Bibles typically have thin paper. Use a Bible enough and the chances are good that a page will tear or wrinkle. Fortunately, tears and wrinkles can be repaired using paper repair tools. In this tutorial we’ll take a look at the tools and step through both types of repairs. First, let’s look at the tools. Then we’ll see how to repair Bible pages using the tools.
First, I’d like to say a special thank you to my wife Lucinda for fixing my Bibles 🙂
Paper Repair Tools
Tools I recommend are (contains affiliate links to help us keep this site running):
- 1″ wide archival quality Document Repair Tape from Lineco
- 6″ Inkssentials Paper Creaser Folding and Burnishing Tool from Ranger
Any similar bone folding or burnishing tool, or document repair tape will work. The tape is thin and invisible, and won’t draw attention to itself. The burnishing tool smooths down the tape.
Repairing a Torn Page
This isn’t the typical tear. A cat landing in my lap, clawing through four pages. The pages now have portions of the paper missing, so this won’t be a perfect repair, but it will keep the pages from tearing further.
Cut the tape at a manageable size (we found 2-4″ to be ideal) and peel the backing from the tape. Be careful not to let the tape stick to itself.
Carefully place the tape over the tear. The tape will not come back up from the paper, so getting it lined up correctly is crucial. Use your fingers to hold the tape away from the paper until you’re ready to press it down to the page. Depending on the type of tear you might need to place something under the page to keep the tape from touching the page underneath.
Smooth the tape with your fingers.
Smooth the tape with the burnishing tool. Use light but even pressure. Too much pressure could indent the pages. Place tape on both sides of the page.
Repairing Wrinkled Pages
Wrinkled pages annoy me. They draw attention to themselves and I’m always trying to straighten them out. This can also be fixed using the repair tape.
Smooth the page as tightly as you can without tearing it. You might need to use the burnishing tool to help smooth out the crease. Be careful not to use too much pressure or you could indent the pages. I recommend getting someone to hold it while you apply the tape.
Cut the tape to a manageable length (2-4″ is good) and place the tape along the wrinkle. Add tape until the entire wrinkle is covered.
Smooth the tape using the burnishing tool.
Depending on how bad the wrinkle is you might need to tape both sides of the page. So far one side worked for this Bible.
Final Thoughts
The repair is easy to do, but does take some care. One wrong move and you’ve got tape in the wrong place. Use the tape carefully and at your own risk. For me it was worth the risk as I can now use these two Bibles without fear of the pages tearing further or without being annoyed by the wrinkled page in the front. Now I need to fix an annoying wrinkle in the front of my Cambridge Clarion.
Have you repaired torn or wrinkled pages in your Bible? What tools and techniques you recommend? What other types of repairs would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.