sheep’s skins.--_M._ Ball Leathers, dressed with oil, were introduced
within the author’s recollection; but, although more durable, and
sweeter in use than pelts, they were not adapted to produce fine
work, and were therefore soon discontinued.
BALL LININGS.
When balls are made of pelts, the wool in the first instance is
covered with the pelt of an old ball, previously soaked in the pelt
pot and well scraped; this is again covered with a new pelt, and
nailed to the ball stock, which makes the ball complete. The old pelt
is called the _Ball Lining_, and makes it firmer in the neck, and
also wear longer.
BALL NAILS.
The nails that ball leathers are tacked to the ball stocks with.--_M._
BALL NECK.
That part of the ball which is immediately between the stock and the
body of the wool, just below the nails, is named the _Ball Neck_, or
the _Neck of the Ball_.
[Illustration: Rack for the printing balls]
BALL RACK.
Two round tapering wooden pins fastened into a feather-edged piece of
elm, and nailed to the near cheek of the press, in which to place the
balls when they are not in use, nearly on a level with the ink block.
There is frequently an additional one, for two balls, nailed higher
up to the same cheek, under the cap, for a pair of spare balls, or to
keep them separate when necessary; pelt balls injure each other when
kept together for any length of time; and composition balls should
never be left one upon the other, for they adhere to each other, and
the surface is frequently torn in separating them.
Moveable ball racks are sometimes used for convenience, with the rack
fastened to an upright piece of wood, fixed into a cross piece to
serve it for standing upon.
BALLS.
Two circular pieces of pelt, leather, or canvass covered with
composition, stuffed with wool and nailed to the ball stocks, used
to cover the surface of the article to be printed with ink, in order
to obtain an impression from it. Moxon says they were occasionally
stuffed with hair; and that if the ball stocks were six inches in
diameter the ball leathers were cut about nine inches and a half
diameter. They are made larger, according to the work they are
required for; those used for Newspapers were the largest.
Pelt Balls are superseded in London by composition Balls and
composition rollers, and nearly so in the country; but when I
recollect that the most splendidly printed English books were
executed with pelt Balls, and that a printer may be so situated in
the country, or in some foreign place, as not to be able to procure
composition Balls or rollers, I think it useful to give directions
how to make and manage Balls of pelts, so that wherever a printer
may be situated, he may sustain no great inconvenience, provided he
has a skin at his command: and I shall in the first place give an old
Pressman’s directions for this purpose, who was well and practically
experienced in every variety of presswork, and who wrote them
expressly for this work.
“The pelt being well soaked, the pressman scrapes with the ball
knife a little of the wet and filth off--twists it--puts it on the
currying-iron, holding an end in each hand, and curries it, by
pulling it strongly backwards and forwards, till it becomes warm and
pliable, and the grease adheres to his hands, so that the pelt is in
danger of slipping out of them while currying: without treading he
cuts the pelt into two equal parts, across, and scrapes both sides
of them; he then lays one of them on a press stone, or on any other
stone that is large enough, and stretches it and spreads it well with
the grain side downwards: the pelt of an old ball being well soaked,
he cleans it, scraping it partially, so that some of the moisture
may remain in it, and spreads it on the new pelt, as a lining, but
does not stretch it nearly so much as the new one, and then nails an
edge of them to the ball stock: the wool, being previously carded or
combed, he lays in single locks one upon another, crossways, till he
has enough for the size of the Ball which he is making. If it be for
a newspaper it must be very large; if for bookwork, to be used with
common ink, it must be smaller in proportion; but in both cases he
brings the ends of the locks of wool into one hand, forming it into
the shape of a ball very slightly, and puts these ends into the bowl
of the stock; then bringing the opposite edge of the pelt to that
already nailed, he also nails that to the ball stock; then he nails
two other parts of the pelt opposite to each other, between those
parts before nailed; then he plaits the pelt, nailing it regularly on
the ball stocks; and cuts off the superfluous edges of the skin. The
linings ought to be large enough to be nailed to the ball stock equal
with the skin. Then he makes another ball, exactly the same as the
first; and if both have a full even face, with no hillocks or dales,
he has got a pair of good Balls.
“After having knocked up his Balls, he washes both them and the
stocks well, and lets them lie out of the water a quarter of an hour;
then placing one edge of the face upon the edge of the bank, the
coffin of the press, or upon any other convenient place, and the end
of the ball stock against his breast, he takes the handle of a sharp
table knife in one hand and the end of the blade in the other, and
scrapes it regularly and rather strongly from the plaits to the face
of the Ball, at every scrape turning round the Ball, which brings
out such a quantity of grease and moisture, as obliges him at the
first to wipe his knife at every scrape; he thus proceeds, till he
can scarcely bring any more out of the skin. He then places a sheet
or sheets of paper on the face of the Ball, and rubs it well with his
hands, till the Ball is thoroughly dry, his companion doing the same
to the other Ball: they then begin to work the form.
“If a pressman has to execute fine work with strong ink, he stuffs
the Balls harder with wool than he does for weak ink; because strong
ink lugs or stretches the skin very fast, and soon slackens the
Balls, if not hard stuffed.
“I was several years employed on fine work and strong ink, in an
office where it was not allowed to tread a skin; this circumstance
caused me to try the above-mentioned plan, and experience has taught
me that it is by far the most preferable method.
“I also know by experience that a greasy skin is the best for strong
ink, if treated in this manner; because it always keeps mellow until
the balls are worn out, and there is less trouble in capping them.
“Making Balls is a nasty job: there is an old proverb in the trade,
that ‘_The devil would have been a pressman, if there were no Balls
to make_;’ that is, the printer’s devil.” _See_ PELTS.
Tanned sheep’s skins, dressed with oil, have been used, to avoid
smell, and for durability: they were more durable than pelts; but
they were not calculated for producing fine impressions, not being
soft; and, in consequence, not retaining dirt or other extraneous
matter on their surface; this occasioned picks, and rendered them
unsuitable for printing small letter or fine engravings with neatness.
When the pressmen leave work at night, the pelt balls are capped;
that is, they are wrapped up, each in a blanket steeped in urine; and
this is always done when they are not in use: it keeps them soft,
and in working condition; but they are to be scraped, and dried with
paper, to get rid of the moisture, each time they are wanted. There
have been many attempts to supersede the use of urine, on account of
its disagreeableness and smell; but no substitute, to my knowledge,
has answered the purpose so well with pelts.
Composition Balls and composition rollers have, as I previously
observed, superseded the use of pelt balls in the metropolis, and
nearly so in the country. This has arisen from their superior
cleanliness and sweetness, and being equal to pelts in producing
good work. They can also be procured, generally, at the moment they
are wanted, in the best working state; since their introduction the
manufacture of them has become a new business, and they are supplied
at so moderate a rate, (either per week or quarter,) and may be
renewed as often as required, that scarcely a printing office in
London at the present day troubles itself to make Balls; and hence no
pressman need ever complain of having bad Balls as an excuse for bad
workmanship.
These Balls will be found peculiarly convenient in small offices,
where even one press is not in constant employment; for they may be
kept for any length of time without injury to them; and if they be
preserved in a proper temperament, will be always ready for use at
the moment required. If they should become a little too dry, they may
be restored to a proper state for working in a very short time by
sponging them over with water, and distributing them; or, if there
be time, by placing them in a damp situation, in order that they may
imbibe moisture.
They may be easily made in an office at a distance from town, where
it may be both inconvenient and expensive to have them removed
backwards and forwards, by having a shallow dish formed of tin, &c.
pouring the melted composition in it, and before it is cold attaching
a piece of canvass to it sufficiently large to form a Ball of the
size wanted. The facing will be thus thicker in the middle and taper
off to the edge, which will be quite thin; and the edge of the
composition should be continued well over the rounding of the Ball,
to prevent it ever touching the form in beating, and thus avoiding
any ill effects from portions of ink or dirt that would lodge at the
extremity of the composition, and come in contact with the types or
engraving. _See_ COMPOSITION.
[Illustration: A tool to hold an inked ball]
BALL STOCKS.
Turned of Alder or Maple. They are about seven inches in diameter,
and have their under side turned hollow, to contain the greater
quantity of wool or hair, to keep the ball leathers plump the
longer.--_M._ They are now made of Elm, and the handles are Beech:
but an improvement has been made in this article of late years,
although it has not been generally adopted, viz. turning the bowl
and handle in one piece, instead of having the handle fitted into
the bowl, which frequently came loose, and was troublesome to the
Pressman, often catching the skin of his hand, and pinching it. The
usual size of the bowl for bookwork, is five inches and a quarter in
diameter.
BANK.
A deal table, on which the Pressmen have the paper when printing.
It was called a Horse in Moxon’s time. _See_ HORSE. It is useful to
have a small drawer in the front of it, in which the Pressmen may put
their thin paper for overlays, their paste points, and many other
articles that would otherwise be lying upon the shelf or platen.
BANK NOTES.
On the 13th of January, 1819, Mr. James Fergusson, of Newman Street,
Oxford Street, printer, sent to the Commissioners for inquiring into
the Prevention of Forgery of Bank Notes, his plan for that purpose,
of which the following is his published description.
“My plan is reared upon the solid foundation of putting it in the
power of every individual to be _certain_ whether a Bank-note is
genuine or spurious _by inspection_. I propose, in order to form
the ground-work of Bank-notes, to cast a fount, or several founts,
of types, formed of such a peculiar shape, that, when printed from,
the impression would appear, at first sight, like a line engraving;
while, at the same time, when examined more closely, every part of
it might be easily read. Although it is not in my power, without
going to considerable expence, to produce a specimen of such types
as ought to be made for this purpose, yet no one will deny that
they may be obtained by means of punch-cutters and letter-founders.
This being granted, let me suppose that I have got such types; I
should then proceed to compose a page with them of the size of
a Bank-note, consisting of such subject-matter as may be deemed
advisable,--probably, an explanation of the way by which forgery
could be detected. From this page of moveable types, I should make a
stereotype plate; and I should then, by stamping or engraving upon
the stereotype plate, put the promissory words of the Bank-note,
with the addition of whatever ornamental lines might be thought
proper. This stereotype plate, so formed, would give, by one pull at
the letter-press, a completed Bank-note, unless it might be deemed
requisite to add the numbering; and a signature or signatures, in
writing. Having got _one_ stereotype plate in the way I describe, I
should use it for no other purpose than to obtain others; and from
them I could easily make plates to any amount that may be necessary,
all which would yield impressions obviously alike. As the promissory
and ornamental parts of the note, _in white_, will purposely be
made to intersect the words printed _in black_ all over the surface
of the note, the intersections will prove an _infallible_ guide to
distinguish a spurious note from a genuine one. This contrivance
of intersections being the leading feature in my plan, I have
denominated it _The Intersection Plan_.
“Individuals, when familiarized to notes issued upon this principle,
would naturally select some portion to which they might easily refer,
to ascertain the genuineness of a note. And, for further security, if
necessary, the Bank might print what I may call _Standards_, for the
use of the public, to be sold for a trifle, merely to insure their
preservation. The Standards to be printed from the same plates as the
notes themselves, but on paper quite of another texture and colour
from the note paper, for the purpose of proving the correctness of
the intersections.” _See_ FORGERY.
BANKRUPTS,
Scotland. 2 & 3 Vict. c. 41. “An Act for regulating the
Sequestration of the Estates of Bankrupts in _Scotland_.
s. 143. “And be it enacted, That from and after the Commencement
of this Act the Keeper of the _Edinburgh Gazette_ shall on
each Day of Publication furnish a Copy thereof to the Keeper
of Edictal Citations and to the Bill Chamber Clerks, who shall
keep the same regularly filed, and make the said Gazettes on all
Occasions patent to the Lieges at Office Hours, on Payment of a
Fee of Sixpence and no more.
s. 144. “And be it enacted, That no Advertisement inserted in
the _London Gazette_ or in the _Edinburgh Gazette_ by virtue of
this Act, or the said recited Act of the Fifty-fourth Year of the
Reign of His Majesty King _George_ the Third, intituled _An Act
for rendering the Payment of Creditors more equal and expeditious
in_ Scotland, or an Act of the Sixth and Seventh Year of His
late Majesty, intituled _An Act for regulating the Process of
Cessio bonorum in the Court of Session, and for extending the
Jurisdiction of Sheriffs in_ Scotland _to such Cases_, shall
be charged by the Keepers of the said Gazettes for Publication
therein at a higher Price, nor shall a higher Price be paid for
such Publication, than the Sums specified in the Schedule (L.)
hereunto annexed.
s. 145. “And be it enacted, That from and after the Commencement
of this Act all Conveyances, Assignations, Instruments,
Discharges, Writings, or Deeds relating solely to the Estate
belonging to any Bankrupt against whom Sequestration has been or
may be awarded either under this or any former Act, and which
Estate, after the Execution of such Conveyances, Assignations,
Instruments, Discharges, Writings, or Deeds, shall be and remain
the Property of such Bankrupt for the Benefit of his Creditors,
or the Trustee appointed or chosen under or by virtue of such
Sequestration, and all Discharges to the said Bankrupt, and all
Deeds, Assignations, Instruments, or Writings for reinvesting
the said Bankrupt in the Estate, and all Powers of Attorney,
Commissions, Factories, Oaths, Affidavits, Articles of Roup or
Sale, Submissions, Decrees Arbitral, and all other Instruments
and Writings whatsoever relating solely to the Estate of any
Bankrupt sequestrated as aforesaid, and all other Deeds or
Writings forming a Part of the Proceedings ordered under such
Sequestration, and all Notices or Advertisements inserted in the
_London_ and _Edinburgh_ Gazettes relative thereto, shall be
exempt from all Stamp Duties or other Government Duty.”
SCHEDULE (L.)
“_Table of Prices payable for Advertisements in the London or
Edinburgh Gazettes._
£ _s. d._
For Six Lines and under 0 6 0
For more than Six Lines and not exceeding Ten Lines 0 7 6
For more than Ten Lines and not exceeding Fifteen Lines 0 10 6
For more than Fifteen Lines and not exceeding Twenty Lines 0 14 6
For more than Twenty Lines and not exceeding Twenty-five
Lines 0 17 6
For more than Twenty-five Lines and not more than Thirty
Lines 1 0 6”
BAR. _See_ PRESS BAR.
BASKET.
In printing offices where there are large founts of letter, and the
fount cases of any particular fount are not sufficient to hold the
superfluous sorts, the surplus is put in coffins, and deposited in
round baskets, till wanted.
BATTER.
When the face of any letters gets injured in a form, it is termed a
Batter.
This accident frequently occurs:--in the course of working at press a
letter or letters will draw out in beating, and occasionally be left
on the form without being perceived; this, when the next impression
is pulled, injures the page on which it was left;--a pin, needle,
or bodkin, used as pickers, will sometimes be laid on a page and
forgot--and other small articles, which produce the same injury.
It also happens with forms reared up at the ends of frames, where
the faces of the letter in the forms are put to each other, with a
quoin, or a piece of furniture, to prevent them touching, which being
accidentally displaced, the letter gets injured. The only thing to
be done when these accidents occur, is to replace the letters; this
however is too frequently done without showing a revise to the Reader
or Overseer; and thus errors creep into a work, which no care on the
part of a Reader can prevent. To steady careful men these accidents
seldom happen; and they ought to be guarded against, in as much as
they cause loss of time to the workmen, and expense of materials to
the master printer; and when letters or words must be replaced, the
work should never be proceeded with at press, previously to its being
examined.
When a fine engraving on wood is at press, the workman should be most
particularly careful, as an accident might thus spoil an expensive
work of art, which it might be impossible to replace.
When a Batter unfortunately happens at press in working stereotype
plates, it is too frequently overlooked by the pressmen, and the work
proceeds in a deteriorated state; while, generally speaking, if the
same accident had happened to a form of moveable types it would have
been set right. The reason is, that while in the latter case the
accident could be remedied in a few minutes, the stereotype plate
on the other hand would have to be taken out of the form and sent
to the founders, and would not be repaired in less than five or six
hours, during which time the pressmen would be unemployed, to their
loss. This is one cause that operates against the more general use of
stereotype plates.
BEARD OF A LETTER,
is the outer angle of the square shoulder of the shank, which reaches
almost up to the bottom of the face of the letter; and is commonly
scraped off by the Founder.--_M._
BEARER.
A piece of reglet pasted on the frisket to ease any particular part
in a form that has too much pressure on it from the platen of the
press.--_M._
Double Pica reglet is used for this purpose, as its thickness is
equal to the difference between the height of the types and the
furniture; and this application of it makes this sized reglet in
general a scarce article in a printing office.
Where any parts of the impression of a form come off hard, which from
various causes occasionally happens, particularly at the edges of the
pages, and at the foot of a short page, a bearer is applied to ease
that part; but some care however is required in its application--it
must not bear upon any printed matter at the back of it, for if it
does, it will smear and deface that part, nor is it necessary to
place it close to the part, but it may be put at some distance, and
if convenient near the outer edge of the paper, and made to rest on
the flat part of the furniture.
After selecting a piece of reglet of the proper length, paste one
side of it, and place it with the pasted side uppermost upon the
furniture where it is required, then turn down the tympans and
frisket and rub that part with the hand to make it adhere to the
frisket; or, as is usually done, after the form is beat, when the
next pull will make it adhere; if it be not quite sufficient, a
thickness or two of a wrapper pasted on it will ease the pull
sufficiently on that part.
_High Bearers_, are pieces of furniture made barely letter height;
they are used where separate wood cuts are printed, or very small
forms; they are placed on the press stone, usually pasted down, but
at such a distance from the printed matter that neither the balls nor
the rollers touch them in inking the form; they lighten the pressure
on the extremities, and tend to equalize the pull if the carriage be
not run in exactly to its place, by the platen bearing upon them.
If they be not sufficiently high, they may be added to by overlays
pasted upon them.
BEAT.
To cover the surface of the types with ink by means of the
balls.--_M._ _See_ FINE PRESSWORK.
BEAT FAT.
If a Pressman takes too much ink with his balls, he _beats fat_. The
black English faced letter is generally beaten fat.--_M._ At the
present day we understand by _Fat_ Beating, that a pressman beating
carefully, goes gradually two or three times over the form, so that
every part of the surface of the type is touched six or seven times
by the face of the balls; and is thus uniformly covered with a proper
quantity of ink.
BEAT LEAN.
Is to take but little ink, and often: all small letter must be beaten
lean.--_M._ This and the preceding term _Beat Fat_, have changed
their meaning since the days of Moxon; to beat lean now, is to beat
lightly, and quickly make a riddance of work, without much regard to
its quality.
BED.
To bed or lay the press stone in the coffin, so that it shall lie
firm and solid in all parts.--_M._ There are different ways of
bedding a press stone: some bed it in bran; some in plaster; but the
general way is with paper. To effect this the paper ought not to have
any large knots in it, and should be cut to the size of the coffin,
and if there be any inequalities in the bottom of the stone, there
must be additional pieces of paper placed under it to fill them up.
When it is supposed there is sufficient paper in the coffin to raise
the stone high enough, it is slung in on two pieces of cord, and a
trial made of its firmness; if it rocks, it is lifted out again, and
additional paper placed in those parts where the stone did not rest
firmly. When it is properly bedded, the ends of the cords are tucked
in at the sides of the stone so as to be easily picked out again with
a bodkin. When the stone has got to lie solid with working, the upper
side should be about a Brevier higher than the coffin.
Although I have mentioned cord, as being generally used for slinging
the stone into the coffin, and lifting it out again, yet strong flat
tape is decidedly superior; the stone lies more solid with it than
with cord, and is not so liable to break.
BENEFACTIONS. _See_ DONATIONS.
BENGALESE.
The following article is extracted from Nathaniel Brassey Halhed’s
Grammar of the Bengal Language.
“Exclusive of the Shanscrit, there are three different dialects
applied (tho’ not with equal currency) in the kingdom of Bengal: Viz.
the Persian, the Hindostanic and the proper Bengalese; each of which
has its own peculiar department in the business of the country,
and consequently neither of them can be universally adopted to the
exclusion of the others.