quite right, especially for fiction. I honestly just use printer paper!)

Book board (Davey board is preferred, but you can use grey board, chipboard or cardboard. It needs to be thick enough to resist flexibility - I use 3mm Davey board for the covers and either cardstock/1.8mm Davey board for the spine. This can come pre-sized or in larger sheets).

Book cloth (again, recommend actual cloth designed for binding as you'll experience issues with regular old cloth if it's not prepared for the process. It'll be backed with paper or starched to prevent glue seepage).

Glue (acid-free PVA glue. Specialty 'bookbinding glue' is the easiest, but honestly, as long as it's acid-free PVA, it should be fine).

Glue brush/es (something to get the glue spread quickly, as it dries FAST).

Mull (a loose-weave cloth used to reinforce the spine after sewing/gluing).

Cardstock (for reinforcing the spine after mull + assembling the cover/spine case. Get a few sheets, you'll be surprised where this is needed!)

Might be a good idea:

Premade endbands (the little cloth bits that stick up on either end of the spine inside the book? Yeah, they make the book look pretty and hide the gluing).

Ribbon (if you intend to add a ribbon bookmark).

Linen tape (for thicker volumes. You sew it against the textblock to add more stability to the bind).

Cork-backed ruler (to cut book board in a straight line - you can make your own like I did with adhesive cork and a metal ruler).

Bookbinding needle/s (specifically curved needles).

Beeswax blocks (for bookbinding, extra wax to wax the thread goes a long way!)

Box cutter/knife (for cutting book board to size).

Hinge gap sizers (available on Etsy, used to space the spine board from the cover boards).

Book cloth corner cutters (also available on Etsy - comes in sizes to match your book board width so you can ensure you're cutting the right amount of fabric off the corners before folding them over).

Bookbinding sewing frame (entirely optional, but it means you can leave your hands free for sewing the text block up).

For aesthetic purposes only:

Guillotine (for trimming the pages to the same size after gluing, makes the book look professional. One with a large sheet capacity is best. Don't skimp on quality here. You can also just go to a print shop that offers this service!)

Cricut/Silhouette/Vinyl cutting machine (for creating iron-on designs on your book cloth after making the casing).

Cutting machine mat (whoever makes the machine will also make a corresponding mat, this is to hold the vinyl in place so the machine can cut it).

Iron-on vinyl (you want heat transfer vinyl, NOT permanent vinyl; HTV is ironically the more permanent of the two. So many options for colours here, and it is possible to layer different colours!)

Heat press machine (to heat press the vinyl to the book cloth - I personally recommend the Cricut Easy Press Mini because it is much smaller than the standard, giving you more control/ability to target parts of the cover).

Vinyl weeding tools (to pull off the excess vinyl around the design after cutting).

Ribbon clamp and O ring (for adding charms to the end of the ribbon bookmark. Make sure the clamp is the same width as the ribbon).