Palimpsest, Binding, and Glues

Palimpsest:

For thy manuscripts ye will have need of palimpsests. Take ye then a manuscript that is old and no longer used, pulleth from its binding the old pages of parchment. Wash the pages and if needed taketh thy knife and scrapeth old writing away. Once thy parchment surface is clean, use it for thy new manuscript.

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Binding:

To bindeth thy parchment into a manuscript, foldeth the parchment together into gatherings. Maketh sure ye keep thy gatherings in their proper order. Taketh thy gatherings together and using the sewing frame attach the gatherings to the frame's attached cords of leather to createth a binding. Once thy sewing is finished taketh the ends of the cords that had been laced through channels and tie them to wooden boards that formeth the front and back covers of thy manuscript.

Cover the bindings with leather or decorative cloth and adorn if ye choosest with metal corner pieces and raised medallions that would help protecteth the binding of thy manuscript while it rested on a surface.

Glues:

Cheese Glue:

Ingredients: Cheese curds and lime.

Orders: Take thy cheese curds and mixeth with lime until it reaches a sticky, but flowing consistency.

Notes: Best ye remember, useth thy cheese glue quickly, lest it setteth itself hard before thy needeth it.

Hide Glue:

Ingredients: Hide of an animal [horse, ass, or cow] and the horn of a stag.

Orders: Taketh thy skin already dried and cutteth it into small pieces. Then taketh a hammer from the smith and breaketh the horn of a stag on the head of an anvil until it is in small pieces.
Placeth together thy skin and horn in a cauldron until half full. Fill thy cauldron with water and heateth over thy fire, but do not alloweth it boil. Keepeth thy cauldron over fire until a third of thy water hast evaporated. Placeth thy good glue in a vessel that hast been thoroughly cleaned. Filleth again with water until half full and cooketh as before. Thou shalt be able to this four times with this same mixture.

Notes: To test thy mixture: placeth two fingers in the mixture and if they sticketh together when thy fingers hast cooled, then thou hast produced a good glue. If thou fingers do not sticketh, then thou needs to keep the mixture over the fire longer.

Gum Arabic

Ingredients: The sap of the acacia tree.

Orders: Take ye the sap of the acacia trees and drieth it in the sun. Crumble then thy sap until it is of grainy texture. Placeth in thy large glue pot. Then taketh the amount as thou needs and either mix into fresh water to maketh glue or mix into thou pigments to bindeth together thy paint.

Notes: If ye buy thy gum Arabic from a glue maker, be watchful for he may selleth you false gum arabic. Testeth the gum before buying and make sure it dissolveth.