Cover One

Cover One Book Binding Repair Machine

Repairs spines for as little as $.25 per book

• Mrs. G Talks Books blog about Cover One
• Cover One Website
• Cover One Tutorial Video
• Repairing Guinness Book of World Records with Cover One on Mrs. G Talks Books

Cover One Q and A

1. Does it really work as easily as the instructional videos?

Yes it is really easy! Here's my blog about it Cover One - CSLA SR 3 & 4 Book Repair Workshop

2. Do the books really stay bound ‘forever’ so to speak?

I don't know about FOREVER, but the glue does make a stronger hold than the publisher's glue. I don't think I have had to rebind a book I have fixed before unless I didn't heat up the glue enough the first time (some hardcovers, need more time for the heat to get through the spine). The other thing that is cool is that if you make a mistake, you can heat it up again and do it over. Once I accidentally glued in a page in upside down. OOPS!

3. Is it too time consuming to make it worthwhile?

Not time consuming at all. Much faster than using regular glue. You can get a book back into circulation in about 15 minutes (including cool down time). I usually let a bunch pile up and do it all at once.

4. Have you had any problems with the machine not working right or breaking?

I did have a problem with my timing mechanism on one of my machines. It stopped working over the summer. Who knows why -- a custodian could have dropped it while moving things. However, as soon as I called Cover One, they sent me a new one right away and I just packed up the old one and dropped it off at a UPS location. It was really simple. I don't think it is typical for something to go wrong. I have had my other model for several years without problem.

5. They make it sound like the supplies are inexpensive—do you feel they are?

Yes, the supplies are inexpensive. Each glue strip costs about $1, but you can get about 4 books per strip. The only time I use a full strip is on my Guinness Book of World Records.

6. Do you believe that the machine is worth the cost when compared to just re-buying the book?

I guess it depends on how much money you have for replacing books. You can probably repair 10-40 books at $.25 to $1 each for the cost of replacing one $10 book. In California, we are really scrounging for money, so I like my books to last as long as possible. I really use it most for the books that students love to death and the copies are always in circulation. Especially if you know a replacement won't get ordered for 6 months to a year when money comes available again. I know primary school children are really tough on books, so this may really be worth the investment for you.

7. How long have you had it and is it still working just fine compared to its age?

I have 2 machines for 2 schools. The one that had to be replaced was a new machine, It was the model you can get through Scholastic Book Fairs. My other machine I have used for years (at least 10) without problem, it's the more expensive version (620). When I moved schools, the first thing I did was use my Scholastic Dollars from the book fair to get a machine. Everyone I know who has one loves it!

8. Do you fix paperback books covered with contact paper? And if so, does it hurt the contact paper/melt it? I’m worried about what it might do to the contact paper.

I have fixed books with contact paper. It does sometimes melt the contact paper, but doesn't ruin the book. Never put contact paper directly on the heating element. I use construction paper or wax paper to protect the spine. Sometimes I end up replacing the spine label because the call number might be unreadable from melting. It kind of shrinks a bit and the letters might squash together. More cosmetic, really. The machine usually comes with Kapco book tape, which is more resistant to melting. I think it works okay with the Kapco covers as well. Maybe just reinforce the contact paper with the Kapco tape before binding?

9. What model do you have. Do you like it or do you wish you had a different model?

The more expensive machine is the one I've had for years without problems. I like that it heats automatically and you don't have to select the timing mechanism. It also fits larger books. I purchased it to repair textbooks, so it has a slightly larger capacity. That's one way to get the administration to pay for it. I used textbook repair fines. The smaller machine (520) will fit up to the Harry Potter size hardcovers. You probably don't really need the larger one (620).