What is the best way to cut the spine off a book?

Question

I want to cut the spine off a book, so that I have a stack of pages.

Answer 1

A printer will have a machine called a guillotine. This will cut it off with one pass, neatly.

A band saw would work, but it will be a slightly rougher cut.

Go to a sewing/craft store and get a quilt ruler and rotary cutter. For less than $20, the ruler will be thick plastic with a grid, so you can line it up straight. The rotary cutter is like a pizza wheel, but very sharp. Designed to cut multiple layers of plastic, it does well with paper, too (and fingers). You should be able to cut 20-25 pages at a time.

Tear them out carefully and trim them on a paper cutter.

Answer 2

I agree with Pinky Pink, but I'm assuming you have a good reason to ask this question. Since if you were mad at the book you would have just torn it up.

If you're looking for just the spine try an exacto to that little indent where you would open the cover. For the entire cover, open the book to the very first page, and cut the binding there. Good luck!

Also this is for a hardback... Paperback you're out of luck. :-/

Answer 3

well, i would usually be angry with you, but..

soak the spine in water for 3 hours. then take a machete and slice very carefully where the page meets the spine.

Answer 4

That's cruelty! A book is a living creature. It should not be cut, burned, or stomped on.
If you are mad at the book, give it to a homeless shelter.

Answer 5

Why not leave it to the professionals? Take it to Kinko's.

Answer 6

A scalpel or exacto knife will do the trick.

Answer 7

Prove that it was plagiarized.