Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/85

BOOKBINDING next, its further progress is effected mainly by the aid of machinery. It is first prepared for the cutting machine, and, after its fore edge has been cut, is glued and rounded by the workman, then returns to be cut on the ends, after which a piece of muslin is pasted over the back nearly as long as the book, but extending about an inch over its sides to give strength to the joints. A backing machine then spreads the back and forms a groove for the boards ; two paper linings are now glued to the back, and the book is ready for its cover, which has in the mean time been prepared in another de- partment. The case or cover is simply and expeditiously made, and is composed of mill boards cut a little larger than the size of the book, strips of paper the exact length and width of the back, and the cloth cut sufficient- ly large to turn over all. The cloth is glued, and one board placed upon it, then the paper at a short distance to allow for the joint, then the other board, after which the corners of the cloth are cut, the edges turned over, and it is rubbed smoothly down. When dry, it is given to the stamper, who letters it in gold and em- bosses the sides. The letters are engraved on a metal stamp, and the impression is made in an embossing press, heated by steam. Gold leaf is laid on the cover, and the heated stamp causes it to adhere where desired, the unused gold being afterward wiped off with a rubber. Then the book is pasted on the sides, placed in the cover, and pressed till dry. This completes the process of case binding, which is distin- guished more particularly from extra binding in having the book forwarded separate from its cover ; and it may be useful to learn that some bookbinders pursue the same plan with mo- rocco as with cloth, producing inferior work, not readily detected by the purchaser until after the volume has been some time in use. Morocco or other extra binding will now be de- scribed. Though folded and gathered the same as the cloth copy, greater care is taken in pressing, and it is sewed in a different manner. The back is not sawed, but the bands, to the number of five in this volume, have their posi- tions indicated by pencil marks. Instead of passing the needle out at the upper and in at the lower side, merely drawing them to the book, it is passed out at the lower and in at the up- per, completely encircling the band, and form- ing a flexible hinge for the sheet. This is called flexible or raised band sewing, and constitutes one of the distinguishing features of strong binding, being not only important but indis- pensable. The forwarder now receives the volume, pastes on and breaks up the end pa- pers, glues the back, and when dry rounds it ; after which the backing boards are placed on the sides a short distance from the back, and it is then screwed up in the laying press, and the back hammered very carefully, so as to spread the sheets on each side of the backing boards, at the same time not wrinkling the in- side. By this process grooves are formed for 109 VOL. ni. 6 the mill boards, which, being cut of the desired size, are placed on the sides, and the book is subjected to a powerful pressure, during which the refuse glue is soaked off with paste, and the back is rubbed smooth and left to harden. It is now in shape, but with all the leaves un- cut. No new machine has yet been made to supersede the old press and plough for cutting a book " in boards." The mill boards are put close in the joints and even with the head of the book, the front board placed as much be- low the head as may be desired ; the book is fixed tightly in the press, the head of the front board being on a level with it, and the head is cut; the same operation is repeated for the foot or tail, the boards being left larger than the book in order to overlay and protect the edges. The fore edge is formed differently. A cord is wound tightly round the volume paral- lel with and close to the back, which is then beaten flat, and the fore edge cut straight ; and upon the release of the book from the cord by which it is bound, the back resumes its round, and the fore edge becomes grooved. The edges are now gilded, for which purpose, the books being pressed, they are scraped smooth, and covered with a preparation of red chalk as a groundwork for the size, a mixture of the white of egg and water, in the proportion of one egg to about half a pint of water. The gold is laid on the size, allowed to dry, and then burnished with an agate or bloodstone. Before being covered, head bands of silk are fixed to each end of the back, projecting a little beyond the sheets, and making the back the same length as the boards. The boards are bevelled at the edges, by means of a ma- chine which grinds them with emery dust. The cover, pared thin, is now pasted on and drawn tightly over, but is afterward taken off for convenience in turning in the edges. The back, which has no lining, is well pasted, the cover drawn on again, the bands well nipped up, and great care is taken to make the leather adhere firmly to the back, and to set the boards closely and well forward in the joints. A book thus sewed and covered possesses the primary essentials of strong binding. The ornamenting or finishing is much a matter of taste within certain limits. The process by which decora- tive impressions are made on the outside of a book is called tooling, and when gold is not used blind tooling. A beautiful effect is produced on morocco by the latter, making those glossy black indentations which so tastefully contrast with the rich color of the leather. For this purpose the tools or stamps are heated and applied repeatedly to the morocco, which has been made thoroughly wet. End papers being neatly pasted to the boards, the book is finished. The foregoing will serve to point out the several processes through which the sheets pass before the book is completed, as well as to exhibit the distinguishing characteristics of the two principal styles of binding. The hol- low or spring back, which is in much favor,