What's the least destructive way to despine a book?

[Comet_Lonk]

I have some paperback volumes of a manga that I want to translate though I don't know how to remove the pages to scan them without like barbarically ripping them out. What methods are there to removing pages from the paperback version of the book. The book is only about 9 or so years old if that makes any difference.

 

[Angry_Panda]

Can you see how the binding is done? If it's like most tanks in my collection, it would be individual sheets glued to the spine, in which case I would remove the front and back covers as far back as possible with a blade, followed by some patient work with lighter fluid or maybe acetone (probably on a q-tip) along the edges of the glue. That should soften it up enough you can start removing pages. Do this in a well ventilated area.

 

[IdidNineEleven]

I'd try isopropyl alcohol first for glue because cancer is very uncool.

 

[Angry_Panda]

I'd try isopropyl alcohol first for glue because cancer is very uncool.

Worth a shot, though my (limited) experience with adhesives is that IPA is usually very slow to work, and just doesn't cut it with some things.

 

[DrSuperKamiGuru]

Have you tried Forward, Down, Forward, Triangle?

 

[Nojay]

I've had success using a microwave oven to heat up the glue binding used in tankos so I can pull out the pages for scanning. Don't do it for too long, a few seconds is usually enough to soften the glue to pull them out of the binding. Longer microwave times can damage the pages by scorching and discolouring them.
The pages usually come out in clumps rather than singly but they can be separated with a razor knife to cut the remaining glue lumps.

 

[BzzBzz]

Hair dryer