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Just realized why my last 3 case bindings cracked at the hinge, and it's the board grain
I've been binding journals for about 4 years now and I kept getting these hairline cracks right along the hinge on my hardcovers. Maybe 1 out of every 5 books would split there within a month. I finally sat down with a scrap of Davey board last week and actually looked at it under a lamp instead of just cutting it. Turns out I've been cutting my boards so the grain runs up and down the spine instead of side to side across it. The grain has to run parallel to the hinge, not across it, because the board needs to bend the same way the spine does when you open the cover. I was just eyeballing the sheet and slicing whatever direction gave me the least waste, which is a dumb way to save 40 cents of board. I rebound a copy of Moby Dick with the grain running the right way and cracked it open 30 times and it's still tight. So check your scrap pile, grab a corner and see which way it snaps easier, and tell me if you've been doing this too or if I'm the only one who missed it.
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