May was an extremely active month with ideas for a new book and the completion of a couple of editions for recent orders. After four years on the road, having access to a workbench even in a tiny-winy studio is great. Space is still at a premium, and after selling most of my STUFF back in 2017, I need to re-examine what is needed to work productively?
In the mid-1990’s, I allowed myself time to figure out if I enjoyed the making of artists’ books before spending extensively on equipment. Bigger equipment, (like a Jacques Shear, or a guillotine), was never in the cards. Through the years, I purchased more and more tools as I developed my production of artists’ books.
While living in Utah, having a spacious studio was fantastic. With the help of my brother Henri, the top of my workbench was designed to cut binders board manually. A small bindery in Salt Lake City used to cut boards of 20 in x 12 inches for me, which made cutting easier on my workbench, but inventory is getting low!
A Kutrimmer 1058 tabletop — (not sure if it’s the best for boards) — was repeatedly on my list of investments. In 2016 I was close to owning one, but then our lifestyle changed. As for a guillotine, I have always been fortunate to borrow one. Has anyone tried the guillotines below?
Are there any glueing compass sold in Canada or the US? Maybe you have invented one!
Completing the inventory of my tools triggered research on artists and their studio set-up. I found an article by Transient Books “Bookbinding Tools: The Good, the Great, and the Beautiful” from 2015 describing their studio tools.
You are probably all familiar with Jeff Peachey who designs, makes, and sells tools for bookbinders, conservators, and leatherworkers. Jeff’s tools were exquisite and I’m certain they are outstanding to work with.
I would love to hear about your tools and equipment. Where do you purchase your tools? Where or how do you cut your binders board? How creative are you with finding interesting objects for weights, or do you prefer store bought?
If one does not have the means for bigger equipment, there’s always the opportunity to rent or borrow. The artists’ book community is a friendly and helpful group. More on this in the upcoming month.
Have a great productive month of June!