The $65 sewing cradle that fixed my crooked spines

For about a year I fought with sections that never stacked right, no matter how careful I was with the folder. Then I dropped cash on a proper sewing cradle from a guy at a book fair in Cincinnati, 65 bucks. It has adjustable pins and a little lip that holds the stack square, and suddenly my signatures line up like they actually want to. I used to blame the paper grain or my table being uneven, but it was really just me fighting gravity. The first project after I got it turned out cleaner than anything I'd made in six months. I'm curious if anyone else here builds their own cradles or if you all just buy them, because 65 felt steep but worth it.

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lisar1420d agoTop Commenter

You paid 65 bucks for a piece of wood with pins on it? That's wild, but honestly I respect the patience because I'd probably just stack books on it and call it a day.