Tins (or 'Thins')
Tinplate ~ Plastic ~ Steel ~ Brass
Continued from [125332]. On that page the various needs and uses for tins - thins - are explained.
There are many materials that meet the two important criteria for bookbinders' use ~ thin (and strong-ish) ~ impervious to water and gas (water-vapour).
- Aluminium kitchen foil ~ thin and floppy ~ difficult to cut neatly and easily (well ~ I find it so) ~ crumples and often needs replacement
- Plastic shopping bags ~ thin and floppy ~ difficult to cut neatly and easily (well ~ I find them so) ~ easy to replace
- Polypropylene sheets ~ terrific ~ perfect ~ if you can get hold of them. I find the crystal ~ cello ~ cellophane ~ bags used for greetings cards at point-of-sale to be ideal, although a very floppy for some tasks
- Polythene sheets ~ not easy to obtain large flat uncrumpled sheets ~ which could be good ~ often rather thick
- Plastic filing pockets ~ ideal ~ buy a pack of 100 for a few pounds and you can make several 'thins' and still have dozens left for office paper tidying. They are a bit floppy, especially the cheapest brands. To stiffen them up a little insert a sheet of office paper ~ which makes them thicker.
- Stainless steel foil ~ or shim ~ difficult to find (especially over 200mm) ~ will last forever (if not too thin) ~ corners and edges need taping over to prevent cuts (the emboldening here is for emphasis and to share bloody personal experience and remind you to avoid it!)
- Brass shim ~ as above ~ it stains easily and might transfer the stain
- Wax paper ~ greaseproof paper ~ often mentioned in old books ~ now difficult to find. Not very efficient ~ and there are better alternatives
- Newsprint ~ unused fish-and-chip-wrapping paper ~ not waterproof or gasproof ~ but an ideal substitute when used as blotting paper if changed frequently (ie within minutes at first ~ then hourly ~ then daily). Do not used printed matter, especially not printed newspapers (the ink will transfer to unwanted places ~ hands and papers, or the glossy surface of magazines will de-laminate and re-stick to unwanted surfaces). [127566]
Last updated 2022~1128~1817
https://www.busybusy.co/page/12/53/35.htm
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