How do I get a Thumb Index for my Bible

[United]

I love my RSV-2CA Ignatius Bible with the bonded leather binding however it does not have a Thumb Index. Is there a way or anyone that can cut a Thumb Index in this Bible for me?

I do not want the Tab index’s which are available.

Thanks

 

[CalCatholic]

I love my RSV-2CA Ignatius Bible with the bonded leather binding however it does not have a Thumb Index. Is there a way or anyone that can cut a Thumb Index in this Bible for me?

I do not want the Tab index’s which are available.

Thanks

I think that is only done at production (but I maybe wrong). I use the gold rimmed tabs from ‘Tabbies’ (#58330). They look very nice.

 

[Apollos]

I love my RSV-2CA Ignatius Bible with the bonded leather binding however it does not have a Thumb Index. Is there a way or anyone that can cut a Thumb Index in this Bible for me? I do not want the Tab index’s which are available.

Ask around at an office supply/service store.

Or you can do it yourself with a single-hole hole punch. Punch a half-circle out of the edges of several pages at once and, using each previous punch as a guide, punch more until the cut-out part is big enough to use. Then you can pencil in the abbreviation for the book.

Instead of thumb-cuts, you can also make (or have someone make) step-cuts. For the whole book of Genesis, cut away a strip along the outer edges of the pages leaving only a rectangular tab at the top outer corner. For Exodus, do the same but leave a longer tab, and so on, until in the end you have something like a staircase cut out of the edges of the pages when your Bible is closed. I don’t recommend this, however, because Bible paper is usually very thin and the tabs get ruffled all too easily through normal use.

Another alternative is to put a heavy mark in the margin of the first right-hand page of each book, right at the edge of the page, with the mark for each book a little lower than the previous, so that when you curl the whole Bible you can see the staggered marks peeping out.

A variation on this is to gather all the pages of one book and put the mark on the thin edges of the pages instead of on the face of the page, so that you get something like a staggered bar-code when the Bible is closed.

Either way, you won’t have the benefit of the actual names of the books, but you can use a different color mark for groups of books. For example, use one color for the first five books Genesis through Deuteronomy because they form a unit; another color for the Four Major Prophets Isaiah through Daniel (counting Lamentations and Baruch as appendixes to Jeremiah), another for the 12 Minor Prophets, and so on. This makes it easier AND it teaches you the order of the canon of scripture so you can impress your Protestant friends by reciting them from memory

 

[anruari]

I’ve been thinking about this myself. You would need a VERY sharp, shaped edge. a very steady hand and very careful attention to detail. I imagine a half-round wood chisel would be suitable. the type used for wood turning or carving. This needs to be as sharp as possible.

1st you would print out small stickers, cut to the shape of the Thumb tabs you want to create. One for each book or group.
2nd You would go to the first book you want to indes, and place the sticker in the right location. Place a hard, thin board of wood or plastic on top, and then close the remaining pages over the top. Then using the sharp round chizel, cut down through all the preceeding pages until you reach the board. Yse firm, steady pressure, and some of your own weight.If the chisel is not sharp enough you will make a real mess.

1. mark the location of the tab for Exodus. and with a carefull eye for the angle of entry required repeat the process above.
2. as you progress through the bible you will reach a point where you are only cutting through some, not all of the preceding pages. It is probably worth counting or calculating the number of pages involved. this will help get the correct starting place for each cut.

5 I would definately practice on waste paper, or an old damaged book which has similarly thin pages.

 

[Phyllo]

I’ve been thinking about this myself. You would need a VERY sharp, shaped edge. a very steady hand and very careful attention to detail. I imagine a half-round wood chisel would be suitable. the type used for wood turning or carving. This needs to be as sharp as possible.

1st you would print out small stickers, cut to the shape of the Thumb tabs you want to create. One for each book or group.
2nd You would go to the first book you want to indes, and place the sticker in the right location. Place a hard, thin board of wood or plastic on top, and then close the remaining pages over the top. Then using the sharp round chizel, cut down through all the preceeding pages until you reach the board. Yse firm, steady pressure, and some of your own weight.If the chisel is not sharp enough you will make a real mess.

1. mark the location of the tab for Exodus. and with a carefull eye for the angle of entry required repeat the process above.
2. as you progress through the bible you will reach a point where you are only cutting through some, not all of the preceding pages. It is probably worth counting or calculating the number of pages involved. this will help get the correct starting place for each cut.

5 I would definately practice on waste paper, or an old damaged book which has similarly thin pages.

Just a thought–but maybe you could ask a professional book binder if they could do this for you or could they recommend someone.

 

[White_Orchid]

I work in a Christian book store and we send them to a christian warehouse to have it done- cost is around 10-15 dollars- not including shipping. That is because they are still hand cut.
Only thing is- some bibles are able to be cut and some are not- it has to do with the margin size and the cutting guides/tools.

Best thing to do is bring it into a Christian bookstore and ask!

 

[tjmouser]

The answer to your inquiry regarding aftermarket Bible thumb indexing is oh so simple…and I just happen to have the answer you all seek. Contact Ross Gage Inc., 8502 Brookville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46239, Tel: 317-283-2323/Fax: 317-931-2108; rossgage.com/contact-us.html. If your Bible has never been thumb indexed, then you will need to call Ross Gage, ask to speak with Carol Eads, and arrange to ship your Bible to them so that they may make the cuts into your Bible, and glue the black w/gold lettering thumb indexes. I have done this several times already, and I can confirm that the finished product is the same or better than a Bible already with thumb indexing shipped direct from the publisher. Problem solved. (Incidentally, when you speak with Carol, please tell her that Ted Mouser sent you. You won’t be disappointed!)