5 February 2007
5-Hole Variation
Posted by Lady Artisan under: KSProject .
So I did a variation of the 5-hole pamphlet using the head and tail as sewing stations.
Again, the sewing was easy enough. I didn’t plan the design very well, though, because my pages ended up a little larger than the cover (which is a design feature I usually like) but that doesn’t work well with a pamphlet binding that loops over the head and tail of the spine. Ah well. I used black waxed linen cord and an India silk paper (feels almost like cloth–it’s really wonderful although I haven’t tested how it behaves with different inks/writing implements yet).
The cover on this one was solid Bake and Bend–a clay designed to bend, roll, etc. without breaking or splitting. I had exactly the same problem as with the 50/50 blend–as soon as you have a weak spot in the clay (the sewing station holes, for instance), the clay starts splitting.
You can see the hole starting to split a little, especially where the thread runs. You can also see here where the rubber stamp I used cut in so deeply on the clay that it split along the pattern as soon as I bent the cover.
Not sure if it’s noticeable to someone who hasn’t seen it in person, but the spine on this cover is already showing wear and I’ve only bent and open it a few times while makig it. The whitish-looking streak down th middle is discoloration from bending the clay. I actually suspect this cover is going to split before the 50/50 blend cover.
Conclusions: It’s not really possible to make a full polymer clay pamphlet cover with the regular polymer clays. Any small crack or deliberate hole (i.e. for sewing) weakens the structure, causing cracks. If used long enough (probably not more than a few months with heavy use), the spine will probably partially or fully split.
Next trials in this exciting insanity of mine will be to try fabric soaked in liquid clay. The fabric should give the clay enough support and strength to keep it from cracking or splitting at the sewing stations. I might also try straight liquid clay but, again, I don’t expect it to be able to fold very well.
Next book is a regular 5-hole pamphlet.
