Book Binding Kits

This week I cut materials for and assembled the "Basic Bookbinding Kits," sold in the shop. Each kit included the materials necessary to make three case bindings, with text blocks sewn on tapes. I had to cut the book cloth, print and assemble the instruction booklets, re-create the sewing template, and heat/mold the beeswax. This took a while. Rich cut the paper and boards using the print studio's guillotine. This is an assembled kit (without beeswax because it was not sufficiently cooled).

Card Inventory

This week at WNYBAC, I folded and organized letterpress cards. I put cards/envelopes into plastic sleeves for sale. This was the start of an inventory on the letterpress cards currently in the gift shop. WNYBAC sells cards at consignment in various places in Buffalo. Doing inventory will show which cards should be for sale at other locations (what we have the most of) and what style of cards we need to print (Thank You, Happy Birthday, HI!, etc). I really enjoyed this task. Speaking as a Virgo, the cluster of cards and envelopes, randomly assorted in a few drawers, was enough to make me cringe.

I spent some time in the print studio. Rich showed me where the slugs, leads, and furniture were kept. We set type for a poster he was designing. He inked the press and I helped him to pull about 60 prints. Because I was bouncing back and forth between upstairs and down, Rich said that we could make a letterpress card sometime. That way I can see the whole process from beginning to end and have something tangible to show for it. Hopefully sometime is soon.