Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/319

After a few sections have been sewn to the cords the ends of the sewing thread will be reached and a new length must be added. Tie a sliding knot in the end of the new thread (Fig. 5), slip the loop over the projecting end of the old thread, draw the old thread down through the loop and draw the loops snuggly together to form the knot. After the needle has passed out at the last catch stitch mark A or E as the case may be, the thread should be securely connected to the preceding catch stitch thread, so that it will not become untied.

The cords may now be untied from the sewing frame and the book removed from it. The cords should be cut about 1½ inch from the edge of the book and their ends frayed out flat by scraping them with a knife.

Place the thumb and fingers of the left hand upon the back of the book and with the fingers of the right hand, press inward along the frone edge to form the usual rounded shape (Fig. 7). Adjust the press boards so that they will be parallel with the back of the book and at a distance from it slightly greater than the thickness of the mill board to be used for the cover. Lower the book into the press and screw the jaws together just sufficiently to keep the book from slipping through the press. Give the book a final adjustment and screw the jaws of the press tightly together. Now take a hammer and hammer up and down along the edges of the back of the book with diagonal or outwardly inclined strokes, until the ends of the sections spread outward over the press boards as shown in Fig. 6. Hammer along the center of the back also, to keep it in well rounded shape.

Loosen the jaws of the press slightly and brush hot glue over the back, allowing it to penetrate for a short distance between the sections. Tighten the press again, but not so tight as when rounding the back, and having cut a piece of fairly strong cloth to a size about two inches shorter and two inches wider than the back of the book, lay it in place upon the back and press it down firmly upon the fresh glue.

When the glue is fairly dry but still flexible, trim the end papers to size and take the book at once to the printer who will rap the book straight from its rounded form, clamp the book in his power cutter and trim its edges.

After cutting the edges of the book they may be ornamented by placing the book between the boards in the craftsman's press and spattering the edges with red or brown ink.

Figs. 4 and 5
The method of sewing

Fig 6

Dip a tooth brush in a small saucer of ink, rap off the surplus ink and draw the brush across the coarse teeth of a comb. Practice first on a sheet of waste paper.

The book is now ready for the cover. Obtain some mill board of the desired thickness, lay it upon another piece of mill or straw board and using a sharp knife guided by a straight edge, cut the mill board to the proper size. For a book of magazine size, there should be a space of about ¼-in. or more between edge of the cover and the back edge of the book. This space should be greater when using heavy cloth like buckram, than for cloth of light weight. Fold a strip of paper around the back of the book and place the trimmed mill board in position on the book. Fig. 7. Make pencil marks upon this strip of paper close to the edge of the mill board covers.

Fig. 7
Shaping the book

Fig. 8
Forming the covers

Lay the mill boards upon the table with a space between them equal to that