First Five-Signature Notebook

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Completed first five-signature notebook. Adjusted thread length after miscalculation from previous attempt; established correct formula for measurement. Improved wax application reduced fray and improved threading. Identified uneven tension caused by inconsistent tightening at head and tail. Achieved proper alignment and closing through use of punching cradle. Results established baseline for thread length, spacing, and stitch consistency.

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Date: Friday October 3, 2025

Classification: Week 1 Day 3 | Craft Day

Piece: 5 of ∞

Made: First completed five-signature notebook

Learned

1) Removing the thread from Day 2’s attempt was easy. I also spent more time working the bees wax into the thread. By the time I secured the first anchoring loop at the head of the book I realized I miscalculated the thread length by 50 percent. The formula is as follows: Length of the signature spine × quantity of signatures, multiply by 2. I forgot that last part, multiply by 2.

2) I had plenty of time on the way home to think about why the thread was loose in spots even though I thought I tightened it properly. My conclusion was that while I tightened the threading at the tail, I forgot to tighten properly at the head — for those signatures that were anchored at the head. Reviewing the video from Four Keys again highlighted how he does this in the head position and the tail. I can improve on this in the next iteration.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with my first go at it.