BMS Manuals: Homemade Books!
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This is what we’re going for here:
Gents,
Out of an abundant lack of financial backing for my projects by my financier (Wife) I decided to find a cheaper option than the Lulu prints. Mind you, the quality you will get with Lulu is likely well beyond what you can accomplish the first couple times making books for yourself. However, I decided to do this and share my experiences so you can enjoy a fresh set of manuals up on your shelf!
It all starts with printing and paper. I have two full featured scan/copy/print machines by HP (but ink is expensive!). I decided to use an older printer that a friend gave us because they did not need it anymore. The printer is a Pixma ip3000 and is a basic ink jet printer but with the duplex feature (being able to print two sided automatically). It is a photo quality printer but lacks the crispness you will find in most printers made within the last couple years. The real selling point is price and ink. You can pick up one of these printers between $60 and $120 (people keep them because of the next part!) The ink cartridges can be purchased for $1.00 USD on various bulk ink sites. The last order we did was a $30.00 order with the majority being black ink.
The paper I use is also a bulk style item from Costco. Look for the Xerox 96 bright, 8 1/2" x 11" 24 lbs 800 count packages at your local Costco an you have found yourself the Ultimate Book Making Paper IMHO. The paper is heavy enough to last flipping through the pages for years, and takes ink well without bleeding through which is important when printing a photo illustrated manual like the BMS crew has provided. If you were making a simple black and white book you might be able to get a lighter paper weight and still have good results.
With the Printer and Paper out of the way lets talk about the print itself. The Staff at BMS provided us in 4.33 a well detailed manual library https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?23315-BMS-4-33-Documentation. Simply follow the link and download the PDF files to your desktop for easy access. Adobe PDF Reader X provides all the necessary options needed to print this as a book. Open the file in Adobe PDF Reader X and click print. Before printing simply click the Booklet button and check that you want the pages printed front and back. If your printer can not perform a duplex print then you can manually perform the duplex. Do a Google or Youtube search for manual duplex printing for proper instructions.
My print job was done with the quality put up to five out of six on the quality meter (just shy of photo quality). I did not print borders and did not do anything to adjust the print margins, just a straight print from pdf with duplex and booklet selected. The print job took about an hour and ten minutes for the training manual and two hours for the BMS Manual.
During the print I took my USB drive and saved a copy of the covers in pdf form to go with me to the store. I also took the time to get on Hobby Lobby’s website to print off a 40% off coupon. If you have learned anything from this article… Print a 40% coupon every time you go to Hobby Lobby. Maybe print several of them! You can use it on the cheapest item of your total purchase, so I usually have my wife go to one register for one item and I go to the other for another and just make multiple purchases when there are a lot of items to buy.
I ran to Office Depot with my USB drive and the printed projects. I had them do the final cuts on the paper directly down the center of the pages and the outside margin was set where the header and footer banner stopped. We did some measuring and to save you the bore of the details and for future reference, if you have the pages trimmed down exactly take note: Covers can be opened in PhotoShop by Office Depot and reduced to 7.75 inches on the x-axis which placed the y-axis at just over 11 inches. The ratio was perfect for making the cover and I had to make only one cut later. The Covers were printed on the heaviest photo paper available.
All in all, Office Depot trip cost me a little gas and $6.03 for all the work. Two books cut and two covers printed! The price will be less next time as the dimensions are known and no “programming” fee will be needed. I will prepare the pdf for exact printing and save the file with the correct photo size ratio.
I ran next door to Hobby Lobby and went on a hunt for this:
This is “Helmar” Professional Acid Free Glue listed at $5.49 for a 4.23 oz bottle (Kansas City area). This will be used for the binding and for the adhesion of the cover. The 40% off coupon had me walking out the door for $3.64. Other glues that can be used are Acid Free CVA glues or Neutral ph Glues. Do not use industrial strength glues or acid based glues as they will be brittle and degrade the paper over time. Acid free and CVA glues remain flexible and dry clear without breaking down the paper over time.
The other tools you will need are a straight solid edge (ruler or cutting guide), a scribe (I used a anemometer probe because of the sharp point and it was easy to find), pencil and a old paint brush (under 1.2" wide) and an Exacto knife or other razor for paper cutting.
I already had put together a press for other projects but a simple binding clamp can be made from a couple 4" bolts, wing nuts and small pieces of wood. The first photo is my press, the second is a visual aide of what you can make.
I insured my pages were in order and got my binding side edge set. I used a simple metal binder clip to keep them aligned as I put the text block (printed pages) into the press leaving only the binding edge exposed. I brushed on four medium thickness layers of the Helmar glue with 15 minute flash dry times between.
I measured the cover and found that only 1/8" needed to be trimmed of the bottom edge. The length of the print was perfect for the 26 lbs paper I was using for the Training Manual. I will update the bottom of this post as I make each book to be a reference as to the print size needed for each of the books as they vary in thickness.
The type of binding I am doing is called “perfect” binding as the pages are not sewn together, and they are not correlated into “signatures” (smaller bindings of four pages folded in half, then sewn in). The benefit to Perfect Binding is that it is easily and cheaply accomplished by a DIY’er with professional looking results. Perfect binding is how the majority of magazines are made. It will not necessarily hold up as long as other binding options but I suspect there will be an update beyond 4.33 which will have updated manuals that we will get to enjoy putting together!
Perfect Binding:I am doing an experiment with making four pages per side double sided 8 1/2" by 11" but I think the print went to junk as the pages do not correlate properly.
Here is the final result of the project!
Over the next couple days I will be printing other manuals and making books. I will piece together a video to put up here later. I hope you guys find this useful and share with me your experiences or questions. It would be cool to see what you guys come up with following these instructions!
Part 2
I took on the User Manual today and changed some settings to simplify the process. I decided to do minimum cuts for the BMS User Manual which I printed on standard 8 1/2" x 11" paper. I cut the paper in small stacks (between 8-10 pages at a time) and took the time to properly line up each stack before the cut. I marked out the exact halfway point which is not the exact halfway point of the manual in pdf form.I used the ruler to hold the edge and gently ran a new Exacto knife across the sheets. I took my time and did not press very hard. Letting the knife do the work gives you the best results overall. The edges will be smoother and you will not risk tearing an edge.
The text block was setup and placed in the book press with essentially no binding overhang (I found out later that this was foolish, but more later). I started the layering of the glue binding.
Dampen a cloth (I used an older microfiber cloth which worked well) and run it along the binding surface to slightly moisten the paper. The cloth should feel moist but should not be wet (i.e. dripping wet is a no no). The moisture helps the paper to accept the glue into the fibers.
A problem I had to overcome was finding that after applying four layers of glue a portion of the glue had contacted the press’ surface. The issue was the lack of overhang on the binding side. I suggest a 1/4" overhang from the press for the best results. I had to use an exacto to cut the paper and glue from the press which left some marks and small tears in the paper.
Make sure to clean off the brush and dry it between coats. The glue is water soluble but you do not want to leave the hairs in the glue too long as it will break down over time. Warm running water and gentle movements of the brush fiber is needed to keep the brush usable for doing many books.
The final product looks nice and any blemishes will be covered up when the cover is applied. ’
My plan is to make a hardcover for this book so I have to wait till after the holiday to head to Office Depot for the cover printing. Stay up to date with this thread as I will post more about the hardcover as it is completed. the final product will be larger than the trimmed Training Manual I completed in the first post. Enjoy!
Part 3
As you have seen in previous posts, I have been working to get the largest of the manuals complete. There was really no complication and after looking at a few more tutorials on book making I made a slight improvement over my Training Manual results.We pick up on this manual after the text binding was complete in Part #2:
I took the text block to Office Depot today and had the pages cut down to minimum dimensions keeping all printed area included. I think the cut worked out much better after binding the pages. I did notice the text block was bigger (about 2mm taller and 1mm wider) than the Training Manual but they are close enough that it will look great side by side.
I had the cover for the Manual printed on the heaviest photo paper available which made a very nice mat as a cover on the Training Manual. Only one extra print was needed to get the dimensions correct this time as I already knew what would need to be done. I slightly over sized the print because I found that even in Photoshop CS6 at Office Depot the layers had been combined (flattened) so I could not moved or adjust the type on the back of the manual.
When I got home I laid the text block on the cover, aligning the front cover and front side of the book to a flush fit. I used a pencil to mark the back of the binding. I then stood text block up and marked the width. You will get a jagged line while doing this so I used a ruler to give a clean straight edge for the scoring process.
Measure five millimeters from the scoring towards the end of the covers at both the top and bottom of the cover:
Mark the line with pencil then scored with five medium pressure passes:
The purpose of this 5 mm gap is to bind the cover to the front and back inside pages. This allows the book to hold shape better and keeps the binding more square over time.
Its time for glue again and a good thick bead of the PVA glue should suffice. Use the brush to get the glue fully to the edge of the 5 mm binding extension but stay on the inside of the line. Patience is key in this book making process and the more time you spend setting up and gluing properly, the better the result will be!
Set the bound edge first (just like the Training Manual) getting it centered and aligned before making the fold and binding the 5 mm extension. It will be important to note that for both manuals the scoring was more than enough to get the cover to fold properly while binding. No pre-bending was done to the edges before glue was applied. Bending the edges prior to the gluing could potentially cause problems as you will want the bend to perfectly match the actual book and not separate while gluing.
*Glue is allowed to tack up slightly before setting the text block inside. The time it takes to properly and carefully move the glue around with the brush is all the time that is really needed. Approximately three minutes passed while I worked the glue around which was nearly perfect as the glue was very tacky and ready to adhere to the text block quickly. Setting the text block quickly, without allowing the tackiness to build up, could lead to movement as you make folds and creases in the fitting process which will cause glue to smear and the binding could be weakened.
The back cover is slightly longer than is needed which is exactly what was planned. Take your pencil and very lightly run it along the overhung edge of the back cover. Place the straight edge between the back cover and the text block along the line. Run a sharp Exacto knife along the straight edge using light pressure for the first three passes. Medium pressure passes can now be done until the excess is cut off. If the top and bottom edge need more than 1 mm of adjustment it would be best to use the same method to correct the problem.
If less than 1 mm of overhang is protruding then a simple touch up with 220 grit or higher (i.e. 600/800 grit) will feather the edge down to size properly. I decided to sand the top and outside edges of the book as the cutter left very noticeable tooling marks. I placed the book in the vice with about 1/8th of and inch handing over the side for sanding. Placing a wood block that is slightly larger than the size of the binding helps to keep the binding intact while the press clamps the outer edge. The block is not seen but is used to protect the binding during each phase of sanding. I put a fresh piece of 220 grit sand paper on a Block Sander. Do not use power tools on books as monitoring precise pressure and depth can not be easily done.
After about 30 seconds of sanding the majority of the blemishes are removed. The cleanliness of the final product can start to be seen:
More sanding and feathering are done until the final edge was reduced enough to match all surfaces.
This process is repeated for each side of the book that needs a touch up. Here are several final photos of the Manual next to the Training Manual at my computer desk. The edges of the Training Manual have not been feathered and the difference can be seen clearly. The top and bottom edge of the binding looks about perfect!
Happy Hunting and Clear Skies!
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I decided to scrap the smaller size manual and set up new margins for printing for full page booklet prints. I’ll update after the print job is done and make a video of the step by step process.
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I took on the User Manual today and changed some settings to simplify the process. I decided to do minimum cuts for the BMS User Manual which I printed on standard 8 1/2" x 11" paper. I cut the paper in small stacks (between 8-10 pages at a time) and took the time to properly line up each stack before the cut. I marked out the exact halfway point which is not the exact halfway point of the manual in pdf form.
I used the ruler to hold the edge and gently ran a new Exacto knife across the sheets. I took my time and did not press very hard. Letting the knife do the work gives you the best results overall. The edges will be smoother and you will not risk tearing an edge.
The text block was setup and placed in the book press with essentially no binding overhang (I found out later that this was foolish, but more later). I started the layering of the glue binding.
Dampen a cloth (I used an older microfiber cloth which worked well) and run it along the binding surface to slightly moisten the paper. The cloth should feel moist but should not be wet (i.e. dripping wet is a no no). The moisture helps the paper to accept the glue into the fibers.
A problem I had to overcome was finding that after applying four layers of glue a portion of the glue had contacted the press’ surface. The issue was the lack of overhang on the binding side. I suggest a 1/4" overhang from the press for the best results. I had to use an exacto to cut the paper and glue from the press which left some marks and small tears in the paper.
Make sure to clean off the brush and dry it between coats. The glue is water soluble but you do not want to leave the hairs in the glue too long as it will break down over time. Warm running water and gentle movements of the brush fiber is needed to keep the brush usable for doing many books.
The final product looks nice and any blemishes will be covered up when the cover is applied. ’
My plan is to make a hardcover for this book so I have to wait till after the holiday to head to Office Depot for the cover printing. Stay up to date with this thread as I will post more about the hardcover as it is completed. the final product will be larger than the trimmed Training Manual I completed in the first post. Enjoy!
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Your work is beautiful.
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A few suggestions:
1. Make the “book” protrude from the binding device by about 0.5cm or so. Maybe even less if you’re brave! As you have discovered, this makes gluing easier.
2. I used to “score” the spine of the book with a hacksaw. About 1-2mm depth is enough and I would do 4-5 of these evenly-spaced along the spine. When applying glue, I would put several strands of thread into them.
3. After the first or second layer of glue (depending on how thick the application is), before it dries, I would put a bit of cloth over the spine. Something like gauze (google “gauze cloth” to see what I mean), although true craftsmen use something else. Anyway, this cloth would just be slightly wider than the spine and slightly shorter. I would work this into the glue, put another thin layer over the top, and wait for it to dry. Then I would trim off the excess gauze and threads.
4. Apply a few more thin layers of glue to the spine, then proceed with the rest of the binding process (depends whether going for softcover or hardcover)The whole idea there is that the ridges and the threads and the gauze reinforce the spine and also strengthen the bond between the paper and the glue/spine.
Hope that helps!
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-Ice that is great information! I will do that with the next manual!
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Excellent work.
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Very nice!
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I use Adobe Acrobat’s “booklet printing” feature to print a “half letter” size booklet on a b/w laser printer. After cutting the pages in half, I then use a hole punch and insert the book into a 3- or 7-ring binder. It has served me very well.
I have also picked up the half-letter sized sheet protectors from Office depot and used them with a single ring to keep my checklists and approach plates handy while flying. Just my two cents. -
+1 to the ring bind option.
While the perfect-bound version looks cool, when the updated manuals come out, you’ll have to re-print all pages and bind them again. With ring-bound stuff, just take out the “old” pages and replace them with the new ones and you’re done!
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To each their own! If the main manual and training manual get updated then I’ll make them into books. My charts book will be in a small kneeboard (also home-made) and use ring binders for storage. I’m betting I can get away with not having to print the whole book again for at least another year. Imagine if I had spent the $$$ for a Lulu book that went out of date! I like doing stuff like this so it doesn’t bother me to redo it even several times a year!
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Depends on how many times the PDFs get revised. BMS 4.33 might be updated 10 times but the PDFs only get revised once.
To each their own indeed! Good luck with the binding and continue to post pics!
If you plan to make your own hardcover versions, one very good advice – get a bone folder! -
Any suggestions where to find one?
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Usual stores that sell bookbinding equipment.
The reason I recommend it is because for so long I thought I could do without. Maybe use an old credit card or bit of cardboard… didn’t really know what I was missing until I got one.
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I’m about to post another completed book. Should I make it apart of the original post or just make it the next comment?
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Both! If the thread gets long, it can be hard to find where each update is. Alternatively people sometimes miss the first post having updated.
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As you have seen in previous posts, I have been working to get the largest of the manuals complete. There was really no complication and after looking at a few more tutorials on book making I made a slight improvement over my Training Manual results.
We pick up on this manual after the text binding was complete in Part #2:
I took the text block to Office Depot today and had the pages cut down to minimum dimensions keeping all printed area included. I think the cut worked out much better after binding the pages. I did notice the text block was bigger (about 2mm taller and 1mm wider) than the Training Manual but they are close enough that it will look great side by side.
I had the cover for the Manual printed on the heaviest photo paper available which made a very nice mat as a cover on the Training Manual. Only one extra print was needed to get the dimensions correct this time as I already knew what would need to be done. I slightly over sized the print because I found that even in Photoshop CS6 at Office Depot the layers had been combined (flattened) so I could not moved or adjust the type on the back of the manual.
When I got home I laid the text block on the cover, aligning the front cover and front side of the book to a flush fit. I used a pencil to mark the back of the binding. I then stood text block up and marked the width. You will get a jagged line while doing this so I used a ruler to give a clean straight edge for the scoring process.
Measure five millimeters from the scoring towards the end of the covers at both the top and bottom of the cover:
Mark the line with pencil then scored with five medium pressure passes:
The purpose of this 5 mm gap is to bind the cover to the front and back inside pages. This allows the book to hold shape better and keeps the binding more square over time.
Its time for glue again and a good thick bead of the PVA glue should suffice. Use the brush to get the glue fully to the edge of the 5 mm binding extension but stay on the inside of the line. Patience is key in this book making process and the more time you spend setting up and gluing properly, the better the result will be!
Set the bound edge first (just like the Training Manual) getting it centered and aligned before making the fold and binding the 5 mm extension. It will be important to note that for both manuals the scoring was more than enough to get the cover to fold properly while binding. No pre-bending was done to the edges before glue was applied. Bending the edges prior to the gluing could potentially cause problems as you will want the bend to perfectly match the actual book and not separate while gluing.
*Glue is allowed to tack up slightly before setting the text block inside. The time it takes to properly and carefully move the glue around with the brush is all the time that is really needed. Approximately three minutes passed while I worked the glue around which was nearly perfect as the glue was very tacky and ready to adhere to the text block quickly. Setting the text block quickly, without allowing the tackiness to build up, could lead to movement as you make folds and creases in the fitting process which will cause glue to smear and the binding could be weakened.
The back cover is slightly longer than is needed which is exactly what was planned. Take your pencil and very lightly run it along the overhung edge of the back cover. Place the straight edge between the back cover and the text block along the line. Run a sharp Exacto knife along the straight edge using light pressure for the first three passes. Medium pressure passes can now be done until the excess is cut off. If the top and bottom edge need more than 1 mm of adjustment it would be best to use the same method to correct the problem.
If less than 1 mm of overhang is protruding then a simple touch up with 220 grit or higher (i.e. 600/800 grit) will feather the edge down to size properly. I decided to sand the top and outside edges of the book as the cutter left very noticeable tooling marks. I placed the book in the vice with about 1/8th of and inch handing over the side for sanding. Placing a wood block that is slightly larger than the size of the binding helps to keep the binding intact while the press clamps the outer edge. The block is not seen but is used to protect the binding during each phase of sanding. I put a fresh piece of 220 grit sand paper on a Block Sander. Do not use power tools on books as monitoring precise pressure and depth can not be easily done.
After about 30 seconds of sanding the majority of the blemishes are removed. The cleanliness of the final product can start to be seen:
More sanding and feathering are done until the final edge was reduced enough to match all surfaces.
This process is repeated for each side of the book that needs a touch up. Here are several final photos of the Manual next to the Training Manual at my computer desk. The edges of the Training Manual have not been feathered and the difference can be seen clearly. The top and bottom edge of the binding looks about perfect!
Happy Hunting and Clear Skies!
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Two more books almost complete. I’ll post about them tomorrow!