While not particularly woodworking, he uses wood in many of his jigs and clamps and presses. Too, he calls his operation “Quercus Press,” and Quercus, as we all know is the genus of the oak trees. It looks like the covers are glued over white oak boards as well. Moreover, though, this video is simply a maker’s dream. From the old linotype machine whirring and clanking away to line up type as he presses keys, to the vaults of old engravings he gained access to, to the many clever, old-world machines and techniques he and his helpers used to print up his tome, my eyes were wide with info overload and joy through the whole thing. I suspect many of you will enjoy it every bit as much, and so I share.
Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.
Deluxe editions – 26 in all – went for $4600 a pop. He had a few cheaper alternatives from there, all still expensive. Affordable reproductions – regular, machine-made books with reproduced contents – are only about $35.
-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator
9 comments so far
zlatanv
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684 posts in 1406 days
#1 posted 1147 days ago
And I thought 10 minutes of sanding was time consuming, impressive!
-- Z, Rockwall, TX
OutPutter
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1194 posts in 2162 days
#2 posted 1147 days ago
Good find Gary. Can you believe how complex bookmaking was? No wonder there were so few and they were only for the rich. I bet even today, if there was more information out there about the process like this video, high quality products like books, furniture, art objects, well anything, it would be a lot easier to justify the price for quality.
-- Jim
TopamaxSurvivor
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13194 posts in 1848 days
#3 posted 1147 days ago
Interesting, lot of work to make a book!!
-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0
Luke
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452 posts in 1466 days
#4 posted 1147 days ago
I am absolutely blown away. that is an amazing amount of work. thanks
-- LAS, http://www.abettersign.com
lew
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8989 posts in 1928 days
#5 posted 1147 days ago
Cool!!!!!!!!
-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!
SPalm
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4120 posts in 2054 days
#6 posted 1147 days ago
That was really neat. My mind is just whirring.
Steve
-- -- I'm no rocket surgeon
jm82435
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1217 posts in 1914 days
#7 posted 1147 days ago
wow That is amazing. My Grandpa was a printer, my dad also printed a book once, i remember putting the printed pages together to assemble the book. It was nowhere near this elaborate. In this day an age I am glad to see this art is till alive.
-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...
Dennisgrosen
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10854 posts in 1287 days
#8 posted 1146 days ago
amazing, handwork when it´s best
thank´s for sharing
Dennis
Mark Shymanski
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3966 posts in 1885 days
#9 posted 1117 days ago
Amazing!
-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2
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