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| Cheap & Eco-friendly Book Board! Woot! |
Cutting book Board can be a real pain in the ass. When I started making books I bought the expensive Davey board. The full sheets of board were kind of unwieldy in my micro-studio space. My alternative was to use pre-loved book board. It really is not hard to find old books that are past their useful life. Typically I use children's books from Goodwill. They are usually over sized and thicker then store bought board. I use the insides as scrap/glue paper, so pretty much all of the book is re-used in some way. Using the more eco-friendly board makes me feel a bit kinder to the planet. Avoid any books with a glossy coating, unless you want to spend a ton of time sanding so your glue will stick.
When cutting board there are 3 tools that you (IMHO) can not be without.
- A good sized self-healing cutting mat. I have a few because I am not so careful with these.
- A 45mm rotary cutter. They come larger and smaller, but the 45mm seems to fit the job just right. I always keep mine at hands reach. It is probably the most used tool on my desk. Blades for these cutter are fairly expensive, but they last a long time and can be sharpened.
- The last requirement is a clear O'Lipfa ruler. This little jem has a turned down lip that acts as a t-square. I think they are designed for quilters. I use painters tape stuck all over the clear ruler to mark repeated cuts and to jot down measurements. My ruler looks kind of tragic with all of the notes on it, but it is seriously damn handy. Slap a piece of Velcro on it and stick it to the side of your work space to keep it accessible yet out of the way
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| Here is the lip on the O'Lipfa ruler. Sorry for the crappy shot. It's rather difficult to photograph clear objects. |
2 comments:
I'm totally with you on your view of cutting book board--I despite that task! I nearly cut the tip of my thumb off fighting with the stuff.
I use all the above mentioned tools except the rotary cutter (I use that for my paper). I use a heavy duty utility knife for my book board. I'll have to give my rotary cutter a shot at the book board and see how it does, thanks for the suggestion!
I'm with you on the reused childrens books, that is all that I've ever used for my covers. When I go to the second hand store, the old women usually smile and make a comment about the childrens books. I just grin, ask my husband later what he thinks their reaction would be if I told them I was going to cut them all up.
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