San Francisco Center for the Book

Clamshell presentation boxes are a staple of the binder's trade.

In this class, students will learn to construct a clamshell box from pre-cut parts. By focusing on construction and covering, the focus of this class will be on building hand skills and gaining a general understanding of the clamshell box structure.

Students will learn critical aspects of tray construction, cover making, casing in, and options for labels and inlays. Also addressed will be various alterations and enhancements of the clamshell structure. 

Students in this class will not have the opportunity to make a custom-sized box. They will be working from pre-cut pieces, but will complete the class with some understanding of how to approach boxmaking on their own. More experienced students who wish to learn how to measure and cut for a custom box should watch for Advanced Box Making classes in the future.

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to Bring:
All tools and materials will be provided. Students are welcome to bring their own hand tools.

About the Instructor:
Brian Lieske (he/him) wandered into SFCB several years ago and continues to haunt the place. He completed both the bookbinding and letterpress cores as well as several of the summer historic structure classes. He enjoys making fully hand-sewn books and still fights to not over-tighten his kettle stitches. He’s lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years having arrived shortly after completing an MFA at the University of Texas at Austin.