How to Re-case a 19th century Cloth-bound Book:

Re-case a 19th century Cloth-bound Book by watching these two videos.

Type of Book: Book-cloth, French joint, Case-bound, Plain/Colored end-sheets (not illustrated), End-sheets are typical.
This Particular Book: Newton’s Principia 1846
Issue: Broken inner hinges, and weak outer joints
Treatment: Strengthen and Re-case
2 Hours of Videos
PERPETUAL CAVEAT: Never repair rare and/or scarce books and when in doubt only do preservation treatments and consult an accredited professional.

Re-casing only works if the cover is intact enough not to need a new spine.

These videos in two parts demonstrate re-casing a book with a lot of subtle “niceties” that take it from repair to restoration. By watching them you will learn about the structure of 19th century cloth books and what needs to be done to avoid damaging the fragile cloth. Every step is shown and the commentary reveals potential problems that are then avoided. Remember to practice these skills on books of relatively little value before taking on a book of this caliber.

While this is an advanced course, it still assumes you do not have much in the way of equipment or materials.

Tools and Materials: If you have the Basic Book Repair Kit and the Items in the Level One list that is all you will need.