43
Cut and pare your leather. I prefer to glue up the spine with PVA, wet the outside of my leather with a sponge, and stretch it vertically to go over the bands (similar to pasting up leather and stretching it before drawing it over a book with cords). Add paste to your PVA for a slightly longer open time. Nip up your bands and work your leather down in the compartments. A chiselled Teflon folder works magic here as well.
44
Glue up one board at a time and place it on the edge of your stone or bench. Weight it and place your leather covered, wooden spine up to it. Make sure that the edges of your spine and boards meet. Work the leather down on the boards with a damp sponge and folder. Repeat for the other board.
45
In order to establish a gap between your wooden spine and board edge – so that you can allow room in the interior joint for the turned in leather and the interior spinal cloth – with the spine sitting in one palm, twist the board to a 45 degree angle, more or less, and lever the board against the spine.
46
When brought back to a 90 degree angle, this levering will force a gap between your spine and board. ‘Set your joint’, if you prefer. It’s not crucial, but I find it does help with adhesion, opening and thicker leather.
47
Turn in your leather over the round by moistening the leather with a sponge. Then support your case between two clean pressing boards.
48
Work the leather into the inside joints and set your ‘caps’ as you would a book’s headcaps.
