_Boxes_ may be disposed nearest the _Compositers_ hand, because the
English Language, and consequently all English _Coppy_ runs most upon
such and such Sorts; so that the _Boxes_ that holds those Sorts ought
to be most capacious.
His care in the choice of these _Cases_ is, That the Wood they are made
of be well-season’d Stuff.
That the Partitions be strong, and true let into one another, and that
the ends fill up and stand firm in the Grooves of the _Frame_ and
middle _Rail_ of the _Case_.
There is an inconvenience that often happens, these thin Partitions,
especially if they be made of unseason’d Stuff, _viz._ as the Stuff
dries it shrinks in the Grooves of the _Frame_, and so not only grows
loose, but sometimes starts out above the top of the _Frame_. To
prevent this inconvenience, I have of late caused the ends of these
thin partitions to be made Male-Duf-tails, broadest on the under-side,
and have them fitted into Female-Duf-tails in the Frame of the _Case_,
and middle Rail before the bottom Boards are nailed on.
That the Partitions be full an _English_ Body thick.
That the Partitions lye close to the bottom of the _Case_, that so the
_Letters_ slide not through an upper into an under _Box_, when the
Papers of the _Boxes_ may be worn.
§. 4. _Of_ Frames _to set the_ Cases _on_.
_Frames_ are in most _Printing-Houses_ made of thick _Deal-board
Battens_, having their several _Rails Tennanted_ into the _Stiles_: but
these sorts of _Frames_ are, in respect of their matter (_viz._ _Fir_)
so weak, and in respect of their substance (_viz._ little above an Inch
thick) so slight, that experience teaches us, when they are even new
made, they tremble and totter, and having lasted a little while, the
thinness of their _Tennants_ being a little above a quarter of an Inch
thick, according to the Rules of _Joynery_, as I have shewn in _Numb._
5. §. 17. They Craze, their _Tennants_ break, or _Mortesses_ split, and
put the _Master-Printer_ to a fresh Charge.
It is rationally to be imagined that the _Frames_ should be
designed to last as long as the _Printing-house_; and therefore our
_Master-Printer_ ought to take care that they be made of matter
strong enough, and of substance big enough to do the Service they are
intended for; that they stand substantial and firm in their place, so
as a small Jostle against them shake them not, which often reiterated
weakens the _Frame-work_, and at that present is subject to shake the
_Letter_ in the _Galley_ down.
I shall not offer to impose Rules upon any here, especially since
I have no Authority from Prescript or Custom; yet I shall set down
the Scantlings that I my self thought fit to use on this occasion. A
Delineation of the _Frames_ are in Plate 1. at C.
_a a a a_ The _Fore-Rails._
_b b b b_ The _Hind-Rails._
_c_ The _Top Fore-Rail._
_d_ The _Bottom Fore-Rail._
_e_ The _Top Hind-Rail._
_f_ The _Bottom Hind-Rail._
_g g g g_ The _End-Rail._
_h h h h Cross-Bearers._
I made the _Rails_ and _Stiles_ of well-seasoned fine _Oak_, clean,
(that is free from Knots and Shakes) the _Stiles_ and _Rails_ two
Inches and an half square, the Top and Bottom _Fore-Rails_ and
the Bottom _Hind-Rail_ four Foot three Inches long, besides their
_Tennants_; And the Top _Hind-Rail_ five Foot three Inches long. The
two _Fore-Rails_ and Bottom _Hind-Rail_ had Iron Female-Screws let
into them, which, through an hole made in the _Stiles_, received a
Male-Screw with a long shank, and a Sholder at the end of it to screw
them tight and firm together, even as the Rails of a _Bedsted_ are
screwed into the _Mortesses_ of a _Bed-Post_.
Each _Back-Stile_ was four Foot one Inch and an half high besides their
_Tennants_, and each _Fore-Stile_ three Foot three Inches high, each
_Fore_ and _Back-Stile_ had two _Rails_ one Foot seven Inches long,
besides their _Tennants_ Tennanted and Pin’d into them, because not
intended to be taken assunder.
It must be considered, that the _Fore-stiles_ be of a convenient
height for the pitch of an ordinary Man to stand and work at, which
the heighth aforesaid is; And that the _Hind stiles_ be so much higher
than the _Fore-stiles_, that when the _Cross-Bearers_ are laid upon the
upper _Fore_ and _Hind-Rail_, and the _Cases_ laid on them, the _Cases_
may have a convenient declivity from the upper-side the _Upper-Case_,
to the lower side the _Lower-Case_.
The Reason of this declivity is, because the _Cases_ standing thus
before the Workman, the farther _Boxes_ of the _Upper-Case_ are more
ready and easie to come at, than if they lay flat; they being in this
position somewhat nearer the hand, and the _Letters_ in those _Boxes_
somewhat easier seen.
If the Workman prove taller than Ordinary, he lays another or two pair
of _Cases_ under the _Cases_ he uses, to mount them: If the Workman be
short, as Lads, _&c._ He lays a _Paper-board_ (or sometimes two) on
the floor by the Fore-side of the _Frame_, and standing to work on it,
mounts himself.
The _Bearers_ are made of _Slit-Deal_, about two Inches broad, and so
long as to reach from the _Fore-Rail_ through the _Upper-Rail_, and
are let in, so as to lye even with the superficies of the _Fore_ and
_Hind-Rail_, and at such a distance on both the _Rails_, as you may see
in the Figure.
[Illustration:_ Plate 2._]
On the Superficies of the _Fore-Rail_, even with its Fore-Edge is
nailed a small _Riglet_ about half an Inch high, and a quarter and half
quarter of an Inch thick, that the _Cases_ set on the _Frame_ having
the aforesaid declivity, may by it be stop’t from sliding off.
§. 5. _Of the_ Galley.
Our _Master-Printer_ is also to provide _Galleys_ of different sizes,
That the _Compositer_ may be suited with small ones when he _Composes_
small _Pages_, and with great ones for great _Pages_.
The _Galley_ is marked A in Plate 2.
_a b c_ The Sides or Frame of the _Galley_.
_d_ The _Slice_.
These _Galleys_ are commonly made of two flat _Wainscot Boards_, each
about a quarter and half quarter of an Inch thick, the uppermost to
slide in Grooves of the Frame, close down to the undermost, though for
small _Pages_ a single Board with two sides for the Frame may serve
well enough: Those _Wainscot Boards_ are an Oblong Square, having its
length longer than its breadth, even as the form of a _Page_ hath. The
three Sides of the Frame are fixed fast and square down on the upper
Plain of the undermost Board, to stand about three fifth parts of the
height of the _Letter_ above the superficies of the _Slice_. The Sides
of the Frame must be broad enough to admit of a pretty many good strong
_Oaken Pins_ along the Sides, to be drove hard into the Bottom Board,
and almost quite through the Sides of the Frame, that the Frame may
be firmly fixed to it: But by no means must they be Glewed on to the
Bottom Board, because the _Compositer_ may sometimes have occasion to
wet the _Page_ in the _Galley_, and then (the _Galley_ standing aslope
upon the _Case_) the Water will soak between the sides of the Frame,
and under Board, and quickly loosen it.
§. 6. _Of the_ Correcting-stone.
The _Correcting-Stone_ marked B in Plate 2. is made of _Marble_,
_Purbeck_, or any other Stone that may be made flat and smooth: But
yet the harder the Stone is the better; wherefore _Marble_ is more
preferable than _Purbeck_. First, Because it is a more compact Stone,
having fewer and smaller Pores in it than _Purbeck_. And Secondly,
because it is harder, and therefore less subject to be prick’d with the
corners of a _Chase_, if through carelessness (as it sometimes happens)
it be pitch’d on the Face of the Stone.
It is necessary to have it capacious, _viz._ large enough to hold
two _Chases_ and more, that the _Compositer_ may sometimes for his
convenience, set some _Pages_ by on it ready to _Impose_, though two
_Chases_ lye on the _Stone_: Therefore a _Stone_ of about Four Foot
and an half long, and Two Foot broad is a convenient size for the
generality of Work.
This _Stone_ is to be laid upon a strong _Oaken_-wood Frame, made like
the Frame of a common Table, so high, that the Face of the _Stone_ may
lye about three Foot and an Inch above the Floor: And under the upper
Rail of the Frame may be fitted a Row or two of Draw-Boxes, as at _a a
a a a a_ and _b b b_ on each of its longest Sides to hold _Flowers_,
_Brass-Rules_, _Braces_, _Quotations_, small _Scabbords_, &c.
§. 7. _Of_ Letter-Boards, _and_ Paper-Boards.
_Letter-Boards_ are Oblong Squares, about two Foot long, eighteen
Inches broad, and an Inch and a quarter thick. They ought to be made of
clean and well-season’d Stuff, and all of one piece: Their upper-side
is to be Plained very flat and smooth, and their under-side is Clamped
with pieces about two Inches square, and within about four Inches of
either end, as well to keep them from Warping, as to bear them off
the Ground or any other Flat they stand on, that the Fingers of the
_Compositer_ may come at the bottom of the Board to remove it whither
he will: They are commonly made of _Fir_, though not so thick as I have
mentioned, or all of one Piece: _Deal-Boards_ of this breadth may serve
to make them of; but _Joyners_ commonly put _Master-Printers_ off with
ordinary _Deal-Boards_, which not being broad enough, they joyn two
together; for which cause they frequently shrink, so as the joynt comes
assunder, and the _Board_ becomes useless, unless it be to serve for a
_Paper-Board_ afterwards: For small and thin _Letters_ will, when the
Form is open, drop through, so as the _Compositer_ cannot use the Board.
I us’d to make them of _Sugar-Chest_; That Stuff being commonly
well-season’d, by the long lying of the _Sugar_ in it, and is besides
a fine hard Wood, and therefore less subject to be injured by the end
of the _Shooting-Stick_ when a _Form_ is _Unlocking_.
_Paper-Boards_ are made just like the _Letter-Boards_, though seldom
so large, unless for great Work: Nor need such strict care be taken in
making them so exactly smooth: their Office being only to set _Heaps of
Paper_ on, and to _Press_ the _Paper_ with.
§. 8. _Of_ Furniture, Quoyns, Scabbord, &c.
By _Furniture_ is meant the _Head-sticks_, _Foot-sticks_,
_Side-sticks_, _Gutter-sticks_, _Riglets_, _Scabbords_ and _Quoyns_.
_Head-sticks_ and all other _Furniture_, except _Scabbord_, are made
of dry _Wainscot_, that they may not shrink when the _Form_ stands
by; They are _Quadrat_ high, straight, and of an equal thickness all
the length: They are made of several thicknesses for several Works,
_viz._ from a _Brevier_ which serves for some _Quarto’s_ to six or
eight _Pica_ thick, which is many times us’d to _Folio’s_: And many
of the _Head-sticks_ may also serve to make Inner _Side-sticks_ of;
for the _Master-Printer_ provides them of lengths long enough for the
_Compositer_ to cut to convenient Scantlins or Lengths, they being
commonly about a Yard long when they come from the _Joyners_. And
_Note_, that the _Head_ and _Side-sicks_ are called _Riglets_, if they
exceed not an _English_ thick.
Outer _Side-sticks_ and _Foot-sticks_ marked C in Plate 2. are of the
same heighth of the _Head-sticks_, _viz._ _Quadrat_ high, and are
by the _Joyner_ cut to the given length, and to the breadth of the
particular _Pages_ that are to be _Imposed_: The _Side-sticks_ are
placed against the outer-side of the _Page_, and the _Foot-sticks_
against the foot or bottom of the _Page_: The outer-sides of these
_Side_ and _Foot-sticks_ are bevil’d or sloped from the further to the
hither end.
_Gutter-sticks_ marked D in Plate 2. are as the former, _Quadrat_ high,
and are used to set between _Pages_ on either side the _Crosses_, as in
_Octavo’s_, _Twelves_, _Sixteens_, and _Forms_ upwards; They are made
of an equal thickness their whole length, like _Head-sticks_; but they
have a Groove, or Gutter laid on the upper-side of them, as well that
the Water may drain away when the _Form_ is Washed or Rinced, as that
they should not _Print_, when through the tenderness of the _Tinpan_,
the _Plattin_ presses it and the _Paper_ lower than ordinary.
_Scabbord_ is that sort of _Scale_ commonly sold by some _Iron-mongers_
in Bundles; And of which, the _Scabbords_ for _Swords_ are made: The
_Compositer_ cuts it _Quadrat_ high, and to his Length.
The _Master-Printer_ is to provide both _Thick_ and _Thin Scabbord_,
that the _Compositer_ may use either when different Bodied _Letter_
happens in a _Page_, to justifie the _Page_ to a true length; And
also that the _Press-man_ may chuse _Thick_ or _Thin_ to make truer
_Register_, as shall be shewed in proper place.
_Quoyns_ are also _Quadrat_ high, and have one of their sides Bevil’d
away to comply with the Bevil of the _Side_ and _Foot-sticks_; they are
of different Lengths, and different Breadths: The great _Quoyns_ about
three Inches square, except the Bevil on one side as aforesaid; and
these sizes deminish downwards to an Inch and an half in length, and
half an Inch in breadth.
Of these _Quoyns_ our _Master-Printer_ provides several hundreds, and
should provide them of at the least ten different Breadths between the
aforesaid sizes, that the _Compositer_ may chuse such as will best fit
the _Chase_ and _Furniture_.
The Office of these _Quoyns_ are to _Lock_ up the _Form_, _viz._ to
wedge it up (by force of a _Mallet_ and _Shooting-stick_) so close
together, both on the sides and between Head and Foot of the _Page_,
that every _Letter_ bearing hard against every next _Letter_, the whole
_Form_ may _Rise_; as shall be shewed hereafter.
Their farther Office is to make _Register_ at the _Press_.
§. 9. ¶. 1. _Of the_ Mallet, Shooting-stick _and_ Dressing-Block,
Composing-sticks, Bodkin, _and_ Chase. _&c._
_Printers Mallets_ have a _Cilindrick_ Head, and a round Handle;
The Head somewhat bigger, and the Handle somewhat longer than those
_Joyners_ commonly use; Yet neither shape or size different for any
reason to be given: But only a Custom always used to have them so. The
Head is commonly made of _Beech_.
¶. 2. _Of the_ Shooting-stick.
The _Shooting-stick_ must be made of _Box_, which Wood being very hard,
and withal tough, will best and longest endure the knocking against the
_Quoyns_. Its shape is a perfect Wedge about six Inches long, and its
thicker end two Inches broad, and an Inch and an half thick; and its
thin end about an Inch and an half broad, and half an Inch thick.
¶. 3. _Of the_ Dressing-Block.
The _Dressing-Block_ should be made of _Pear-tree_, Because it is
a soft wood, and therefore less subject to injure the Face of the
_Letter_; it is commonly about three Inches square, and an Inch high.
Its Office is to run over the Face of the _Form_, and whilst it is thus
running over, to be gently knock’t upon with the Head of the _Shooting
stick_, that such _Letters_ as may chance to stand up higher than the
rest may be pressed down.
Our _Master-Printer_ must also provide a pair of _Sheers_, such as
_Taylors_ use, for the cutting of _Brass-Rules_, _Scabbords_, &c.
A large _Spunge_ or two, or more, he must also provide, one for the
_Compositers_ use, and for every _Press_ one.
Pretty fine _Packthread_ to tye up _Pages_ with; But this is often
chosen (or at least directed) by the _Compositer_, either finer or
courser, according to the great or small _Letter_ he works upon.
¶. 4. _Of the_ Composing-stick.
Though every _Compositer_ by Custom is to provide himself a
_Composing-stick_, yet our _Master-Printer_ ought to furnish his House
with these Tools also, and such a number of them as is suitable to the
size of his House; Because we will suppose our _Master-Printer_ intends
to keep some Apprentices, and they, unless by contract or courtesie,
are not used to provide themselves _Composing-sticks_: And besides,
when several _Compositers_ work upon the same Book, their Measures are
all set alike, and their _Titles_ by reason of _Notes_ or _Quotations_
broader than their common Measure, So that a _Composing-stick_ is kept
on purpose for the _Titles_, which must therefore be common to all the
_Compositers_ that work upon that Work; And no one of them is obliged
to provide a _Composing-stick_ in common for them all: Therefore it
becomes our _Master-Printers_ task to provide them.
It is delineated in Plate 2. at _E_.
_a_ The _Head_.
_b b_ The _Bottom_.
_c c_ The _Back_.
_d_ The lower _Sliding-Measure_, or _Cheek_.
_e_ The upper _Sliding-Measure_, or _Cheek_.
_f f_ The _Male-Screw_.
_g_ The _Female-Screw_.
These _Composing-sticks_ are made of Iron Plate about the thickness
of a thin _Scabbord_, and about ten Inches long doubled up square;
so as the Bottom may be half an Inch and half a quarter broad, and
the Back about an whole Inch broad. On the further end of this Iron
Plate thus doubled up, as at _a_ is Soldered on an Iron Head about a
_Long-Primmer_ thick; But hath all its outer-edges Basil’d and Fil’d
away into a Molding: This Iron Head must be so let into the Plate, and
Soldered on to it, that it may stand truly square with the bottom, and
also truly square with the Back, which may be known by applying the
outer-sides of a square to the Back and Bottom; as I shewed, _Numb._ 3.
_Fol._ 38, 39. About two Inches from the Head, in the Bottom, is begun
a row of round holes about an Inch assunder, to receive the shank of
the _Male-Screw_ that screws the _Sliding-Measures_ fast down to the
Bottom; so that the _Sliding-Measures_ may be set nearer or further
from the Head, as the Measure of a _Page_ may require.
The lower _Sliding-Measure_ marked _d_ is an Iron Plate a _thick
Scabbord_ thick, and of the Breadth of the inside of the Bottom; It
is about four Inches long, and in its middle hath a Groove through it
within half an Inch of the Fore-end, and three quarters of an Inch of
the hinder end. This Groove is so wide all the way, that it may receive
the Shank of the _Screw_. On the Fore-end of this Plate stands square
upright another Iron Head about a _Brevier_ thick, and reaches so high
as the top of the Back.
The upper _Sliding-Measure_ is made just like the lower, only it is
about three quarters of an Inch shorter.
Between these two _Sliding-Measures_, _Marginal Notes_ are _Composed_
to any Width.
_Compositers_ commonly examine the Truth of their _Stick_ by applying
the head of the _Sliding-Measure_ to the inside of the Head of the
_Stick_; and if they comply, they think they are square and true made:
But this Rule only holds when the Head it self is square. But if it
be not, ’tis easy to file the _Sliding-Measures_ to comply with them:
Therefore, as aforesaid, the square is the only way to examine them by.
¶. 5. _Of the_ Bodkin.
The _Bodkin_ is delineated in Plate 2. at _F_ Its _Blade_ is made of
_Steel_, and well tempered, its shape is round, and stands about two
Inches without the _Shank_ of the _Handle_. The _Handle_ is turned of
soft wood as _Alder_, _Maple_, &c. that when _Compositers_ knock the
Head of the _Bodkin_ upon the Face of a Single _Letter_ when it stands
too high, it may not batter the Face.
¶. 6. _Of_ Chases, _marked_ G _on the_ Correcting-Stone, _Plate_ 2.
A _Chase_ is an Iron Frame about two and twenty Inches long, eighteen
Inches broad, and half Inch half quarter thick; and the breadth of
Iron on every side is three quarters of an Inch: But an whole Inch
is much better, because stronger. All its sides must stand exactly
square to each other; And when it is laid on the _Correcting-Stone_ it
must lye exactly flat, _viz._ equally bearing on all its sides and
Angles: The outside and inside must be Filed straight and smooth. It
hath two _Crosses_ belonging to it, _viz._ A _Short-Cross_ marked _a
a_ and a _Long-Cross_ marked _b b_: These two _Crosses_ have on each
end a Male Duftail Filed Bevil away from the under to the upper-side
of the _Cross_, so that the under-side of the Duftail is narrower than
the upper-side of the Duftail. These Male-Duftails are fitted into
Female-Duftails, Filed in the inside of the _Chase_, which are also
wider on the upper-side of the _Chase_ than on the under-side; because
the upper-side of the _Cross_ should not fall through the lower side.
These _Crosses_ are called the _Short_ and the _Long-Cross_.
The _Short-Cross_ is Duftail’d in as aforesaid, just in the middle
of the _Chase_ as at _c c_, and the _Long-Cross_ in the middle of
the other sides the _Chase_, as at _d d_. The _Short-Cross_ is also
Duftail’d into Female-Duftails, made as aforesaid, about three Inches
and an half from the middle, as at _e e_: So that the _Short-Cross_
may be put into either of the Female-Duftails as occasion serves. The
middle of these two _Crosses_ are Filed or notched half way through,
one on its upper, the other on its under-side to let into one another,
_viz._ the _Short-Cross_ is Filed from the upper towards the under-side
half way, and the _Long-Cross_ is Filed from the lower towards the
upper-side half way: The _Crosses_ are also thus let into each other,
where they meet at _f_, when the _Short-Cross_ is laid into the other
Female-Duftails fitted to it at _e e_.
In the middle, between the two edges of the upper-side of the
_Short-Cross_, is made two Grooves parallel to the sides of the
_Cross_, beginning at about two Inches from each end, and ending at
about seven Inches from each end: It is made about half an Inch deep
all the way, and about a quarter of an Inch broad, that the _Points_
may fall into them. The _Short-Cross_ is about three quarters of an
Inch thick, and the _Long-Cross_ about half that thickness. All their
sides must be Fil’d straight and smooth, and they must be all the way
of an equal thickness.
* * * * *
Hitherto our _Master-Printer_ hath provided Materials and Implements
only for the _Compositers_ use; But he must provide Machines and
Tools for the _Press-mans_ to use too: which (because I am loath to
discourage my Customers with a swelling price at the first reviving
of these Papers) I shall (though against my interest) leave for the
subject of the next succeeding _Exercises_.
* * * * *
ADVERTISEMENTS.
T_He first Volumne of_ Mechanick Exercises, _Treating of the_ Smiths,
_the_ Joyners, _the_ Carpenters, _and the_ Turners _Trades, containing_
37½ _sheets, and_ 18 _Copper Cuts, are to be had by the Author_.
Joseph Moxon. _Price_ 9_s._ 3_d._ _in Quires_.
T_He first Volumne of the Monthly Collection of Letters for Improvement
of Husbandry and Trade, containing Twenty four Sheets with an Index, is
now finished, and the second is carrying on:_
_By_ John Haughton, _Fellow
of the_ Royal Society.
[Illustration: _Plate 3._]
_MECHANICK EXERCISES:_
Or, the Doctrine of
=Handy-works.=
Applied to the Art of
=Printing.=
§. 10. _Of the_ Press.
THere are two sorts of _Presses_ in use, _viz._ the old fashion and the
new fashion; The old fashion is generally used here in _England_; but
I think for no other reason, than because many _Press-men_ have scarce
Reason enough to distinguish between an excellently improved Invention,
and a make-shift slovenly contrivance, practiced in the minority of
this Art.
The New-fashion’d _Presses_ are used generally throughout all the
_Low-Countries_; yet because the Old-fashion’d _Presses_ are used
here in _England_ (and for no other Reason) I have in Plate 3. given
you a delineation of them; But though I give you a draft of them; yet
the demensions of every particular Member I shall omit, referring
those that think it worth their while, to the _Joyners_ and _Smiths_
that work to _Printers_: But I shall give a full description of the
New-fashion’d _Press_, because it is not well known here in _England_;
and if possible, I would for Publick benefit introduce it.
But before I proceed, I think it not amiss to let you know who was the
Inventer of this New-fashion’d _Press_, accounting my self so much
oblig’d to his Ingeniety for the curiosity of this contrivance, that
should I pass by this oppertunity without nameing him, I should be
injurious to his Memory.