CHAPTER XX_Bookbinding, and the Care of Books A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians

Paper--Pastes--Glue

PAPER

Paper may be made by hand or machinery, and either "laid" or "wove."

"Laid" papers are distinguished by wire marks, which are absent in

"wove" paper.

A sheet of hand-made paper has all round it a rough uneven edge called

the "deckle," that is a necessary result of its method of manufacture.

The early printers looked upon this ragged edge as a defect, and

almost invariably trimmed most of it off before putting books into

permanent bindings. Book-lovers quite rightly like to find traces of

the "deckle" edge, as evidence that a volume has not been unduly

reduced by the binder. But it has now become the fashion to admire the

"deckle" for its own sake, and to leave books on hand-made paper

absolutely untrimmed, with ragged edges that collect the dirt, are

unsightly, and troublesome to turn over. So far has this craze gone,

that machine-made paper is often put through an extra process to give

it a sham deckle edge.

Roughly speaking, paper varies in quality according to the proportion

of fibrous material, such as rag, used in the manufacture. To make

paper satisfactorily by hand, a large proportion of such fibrous

material is necessary, so that the fact that the paper is hand-made is

to some extent a guarantee of its quality. There are various qualities

of hand-made paper, made from different materials, chiefly linen and

cotton rags. The best paper is made from pure linen rag, and poorer

hand-made paper from cotton rag, while other qualities contain a

mixture of the two or other substances.

It is possible to make a thoroughly good paper by machinery if good

materials are used. Some excellent papers are made by machinery; but

the enormous demand for paper, together with the fact that now almost

any fibrous material can be made into paper, has resulted in the

production, in recent years, of, perhaps, the worst papers that have

ever been seen.

This would not matter if the use of the poor papers were restricted to

newspapers and other ephemeral literature, but when, as is often the

case, paper of very poor quality is used for books of permanent

literary interest, the matter is serious enough.

Among the worst papers made are the heavily loaded "Art" papers that

are prepared for the printing of half-toned process blocks. It is to

be hoped that before long the paper makers will produce a paper that,

while suitable for printing half-toned blocks, will be more

serviceable, and will have a less unpleasant surface.

Several makers produce coloured handmade papers suitable for end

papers. Machine-made papers can be had in endless variety from any

number of makers.

The paper known as "Japanese Vellum" is a very tough material, and

will be found useful for repairing vellum books; the thinnest variety

of it is very suitable for mending the backs of broken sections, or

for strengthening weak places in paper.

The following delightful account of paper making by hand is quoted

from "Evelyn's Diary, 1641-1706."

"I went to see my Lord of St. Alban's house at Byflete, an old large

building. Thence to the paper mills, where I found them making a

coarse white paper. They cull the raggs, which are linnen, for white

paper, woollen for brown, then they stamp them in troughs to a papp

with pestles or hammers like the powder-mills, then put it into a

vessell of water, in which they dip a frame closely wyred with a wyre

as small as a haire, and as close as a weaver's reede; on this they

take up the papp, the superfluous water draining thro' the wyre; this

they dextrously turning, shake out like a pancake on a smooth board

between two pieces of flannell, then press it between a greate presse,

the flannell sucking out the moisture; then taking it out they ply and

dry it on strings, as they dry linnen in the laundry; then dip it in

alum-water, lastly polish and make it up in quires. They put some gum

in the water in which they macerate the raggs. The mark we find on the

sheets is formed in the wyre."

The following are the more usual sizes of printing papers--

Inches.

Foolscap 17 x 13-1/2

Crown 20 x 15

Post 19-1/4 x 15-1/2

Demy 22-1/2 x 17-1/2

Medium 24 x 19

Royal 25 x 20

Double Pott 25 x 15

" Foolscap 27 x 17

Super Royal 27 x 21

Double Crown 30 x 20

Imperial 30 x 22

Double Post 31-1/2 x 19-1/2

The corresponding sizes of hand-made papers may differ slightly from

the above.

Although the above are the principal sizes named, almost any size can

be made to order.

The following is an extract from the report of the Committee of the

Society of Arts on the deterioration of paper, published in 1898: "The

committee find that the paper-making fibres may be ranged into four

classes:--

A. Cotton, flax, and hemp.

B. Wood, celluloses (_a_) sulphite process,

and (_b_) soda and sulphate process.

C. Esparto and straw celluloses.

D. Mechanical wood pulp.

In regard, therefore, to papers for books and documents of permanent

value, the selection must be taken in this order, and always with due

regard to the fulfilment of the conditions of normal treatment above

dealt with as common to all papers."

"The committee have been desirous of bringing their investigations to

a practical conclusion in specific terms, viz. by the suggestion of

standards of quality. It is evident that in the majority of cases,

there is little fault to find with the practical adjustments which

rule the trade. They are, therefore, satisfied to limit their specific

findings to the following, viz., _Normal standard of quality for book

papers required for publications of permanent value._ For such papers

they would specify as follows:--

"_Fibres._ Not less than 70 per cent. of fibres of Class A.

"_Sizing._ Not more than 2 per cent. rosin, and finished with the

normal acidity of pure alum.

"_Loading._ Not more than 10 per cent. total mineral matter (ash).

"With regard to written documents, it must be evident that the proper

materials are those of Class A, and that the paper should be pure,

and sized with gelatine, and not with rosin. All imitations of

high-class writing papers, which are, in fact, merely disguised

printing papers, should be carefully avoided."

PASTES

To make paste for covering books, &c., take 2 oz. of flour, and 1/4

oz. of powdered alum, and well mix with enough water to form a thin

paste, taking care to break up any lumps. Add a pint of cold water,

and heat gently in an enamelled saucepan. As it becomes warm, it

should be stirred from time to time, and when it begins to boil it

should be continually stirred for about five minutes. It should then

form a thick paste that can be thinned with warm water. Of course any

quantity can be made if the proportions are the same.

Paste for use is best kept in a wooden trough, called a "paste tub."

The paste tub will need to be cleaned out from time to time, and all

fragments of dry paste removed. This can easily be done if it is left,

overnight, filled with water. Before using, the paste should be well

beaten up with a flat stick.

For pasting paper, it should have about the consistency and smoothness

of cream; for leather, it can be thicker. For very thick leather a

little thin glue may be added. Paste made with alum will keep about a

fortnight, but can be kept longer by the addition of corrosive

sublimate in the proportion of one part of corrosive sublimate to a

thousand parts of paste. Corrosive sublimate, being a deadly poison,

will prevent the attack of bookworms or other insects, but for the

same reason must only be used by responsible people, and paste in

which it is used must be kept out of the way of domestic animals.

Several makes of excellent prepared paste can be bought in London.

These pastes are as cheap as can be made, and keep good a long time.

Paste that has become sour should never be used, as there is danger

that the products of its acid fermentation may injure the leather.

Paste tubs as sold often have an iron bar across them to wipe the

brush on. This should be removed, and replaced by a piece of twisted

cord. Paste brushes should be bound with string or zinc; copper or

iron will stain the paste.

WHITE PASTE FOR MENDING

A good paste for mending is made from a teaspoonful of ordinary flour,

two teaspoonsful of cornflour, half a teaspoonful of alum, and three

ounces of water. These should be carefully mixed, breaking up all

lumps, and then should be heated in a clean saucepan, and stirred all

the time with a wooden or bone spoon. The paste should boil for about

five minutes, but not too fast, or it will burn and turn brown.

Rice-flour or starch may be substituted for cornflour, and for very

white paper the wheaten flour may be omitted. Ordinary paste is not

nearly white enough for mending, and is apt to leave unsightly stains.

Cornflour paste may be used directly after it is made, and will keep

good under ordinary circumstances for about a week. Directly it gets

hard or goes watery, a new batch must be made.

GLUE

It is important for bookbinders that the glue used should be of good

quality, and the best hide glue will be found to answer well. To

prepare it for use, the glue should be broken up into small pieces and

left to soak overnight in water. In the morning it should be soft and

greatly swollen, but not melted, and can then be put in the glue-pot

and gently simmered until it is fluid. It is then ready for use. Glue

loses in quality by being frequently heated, so that it is well not to

make a great quantity at a time. The glue-pot should be thoroughly

cleaned out before new glue is put into it, and the old glue sticking

round the sides taken out.

Glue should be used hot and not too thick. If it is stringy and

difficult to work, it can be broken up by rapidly twisting the brush

in the glue-pot. For paper the glue should be very thin and well

worked up with the brush before using.

The following is quoted from "Chambers' Encyclopaedia" article on

Glue:--

"While England does not excel in the manufacture, it is a recognised

fact that Scottish glue ... ranks in the front of the glues of all

countries. A light-coloured glue is not necessarily good, nor a

dark-coloured glue necessarily bad. A bright, clear, claret colour is

the natural colour of hide glue, which is the best and most

economical.

"Light-coloured glues (as distinguished from gelatine) are made either

from bones or sheepskins. The glue yielded by these materials cannot

compare with the strength of that yielded by hides.

"A great quantity is now made in France and Germany from bones. It is

got as a by-product in the manufacture of animal charcoal. Although

beautiful to look at, it is found when used to be far inferior to

Scottish hide glue."

PART II

CARE OF BOOKS WHEN BOUND

CHAPTER XXI

Injurious Influences to which Books are Subjected

_Gas Fumes._--The investigation of the Society of Arts Committee shows

that--

"Of all the influences to which books are exposed in libraries, gas

fumes--no doubt because of the sulphuric and sulphurous acid which

they contain--are shown to be the most injurious."

The injurious effects of gas fumes on leather have been recognised for

a long time, and gas is being, very generally, given up in libraries

in consequence. If books must be kept where gas is used, they should

not be put high up in the room, and great attention should be paid to

ventilation. It is far better, where possible, to avoid the use of gas

at all in libraries.

_Light._--The committee also report that "light, and especially direct

sunlight and hot air, are shown to possess deleterious influences

which had scarcely been suspected previously, and the importance of

moderate temperature and thorough ventilation of libraries cannot be

too much insisted on."

The action of light on leather has a disintegrating effect, very

plainly seen when books have stood for long periods on shelves placed

at right angles to windows. At Oxford and Cambridge and at the British

Museum Library the same thing was noticed. The leather on that side,

of the backs of books, next to the light, was absolutely rotten,

crumbling to dust at the slightest friction, while at the side away

from the light it was comparatively sound. Vellum bindings were even

more affected than those of leather.

The committee advise that library windows exposed to the direct

sunlight should be glazed with tinted glass.

"Some attempts have been made to determine the effect of light

transmitted through glasses of different colours, and they point to

the fact that blue and violet glass pass light of nearly as

deleterious quality as white glass; while leathers under red, green,

and yellow glasses were almost completely protected. There can be no

doubt that the use of pale yellow or olive-green glass in library

windows exposed to direct sunlight is desirable. A large number of

experiments have been made on the tinted 'cathedral' glasses of

Messrs. Pilkington Bros., Limited, with the result that Nos. 812 and

712 afforded almost complete protection during two months' exposure to

sunlight, while Nos. 704 and 804 may be recommended where only very

pale shades are permissible. The glasses employed were subjected to

careful spectroscopic examination, and to colour-measurement by the

tintometer, but neither were found to give precise indications as to

the protective power of the glasses, which is no doubt due to the

absorption of the violet, and especially of the invisible ultra-violet

rays. An easy method of comparing glasses is to expose under them to

sunlight the ordinary sensitised albumenised photographic paper.

Those glasses under which this is least darkened are also most

protective to leather."

_Tobacco._--Smoking was found to be injurious, and it is certainly a

mistake to allow it in libraries.

"The effect of ammonia vapour, and tobacco fumes, of which ammonia is

one of the active ingredients, was also examined. The effect of

ammonia fumes was very marked, darkening every description of leather,

and it is known that in extreme cases it causes a rapid form of decay.

Tobacco smoke had a very similar darkening and deleterious effect

(least marked in the case of sumach tanned leathers), and there can be

no doubt that the deterioration of bindings in a library where smoking

was permitted and the rooms much used, must have been partly due to

this cause."

_Damp._--Books kept in damp places will develop mildew, and both

leather and paper will be ruined.

Where possible, naturally dry rooms should be used for libraries, and

if not naturally dry, every means possible should be taken to render

them so. It will sometimes be found that the only way to keep the

walls of an old house dry is to put in a proper dampcourse. There are

various other methods employed, such as lining the walls with thin

lead, or painting them inside and out with some waterproofing

preparation: but as long as a wall remains in itself damp, it is

doubtful if any of these things will permanently keep the damp from

penetrating.

Bookshelves should never be put against the wall, nor the books on the

floor. There should always be space for air to circulate on all sides

of the bookshelves. Damp is specially injurious if books are kept

behind closely-fitting doors. The doors of bookcases should be left

open from time to time on warm days.

Should mildew make its appearance, the books should be taken out,

dried and aired, and the bookshelves thoroughly cleaned. The cause of

the damp should be sought for, and measures taken to remedy it.

Library windows should not be left open at night, nor during damp

weather, but in warm fine weather the more ventilation there is, the

better.

_Heat._--While damp is very injurious to books on account of the

development of mildew, unduly hot dry air is almost as bad, causing

leather to dry up and lose its flexibility. On this point the Chairman

of the Society of Arts Committee says:--

"Rooms in which books are kept should not be subject to extremes,

whether of heat or cold, of moisture or dryness. It may be said that

the better adapted a room is for human occupation, the better for the

books it contains. Damp is, of course, most mischievous, but

over-dryness induced by heated air, especially when the pipes are in

close proximity to the bookcases, is also very injurious."

_Dust._--Books should be taken from the shelves at least once a year,

dusted and aired, and the bindings rubbed with a preservative.

To dust a book, it should be removed from the shelf, and without being

opened, turned upside down and flicked with a feather duster. If a

book with the dust on the top is held loosely in the hand, and dusted

right way up, dust may fall between the leaves. Dusting should be done

in warm, dry weather; and afterwards, the books may be stood on the

table slightly open, to air, with their leaves loose. Before being

returned to the shelves, the bindings should be lightly rubbed with

some preservative preparation (see chap. XXII). Any bindings that are

broken, or any leaves that are loose should be noted, and the books

put on one side to be sent to the binder. It would be best when the

library is large enough to warrant it, to employ a working bookbinder

to do this work; such a man would be useful in many ways. He could

stick on labels, repair bindings, and do many other odd jobs to keep

the books in good repair.

A bookbinder could be kept fully employed, binding and repairing the

books of a comparatively small library under the direction of the

librarian.

BOOKWORMS

The insects known as bookworms are the larvae of several sorts of

beetles, most commonly perhaps of _Antobium domesticum_ and _Niptus

hololencus_. They are not in any way peculiar to books and will infest

the wood of bookshelves, walls, or floors. A good deal can be done to

keep "worms" away by using such substances as camphor or naphthaline

in the bookcase. Bookworms do not attack modern books very much;

probably they dislike the alum put in the paste and the mill-boards

made of old tarred rope.

In old books, especially such as come from Italy, it is often found

that the ravages of the bookworms are almost entirely confined to the

glue on the backs of the books, and it generally seems that the glue

and paste attract them. Probably if corrosive sublimate were put in

the glue and paste used it would stop their attacks. Alum is said to

be a preventive, but I have known bookworms to eat their way through

leather pasted on with paste containing alum, when, in recovering, the

old wooden boards containing bookworms have been utilised in error.

When on shaking the boards of an old book dust flies out, or when

little heaps of dust are found on the shelf on which an old book has

been standing, it may be considered likely that there are bookworms

present. It is easy to kill any that may be hatched, by putting the

book in an air-tight box surrounded with cotton wool soaked in ether;

but that will not kill the eggs, and the treatment must be repeated

from time to time at intervals of a few weeks.

Any book that is found to contain bookworms should be isolated and at

once treated. Tins may be put inside the boards to prevent the "worms"

eating into the leaves.

Speaking of bookworms, Jules Cousin says:--

"One of the simplest means to be employed (to get rid of bookworms) is

to place behind the books, especially in the place where the insects

show their presence most, pieces of linen soaked with essence of

turpentine, camphor, or an infusion of tobacco, and to renew them when

the smell goes off. A little fine pepper might also be scattered on

the shelf, the penetrating smell of which would produce the same

effect."

Possibly Keating's Insect Powder would answer as well or better than

pepper.

RATS AND MICE

Rats and mice will gnaw the backs of books to get at the glue, so,

means should be taken to get rid of these vermin if they should

appear. Mice especially will nibble vellum binding or the edges of

vellum books that have become greasy with much handling.

COCKROACHES

Cockroaches are very troublesome in libraries, eating the bindings.

Keating's Insect Powder will keep them away from books, but only so

long as it is renewed at short intervals.

PLACING THE BOOKS IN THE SHELVES

The Chairman of the Society of Arts Special Committee says on this

point:--

"It is important that a just medium should be observed between the

close and loose disposition of books in the shelves. Tight packing

causes the pulling off of the tops of book-backs, injurious friction

between their sides, and undue pressure, which tends to force off

their backs. But books should not stand loosely on the shelves. They

require support and moderate lateral pressure, otherwise the leaves

are apt to open and admit dust, damp, and mildew. The weight of the

leaves also in good-sized volumes loosely placed will often be found

to be resting on the shelf, making the backs concave, and spoiling the

shape and cohesion of the books.

"In libraries where classification is attempted there must be a

certain number of partially filled shelves. The books in these should

be kept in place by some such device as that in use in the British

Museum, namely, a simple flat angle piece of galvanised iron, on the

lower flange of which the end books rest, keeping it down, the upright

flange keeping the books close and preventing them from spreading."

He also speaks of the danger to bindings of rough or badly-painted

bookshelves:--

"Great care should be exercised when bookcases are painted or

varnished that the surface should be left hard, smooth, and dry.

Bindings, especially those of delicate texture, may be irreparably

rubbed if brought in contact with rough or coarsely-painted surfaces,

while the paint itself, years after its original application, is

liable to come off upon the books, leaving indelible marks. In such

cases pasteboard guards against the ends of the shelves are the only

remedy."

CHAPTER XXII

To Preserve Old Bindings--Re-backing

TO PRESERVE OLD BINDINGS

It is a well-known fact that the leather of bindings that are much

handled lasts very much better than that on books which remain

untouched on the shelves. There is little doubt that the reason for

this is that the slight amount of grease the leather receives from the

hands nourishes it and keeps it flexible. A coating of glair or

varnish is found to some extent to protect leather from adverse

outside influences, but, unfortunately, both glair and varnish tend

rather to harden leather than to keep it flexible, and they fail just

where failure is most serious, that is at the joints. In opening and

shutting, any coat of glair or varnish that has become hard will

crack, and expose the leather of the joint and back. Flexibility is an

essential quality in bookbinding leather, for as soon as the leather

at the joint of a binding becomes stiff it breaks away when the boards

are opened.

It would add immensely to the life of old leather bindings if

librarians would have them treated, say once a year, with some

preservative. The consequent expense would be saved many times over by

the reduction of the cost of rebinding. Such a preservative must not

stain, must not evaporate, must not become hard, and must not be

sticky. Vaseline has been recommended, and answers fairly well, but

will evaporate, although slowly. I have found that a solution of

paraffin wax in castor oil answers well. It is cheap and very simple

to prepare. To prepare it, some castor oil is put into an earthenware

jar, and about half its weight of paraffin wax shredded into it. On

warming, the wax will melt, and the preparation is ready for use.

A little of the preparation is well worked into a piece of flannel,

and the books rubbed with it, special attention being paid to the back

and joints. They may be further rubbed with the hand, and finally gone

over with a clean, soft cloth. Very little of the preparation need be

used on each book.

If bindings have projecting metal corners or clasps that are likely to

scratch the neighbouring books, pieces of mill-board, which may be

lined with leather or good paper, should be placed next them, or they

may have a cover made of a piece of mill-board bent round as shown at

fig. 120, and strengthened at the folds with linen. This may be

slipped into the shelf with the book with the open end outwards, and

will then hardly be seen.

[Illustration: FIG. 120.]

Bindings which have previously had metal clasps, &c., often have

projecting fragments of the old nails. These should be sought for and

carefully removed or driven in, as they may seriously damage any

bindings with which they come in contact.

To protect valuable old bindings, cases may be made and lettered on

the back with the title of the book.

Loose covers that necessitate the bending back of the boards for their

removal are not recommended.

RE-BACKING

Bindings that have broken joints may be re-backed. Any of the leather

of the back that remains should be carefully removed and preserved. It

is impossible to get some leathers off tight backs without destroying

them, but with care and by the use of a thin folder, many backs can be

saved. The leather on the boards is cut a little back from the joint

with a slanting cut, that will leave a thin edge, and is then lifted

up with a folder. New leather, of the same colour is pasted on the

back, and tucked in under the old leather on the board. The leather

from the old back should have its edges pared and any lumps of glue or

paper removed and be pasted on to the new leather and bound tightly

with tape to make sure that it sticks.

When the leather at the corners of the board needs repairing, the

corner is glued and tapped with a hammer to make it hard and square,

and when it is dry a little piece of new leather is slipped under the

old and the corner covered.

When the sewing cords or thread of a book have perished it should be

rebound, but if there are any remains of the original binding they

should be preserved and utilised. If the old boards have quite

perished, new boards of the same nature and thickness should be got

out and the old cover pasted over them. Such places as the old leather

will not cover, must first be covered with new of the same colour.

Generally speaking, it is desirable that the characteristics of an old

book should be preserved, and that the new work should be as little in

evidence as possible. It is far more pleasant to see an old book in a

patched contemporary binding, than smug and tidy in the most

immaculate modern cover.

Part of the interest of any old book is its individual history, which

can be gathered from the binding, book-plates, marginal notes, names

of former owners, &c., and anything that tends to obliterate these

signs is to be deplored.

SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONS FOR BOOKBINDING

These specifications will require modification in special cases, and

are only intended to be a general guide.

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|the | | | | |

|be | | | | |

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II. |I., |paper made |No. I. |cut and |unbleached|for No.

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III. |No. II. |paper, sewn |No. I. |uncut, |unbleached|for

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IV. |leaves |III. | |cut |unbleached|be left

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SPECIFICATIONS FOR BOOKBINDING--(_continued_).

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|for |The head- |the | | |

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II. |No. I., |No. I. |No. I., |No. I. |omitted, or|be a

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Bindings of |two | |linen and |III. | |

|ed. | | | | |

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GLOSSARY

_Arming press_, a small blocking press used for striking arms-blocks

on the sides of books.

_Backing boards_, wedge-shaped bevelled boards used in backing (see

Fig. 40).

_Backing machine_, used for backing cheap work in large quantities; it

often crushes and damages the backs of the sections.

_Bands_, (1) the cords on which a book is sewn. (2) The ridges on the

back caused by the bands showing through the leather.

_Band nippers_, pincers with flat jaws, used for straightening the

bands (see Fig. 61). For nipping up the leather after covering, they

should be nickelled to prevent the iron staining the leather.

_Beating stone_, the "stone" on which books were formerly beaten; now

generally superseded by the rolling machine and standing press.

_Blind tooling_, the impression of finishing tools without gold.

_Blocking press_, a press used for impressing blocks such as those

used in decorating cloth cases.

_Board papers_, the part of the end papers pasted on to the boards.

_Bodkin_, an awl used for making the holes in the boards for the

slips.

_Bolt_, folded edge of the sheets in an unopened book.

_Cancels_, leaves containing errors, which have to be discarded and

replaced by corrected sheets. Such leaves are marked by the printer

with a star.

_Catch-word_, a word printed at the foot of one page indicating the

first word of the page following, as a guide in collating.

_Cutting boards_, wedge-shaped boards somewhat like backing boards,

but with the top edge square; used in cutting the edge of a book and

in edge-gilding.

_Cutting in boards_, cutting the edges of a book after the boards are

laced on.

_Cutting press_, when the lying press is turned, so that the side with

the runners is uppermost, it is called a cutting press (see Fig. 46).

_Diaper_, a term applied to a small repeating all-over pattern. From

woven material decorated in this way.

_Doublure_, the inside face of the boards, especially applied to them

when lined with leather and decorated.

_End papers_, papers added at the beginning and end of a book by the

binder.

_Extra binding_, a trade term for the best work.

_Finishing_, comprises lettering, tooling, and polishing, &c.

_Finishing press_, a small press used for holding books when they are

being tooled (see Fig. 84).

_Finishing stove_, used for heating finishing tools.

_Folder_, a flat piece of ivory or bone, like a paper knife, used in

folding sheets and in various other operations.

_Foredge_ (fore edge), the front edge of the leaves. Pronounced

"forrege."

_Forwarding_, comprises all the operations between sewing and

finishing, excepting headbanding.

_Gathering_, collecting one sheet from each pile in a printer's

warehouse to make up a volume.

_Glaire_, white of eggs beaten up, and used in finishing and edge

gilding.

_Half binding_, when the leather covers the back and only part of the

sides, a book is said to be half bound.

_Head band_, a fillet of silk or thread, worked at the head and tail

of the back.

_Head cap_, the fold of leather over the head band (see Fig. 67).

_Head and tail_, the top and bottom of a book.

_Imperfections_, sheets rejected by the binder and returned to the

printer to be replaced.

_India proofs_, strictly first proofs only of an illustration pulled

on "India paper," but used indiscriminately for all illustrations

printed on India paper.

_Inset_, the portion of a sheet cut off and inserted in folding

certain sizes, such as duodecimo, &c. (see Fig. 4).

_Inside margins_, the border made by the turn in of the leather on the

inside face of the boards (see Fig. 116).

_Joints_, (1) the groove formed in backing to receive the ends of the

mill-boards. (2) The part of the binding that bends when the boards

are opened. (3) Strips of leather or cloth used to strengthen the end

papers.

"_Kettle stitch_," catch stitch formed in sewing at the head and tail.

_Lacing in_, lacing the slips through holes in the boards to attach

them.

_Lying press_, the term applied to the under side of the cutting press

used for backing, usually ungrammatically called "laying press."

_Marbling_, colouring the edges and end papers in various patterns,

obtained by floating colours on a gum solution.

_Millboard machine_, machine used for squaring boards; should only be

used for cheap work, as an edge cut by it will not be as square as if

cut by the plough.

_Mitring_, (1) lines meeting at a right angle without overrunning are

said to be mitred. (2) A join at 45 deg. as in the leather on the inside

of the boards.

_Overcasting_, over-sewing the back edges of single leaves or weak

sections.

_Peel_, a thin board on a handle used for hanging up sheets for

drying.

_Plate_, an illustration printed from a plate. Term often incorrectly

applied to illustrations printed from woodcuts. Any full-page

illustration printed on different paper to the book is usually called

a "plate."

_Pressing plates_, plates of metal japanned or nickelled, used for

giving finish to the leather on a book.

_Press pin_, an iron bar used for turning the screws of presses.

_Proof_, edges left uncut as "proof" that the book has not been unduly

cut down.

_Register_, (i.) when the print on one side of a leaf falls exactly

over that on the other it is said to register. (ii.) Ribbon placed in

a book as a marker.

_Rolling machine_, a machine in which the sheets of a book are subject

to heavy pressure by being passed between rollers.

_Sawing in_, when grooves are made in the back with a saw to receive

the bands.

_Section_, the folded sheet.

_Semee_ or _Semis_, an heraldic term signifying sprinkled.

_Set off_, print is said to "set off" when part of the ink from a page

comes off on an opposite page. This will happen if a book is pressed

too soon after printing.

_Sheet_, the full size of the paper as printed, forming a section when

folded.

_Signature_, the letter or figure placed on the first page of each

sheet.

_Slips_, the ends of the sewing cord or tape that are attached to the

boards.

_Squares_, the portion of the boards projecting beyond the edges of

the book.

_Start_, when, after cutting, one or more sections of the book come

forward, making the fore edge irregular, they are said to have

started.

_Straight edge_, a flat ruler.

_Tacky_, sticky.

_T. E. G._, top-edge gilt.

_Trimmed._ The edges of a book are said to be trimmed when the edges

of the larger (or projecting) leaves only have been cut.

_Tub_, the stand which supports the lying press. Originally an actual

tub to catch the shavings.

_Uncut_, a book is said to be uncut when the edges of the paper have

not been cut with the plough or guillotine.

_Unopened_, the book is said to be unopened if the bolts of the sheets

have not been cut.

_Waterproof sheets_, sheets of celluloid, such as are used by

photographers.

_Whole binding_, when the leather covers the back and sides of a

volume.

_Wire staples_ are used by certain machines in the place of thread for

securing the sections.

_Groove_, that part of the sections which is turned over in backing to

receive the board.

REPRODUCTIONS OF BINDINGS

I., II., AND III.

FIFTEENTH CENTURY BLIND-TOOLED BINDINGS

IV.

SIXTEENTH CENTURY BINDING WITH SIMPLE GOLD-TOOLING

V., VI., VII., AND VIII.

MODERN BINDINGS DESIGNED BY THE AUTHOR

[Illustration: I.--German Fifteenth Century. Pigskin. Actual

size, 8-3/4" x 6-1/4".]

[Illustration: II.--German Fifteenth Century. Calf. Actual

size 12-1/2" x 8-1/2".]

[Illustration: III.--Italian Fifteenth Century. Sheepskin,

with coloured roundels. Actual size, 11-1/2" x 8-1/4".]

[Illustration: IV.--Italian Sixteenth Century. Actual size,

12-1/2" x 8-1/2". Goatskin.]

[Illustration: V.--Half Niger morocco, with sides of English

oak. Actual size, 17" x 11-1/2".]

[Illustration: VI.--Niger morocco, inlaid green leaves.

Actual size, 8-1/4" x 5-1/2".]

[Illustration: VII.--Green levant, inlaid with lighter green

panel and red dots. Actual size, 6-3/4" x 4-1/2".]

[Illustration: VIII.--Niger morocco, executed by a student of

the Central School of Arts and Crafts. Actual size, 11-3/4" x 9-1/4".]

INDEX

ARMING PRESS, 229, 313

Arms blocks, 228

Art paper, 48, 282

Autograph letters, 179

BACKING, 117

Backing hammer, 123

Back, lining up, 152

Band nippers, 160, 163

Bands, 313

Bandstick, 160

Beating, 90

Beating stone, 90, 313

Benzine, 207, 209

Binding, decoration of, 21, 30, 188, 233

Binding, collotype reproductions of, 321-336

Binding, embroidered, 186

Binding early printed books, 31, 46, 113

Binding, extra, 308

Binding, jewelled, 263

Binding, library, 27, 173, 308

Binding, manuscripts, 31, 108, 113, 125, 135, 223

Binding, metal-covered, 263

Binding, vellum, 180

Binding very thin books, 177

Blind tooling, 188, 222

Blocking press, 229, 313

Blocks, striking, 229

Boards, 124

Boards, attaching, 132

Boards, cutting, 125

Boards, filling in, 170

Boards, lining, 129

Boards, pressing, 193, 210

Boards, split, 28, 175, 311

Bodkin, 114

Bookbinding as a profession, 32

Books in sheets, 34

Bookworms, 297

Borders, designing, 240

Borders, inside, 253

CALF, 27, 277

Cancelled sheets, 43

Cased books, 19, 49

Castor oil, 303

Catch stitch, 99

Catch words, 314

Celluloid, sheets of, 161

Centres, designing, 241

Chrome leather, 276

Clasps and ties, 183, 259

Cleaning off back, 137

Cloth casing, 19, 49

Cloth joints, 86, 257

Cobden-Sanderson, T. J., xii., 22

Cockroaches, 300

Cocoanut oil, 200

Collating, 43

Colouring edges, 144

Combining tools to form patterns, 232

Compasses, 131

Cord sewing, 111

Corners, mitring, 165, 168

Cousin, Jules, 74, 299

Covering, 23, 159, 176, 310

Crushing the grain of leather, 192

Cutting in boards, 139

Cutting mill-boards, 124

Cutting press, 128

DAMP, effect of, on bindings, 294

Decoration of bindings, 21, 30, 188, 233

Designing tools, 230

Diaper patterns, 236

Dividers, 51

Dots, striking, 205

Doubluves, 253, 314

Dressing for old bindings, 302

Dust and dusting, 296

EARLY printed books, binding, 31, 46, 113

Edge colouring, 144

Edge gauffering, 144

Edge gilding, 95, 144

Edge sizing, 95, 146

Edges, painted, 146

Embroidered bindings, 186

End papers, 80, 254

End, painted, 83

End, vellum, 84

Ends, silk, 84

Entering, 33

Evelyn's Diary (quotation), 282

"Extra" binding, 308, 314

FALSE bands, 26

Fillet, 190, 206

Fillet, small, 206, 246

Filling in boards, 170

Finishing, 191

Finishing press, 194

Finishing tools, 188

Finishing stove, 195

Flattening vellum, 65

Folder, 164

Folding, 36

Fraying out slips, 114

French joint, 176

French paring knife, 156

French standing press, 91

GAS fumes, effect of, 291

Gathering, 35

Gauffering edges, 144

Gelatine, 70

Gilding edges, 95, 144

Gilt top, 92

Glaire, 97, 198

Glass, tinted, for libraries, 292

Glossary, 313

Glue, 289

Glueing up, 115

Goatskin, 277

Gold cushion, 200

Gold leaf, 199

Gold knife, 200

Gold, net for, 96

Gold, pad for, 201

Gold tooling, 188, 191

Gouges, 189, 205, 247

Groove (_see_ Joint)

Guarding, 42, 53

Guarding plates, 50, 56, 316

HAMMER, backing, 123

Hand-made paper, 280

Headbanding, 108, 147, 176

Headcaps, 156, 166

Heat, effect of, on bindings, 295

Heraldry on bindings, 227

Hinging plates, 57

Hollow backs, 25, 185

IMPERFECTIONS, 35

India proofs, soaking off, 62

India proofs, mounting, 63

Indiarubber for gold, 207

Inlaying leather, 213, 232, 243

Inlaying leaves or plates, 64

Inset, 40, 315

Inside margins, 253

JACONET, 60, 64

Japanese paper, 282

Japanese vellum, 282

Jewelled bindings, 263

Joint, 165, 169

Joint, cloth, 86, 257

Joint, French, 176

Joint, knocking out, 53

Joint, leather, 86, 171

KETTLE stitch, 49, 99, 105

Keys, sewing, 101

Knife, mountcutters', 54

Knife, French paring, 156

Knife, gold, 200

Knife, plough, 129, 139

Knocking down iron, 53, 134

Knocking out joints, 53

Knot, 100, 106

LACING in slips, 132

Lay cords, 100

Laying press (_see_ Lying press)

Leather, 27, 263

Leather, chrome, 276

Leather, crushing grain of, 192

Leather, inlaying, 213, 232, 243

Leather joints, 86, 171

Leather, paring, 154

Leather, polishing, 191

Leather, sprinkling and marbling, 27, 279

Leather, stretching, 23, 161

Leather, testing, 274

Leather work, 226

Leaves, inlaying, 64

Lettering, 28, 215, 246

Letters, autograph, 179

Library binding, 27, 173, 308

Light, effect of, on leather, 292

Lining up back, 152

Lithographic stone, 157, 160

Loose covers, 304

Lying press, 128

MANUSCRIPTS, binding of, 31, 108, 113, 125, 135, 223

Manuscripts, collating, 46

Maps, throwing out, 60

Marbled paper, 83

Margins, inside, 253

Marking up, 98

Materials for sewing, 111

Mending, 76

Mending tooling, 208

Mending vellum, 79

Metal on bindings, 262

Millboards, 124

Millboard machine, 127, 315

Millboard shears, 126

Mitring corners, 165, 168

Morocco, 277

Morocco, "Persian," 271

Mount-cutters' knife, 54

Mounting India-proofs, 63

Mounting very thin paper, 63

NET for gilding edges, 96

Niger morocco, 278

Nipping press, 211

Nippers, band, 160, 163

OIL, cocoanut, 200

Opening newly-bound books, 257

Overcasting, 51

"Overs," 35

Oxalic acid, use of, 173

PAD for gold, 201

Paging, 44

Painted edges, 146

Painted end papers, 83

Pallets, 189

Paper, 280

Paper, art, 48, 283

Paper, hand-made, 280

Paper, Japanese, 282

Paper, marbled, 83

Paper, sizes of, 36, 283

Paper, sizing, 67

Paper, splitting, 63

Paper, washing, 71

Paraffin wax, 303

Paring leather, 154

Paring paper, 61

Paring stone, 157, 160

Pastes, 286

Paste water, 198

Pasting down end papers, 254

Patterns, 232

"Peel," 316

Permanent binding, 19

"Persian" morocco, 271

Pigskin, 278

Plates, detaching, 48

Plates, guarding, 56

Plates, hinging, 57

Plates, inlaying, 64

Plates, trimming, 40

Plough, 128

Plough knife, 129, 139

Polishing, 191

Preserving old bindings, 302

Press, arming, 229, 313

Press, blocking, 229, 313

Press, cutting, 128

Press, finishing, 194

Press, lying, 128

Press, nipping, 211

Press pin, 316

Press, sewing (_see_ Sewing frame)

Press, standing, 88

Pressing boards, 193, 210

Pressing in boards, 138

Pressing plates, 192, 316

Pressing sections, 87

"Proof," 316

Publishers' binding, 20

Pulling to pieces, 46

QUARTER sections, 42

Quires, books in, 34

RATS and mice, 299

Re-backing, 305

Re-binding, 18, 306

Refolding, 51

Representations of bindings, 321-336

Roll, 190

Rounding, 117

SAWING in, 20, 25, 100, 108

Scrap books, 178

Sealskin, 278

Sections, pressing, 87

Sewing, 100

Sewing cord, 111

Sewing frame, 100

Sewing keys, 101

Sewing on tapes, 26, 111, 174

Sewing on vellum slips, 111, 181

Sewing silk, 112

Sewing, tape for, 112

Sewing thread, 112

Sheepskin, 277-308

Sheets, books in, 34

Sheets, waterproof, 161

Signatures, 34, 43

Silk ends, 84

Silk sewing, 112

Sizes of paper, 36, 283

Sizing, 67

Sizing edges, 95-146

Sizing leather, 198

Sizing paper, 67

Slips, 317

Slips, fraying out, 114

Slips, lacing in, 132

Soaking off India proofs, 62

Society of Arts, Report of Committee on Leather for Bookbinding, 22, 264

Society of Arts, Report of Committee on Paper, 284

Specifications, 308

Split boards, 28, 175, 311

Splitting paper, 63

Sprinkling leather, 27, 279

Squares, 131, 153, 317

Standing press, 88

Standing press, French, 89, 91

Staples, wire, 49

"Starred" sheets, 43

Stove, finishing, 195

Stone, lithographic, 157, 160

Striking dots, 205

Striking tools, 204

TAPE, sewing on, 26, 112, 174

Temporary binding, 20

Testing leather, 274

Thin books, binding, 177

Thin paper, mounting, 63

Thread, sewing, 112

Throwing out maps, 60

Ties and clasps, 183, 259

Tobacco smoke, effect of, on binding, 294

Tooling, blind, 188, 222

Tooling, gold, 24, 188, 191

Tooling on vellum, 212

Tools, designing, 188, 230

Tools, finishing, 188, 230

Training for bookbinding, 32

Trimming before sewing, 93

Trimming machine, 94

Trimming plates, 40

Tub, 317

Tying up, 167

VARNISH, 209

Vellum binders, 26

Vellum bindings, 180

Vellum ends, 84

Vellum, flattening, 65

Vellum, Japanese, 282

Vellum, mending, 79

Vellum slips, sewing on, 111, 183

Vellum tooling on, 212

WALKER, Emery, 216

Washing, 71

Waterproof sheets, 161

Weaver's knot, 106

Wooden boards, 32, 135, 223, 330

Worm holes, 78, 297

THE ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES OF

TECHNICAL HANDBOOKS.

Edited by W. R. LETHABY.

The series will appeal to handicraftsmen in the industrial and

mechanic arts. It consists of authoritative statements by experts in

every field for the exercise of ingenuity, taste, imagination--the

whole sphere of the so-called "dependent arts."

BOOKBINDING AND THE CARE OF BOOKS. A Handbook for Amateurs,

Bookbinders, and Librarians. By DOUGLAS COCKERELL. With 120

Illustrations and Diagrams by Noel Rooke, and 8 collotype

reproductions of binding. 12mo. $1.25 net.

SILVERWORK AND JEWELRY. A Text-Book for Students and Workers

in Metal. By H. WILSON. With 160 Diagrams and 16 full-page

Illustrations, 12mo. $1.40 net.

WOOD CARVING: DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP. By GEORGE JACK. With

Drawings by the Author and other Illustrations. $1.40 net.

STAINED-GLASS WORK. A Text-Book for Students and Workers in

Glass. By C. W. WHALL. With Diagrams by two of his

Apprentices, and other Illustrations. $1.50 net; postage, 14

cents additional.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. For the detailed list

see below. The tables have been slightly modified to optimize

presentation.

page 014--typo fixed: changed 'Making' to 'Marking'

page 138--spelling normalized: changed 'head-banding' to 'headbanding'

page 159--typo fixed: changed 'wook' to 'wood'

page 173--typo fixed: changed 'CHAPTER VIII' to 'CHAPTER XIII'

page 198--typo fixed: changed 'isinglas' to 'isinglass'

page 249--spelling normalized: changed 'tie downs' to 'tie-downs'

page 253--spelling normalized: changed 'headcap' to 'head-cap'

page 298--spelling normalized: changed 'millboard' to 'mill-board'

page 303--spelling normalized: changed 're-binding' to 'rebinding'

page 304--spelling normalized: changed 'millboard' to 'mill-board'

page 310--spelling normalized: changed 'Goat-skin' to 'Goatskin'

page 314--spelling normalized: changed 'head-banding' to 'headbanding'

page 315--spelling normalized: changed 'millboards' to 'mill-boards'

page 339--spelling normalized: changed 'millboards' to 'mill-boards'

page 341--spelling normalized: changed 'Re-folding' to 'Refolding'

Bookbinding, and the Care of Books A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians · 第 20 / 20 章