The title and author name is then engraved into the wood. Finally they are finished with a natural, homemade varnish made from a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax.įor this binding, the wood boards are scorched, which creates the burned appearance. The boards are then hand planed and shaped and given a cushion bevel all around which is a gradual tapering toward the edges. When they reach their original weight they are stabalized and ready. After that it is air dried and weighed as they will continue to lose weight as they dry.

The raw wood is split to get a straight grain, then it is resawn. It is made at the level of fine guitar tops which is beyond traditional woodworking. Violin makers and aircraft rebuilders demand these same specifications. It demands a perfectly straight grain, which must be cut with the grain.

Wood book boards require a very stable piece of wood because there is nothing holding it to keep it flat. He really is a master at creating book covers from raw wood, and doing so in a way that prevents the wood from warping. The wood boards are made by master craftsman Jim Croft with the same specifications as used by violin makers and aircraft rebuilders. He is internationally known for his skills, and he travels annually to various locations in the USA to teach students how to make books with wooden covers. Jim is a Medieval bookbinder and papermaker. The wood boards are made by Jim Croft and I am very fortunate to be working with him on this project. There are considerations related to both the style of binding as well as the best way to make the wood boards. Not many bookbinders work with wood bindings.

I really wanted to have wooden boards on this book, and burn the wood so as to tie into the storyline. A total of nine different collaborators have been involved, including the bookbinder, the fine art printer, the wood craftsman, the engraver and the artist. This project is larger in scope than the previous one. Coming off the completion of The Eyes of the Dragon, Firestarter started to take on a life of its own.įor those unfamiliar with these books, I work with a bookbinder, and we use the page block from the original 1st edition of the book, and then we rebind it in a unique way that ties into the story. I had the idea for how I wanted to rebind this one long before I got around to doing it. Firestarter is one of my favorite Stephen King novels, and for me it was an easy choice for the 2nd in this custom bound series of books.

Stephen king firestarter first edition