PUTTING ON THE END PAPERS.
Two single leaves of white paper, somewhat thicker than the paper used
for making the ends, are to be cut, one for each side of the book. The
end papers are to be laid down on a board, or on a piece of paper on
the press to keep them clean, with the pasted or made side uppermost,
the single leaves on the top. They should then be fanned out evenly
to a proper width, about a quarter of an inch for an 8vo., a piece of
waste paper put on the top, and their edges pasted. The slips or cords
thrown back, the white fly is put on the book, a little away from the
back, and the made ends on the top even with the back, and again left
to dry with the weight of a few boards on the top.
If, however, the book or books are very heavy or large, they should
have “joints” of either bookbinders’ cloth or of leather of the same
colour as the leather with which the book is to be covered. Morocco is
mostly used for the leather joints. If the joints are to be of cloth,
it may be added either when the ends are being put on, or when the book
is ready for pasting down. If the cloth joint is to be put on now,
the cloth is cut from 1 to 3 inches, according to the size of book,
and folded quite evenly, the side of the cloth which has to go on the
book being left the width intended to be glued; that is, a width of 1
inch should be folded 3/4 one side, leaving 1/4 the other, the latter
to be put on the book. The smallest fold is now glued, the white fly
put on, and the fancy paper on the top; the difference being, that the
paper instead of being made double or folded is single, or instead of
taking a paper double the |39| size of the book and folding it, it is
cut to the size of the book and pasted all over. It will be better if
the marble paper be pasted and the white put on and well rubbed down,
and then the whole laid between mill-boards to dry. A piece of waste
or brown paper should be slightly fastened at the back over the whole,
(turning the cloth down on the book) to keep it clean and prevent it
from getting damaged.
The strongest manner is to overcast the ends and cloth joint to the
first and last section of the book, as it is then almost impossible
either for the cloth or ends to pull away from the book.
If, however, the cloth joint is to be put on after the book is covered,
the flys and ends are only edged on with paste to the book just
sufficient to hold them while it is being bound; and when the book is
to be pasted down, the ends are lifted from the book by placing a thin
folding-stick between the ends and book and running it along, when they
will come away quite easily. The cloth is then cut and folded as before
and fastened on, and the ends and flys properly pasted in the back.
Morocco joints are usually put in after the book is covered, but I
prefer that if joints of any kind are to go in the book they should be
put in at the same time as the ends. Take great care that the ends are
quite dry after being made before attaching them, or the dampness will
affect the beginning and end of the book and cause the first few leaves
to wrinkle.
When the ends are quite dry the slips should be unravelled and scraped,
a bodkin being used for the unravelling, and the back of a knife for
the scraping. The object of this is, that they may with greater ease be
passed through the holes in the mill-board, and the bulk of the cord be
more evenly distributed and beaten down, so as not to be seen after the
book has been covered. |41|
[Illustration: Method of sewing Ends on to Book that cannot tear away.
First and last sheet are not overcasted when treated in this manner.]
Many houses cut away the slip entirely, in order that the work may look
better. This should never be done; with large and heavy books it is
better to allow the bulk of the cord to be seen rather than sacrifice
strength. To a certain extent this may be avoided by cutting a small
portion of the mill-board away to allow the cord to lodge in.
There is another way of putting on the end papers, that is, to sew the
ends on with the book when sewing. The paper is folded at the back with
a small fold, the sheet placed in the fold, and the whole sewn through.
It is at once apparent that under no circumstances can there be any
strain on the ends, and that there is hardly any possibility of the
ends breaking away from the sheets.
For books subjected to very hard wear (school books, public library
books, etc.) this method of placing the ends is by far the best. See
opposite page.