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Tool Making for Conservation and Book Arts

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Raw materials -- elk bone & needles -- (left) shaped into bone folders (right)

Raw materials — elk bone & needles — (left) shaped into bone folders (right)

Last month Conservation Technician Bill Voss served as a Studio Assistant to instructor Shanna Leino, during a two week class at the Penland School of Crafts on Tool Making for Book Arts. Shanna is a well known tool maker and alumna of the UI Center for the Book, whose tools and binding models are featured in the Model Bookbinding Collection housed in the Conservation Lab. Projects covered during the class included making bone folders, awls, punches, leather pairing knives and bamboo tools.

Awl and punch using Ipe wood, steel rod, brass tube

Awl and punch using Ipe wood, steel rod, brass tube

Leather pairing knives from hacksaw blades

Leather pairing knives from hacksaw blades

Heras -- Japanese paper mending tools from bamboo (left)

Heras — Japanese paper mending tools from bamboo (left)

Tweezers from bamboo

Tweezers from bamboo