How do you fix Crappy Spine Syndrome?

[Vraille Darkfang]

Well.

Last week I picked up Goodman's Book of Templates.

Can't recommend it (at least the print version), as...

The second time I opened it I hear this dreadful ripping noise & realize the spine has seperated from all the pages in the book. Great.

Looks like cheap glue that doesn't hold. Does anyone out there know how to repair White Wolf Spine? I call it White Wolf spine as a disproportionate number of their books seem to suffer from it (including my Tome of Horrors).

How can I repair this before my book falls apart? Is this common with BoT? How's Goodman's Customer Service? How much hassle will it be to just get a replacement copy (assuming it's not endemic of the print run)?

You tips will be appreciated.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Contact Goodman games directly, be polite but state your issues and concerns.

 

[Xombie Master]

Or just find out a good way to repair it solidly yourself. It sucks to have to do it, but hey, at least you'll know it will last. From my experiences with "White Wolf" spine, they are two numerous to deal with customer service every single time.

 

[trancejeremy]

How can I repair this before my book falls apart? Is this common with BoT? How's Goodman's Customer Service? How much hassle will it be to just get a replacement copy (assuming it's not endemic of the print run)?

You tips will be appreciated.

Is it really a problem? I have the same book and the same thing happened, and honestly, I thought it was supposed to be like that. I've been using it for 5 weeks fairly heavily (darn near every day) and hasn't gotten any worse.

Usually when I get a problem with the spine, the whole spine falls off. This still seems firmly attached to the covers

Maybe you could drip some Elmer's glue down a straw if you want to glue it back...

 

[RangerWickett]

Joe Goodman is a very nice guy, but he's busy running a company. I'm sure if you got in touch you'd get a reply, and hopefully some help.

 

[JimAde]

I thought this thread would be about chiropractors.

I've never successfully fixed a book like this. Depending on how big the inside margins are it might be time to either 3-hole punch the pages or just start carrying the book around in a big ziploc bag.

How many pages is the book?

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Well, I'd prefer to fix it myself if I knew how. As I have multiple books that have the problem. (Though it usually occurs in books I've had a long time).

Here is a detailed description of the problem.

Book of Templates is a 190 page Hardcover book.

As is industry standard, the pages are grouped into 32 (64?) page 'packets' (not sure of the technical term). These packets are then glued onto a fabric strip (look at any hardcover & you'll see what I mean). The actual cardborad cover and spine of the book is then attached to the interior. The Spine of the cover is glued to the fabric strip that all the pages are glued to, while the first and last 'pages' of the interior are glued to the inside covers of the Cardboard Cover.

My problem is that the glue holding the spine to the cover is seperating (If you open the book you can hjold it up & look through the 'peephole' formed by the gap between the Spine and the Fabric Strip. This loss of support really puts a lot of strain on the rest of the book, making it unable to deal with the rigors of going to & from games. Since Book of Templates requires a lot of pre-game use, that's not that big of deal.

I was hoping someone out there knew a way to 'fix' it, rather than me go to Goodman. I might try a few things myself. I need a way to get a line of strong glue all the way down the spine and then clamp the book together. It was just a poor glue job, cheap glue, or the glue not being left alone long enough to set. If it's weak glue, ALL the Book of Templates will be this way. A poor glue job or mishandled books indicate that not ALL the copies might suffer from this.

As I said I call it White-Wolf Spine as I've had to stop bringing Tome Of Horros & Creature Collection 2 to games as they are in danger of falling apart. The Orginal Creature Collection & Ravenloft Monster Book had the same problem, but I bought the 3.5 versions. Most of my White Wolf (Sword & Sorcery) books have weak spines & it's only a matter of time (no matter how gently I treat them), they'll need repairs.

So any do-it-yourselferes out there have any ideas?

 

[Rev. Jesse]

Contact the publisher. Make them PAY for using crappy binding. Don't support companies that make poor products that cannot stand up to normal use.

 

[Tolen Mar]

On my shelves, 9 books out of 10 have bindings like you describe, and almost all of them have the same syndrome you describe. Its actually pretty normal. The pages are all still glued in packets, the packets are all still attached to the cloth and cardboard, and they all last me years, even with the peephole effect.

Unless the pages are already threatening to pull out, I wouldnt worry about it.

I do have one book where its a problem, and thats my single volume edition of Lord of the Rings, but then thats a huge book to bind like that, there are going to be complications.

 

[diaglo]

the newer WotC spines are like this too.

i just got Magic Incarnum in the mail. and it is all warped to heck.