PRACTICAL BOOKBINDING.

PRACTICAL BOOKBINDING

BY

PAUL ADAM,

Director of the Düsseldorf Technical School of Artistic and Practical Bookbinding.

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TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY

THOS. E. MAW,

LIBRARIAN KING'S LYNN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

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WITH 127 ILLUSTRATIONS.

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LONDON

SCOTT, GREENWOOD & CO.

19 LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

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NEW YORK

D. VAN NOSTRAND CO.

23 MURRAY STREET

1903

(The sole right of translation into English rests with Scott, Greenwood & Co.)

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Contents.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

2 & 3 Holding whilst folding. 15 Fig. 4 Lifting into the Press. 19 Fig. 5 Open sheets laid out for gathering. 20 Fig. 6 Sections fanned out for drawing out. 22 Fig. 7 Sections fanned out for pasting. 23 Fig. 8 Suggestions for mounting on guards. 25 Figs. 9-13 Suggestions for folding plates and maps. 26 Fig. 14 Collating. 28 Fig. 15 Rolling machine. 31 Fig. 16 Sewing frame. 33 Fig. 17 Arrangement on the sewing frame. 33 Fig. 18 Arrangement of threads in holländering. 35 Fig. 19 Small stapling machine for single sheets. 35 Fig. 20 Arrangement of staples in brochures. 35 Fig. 21 Arrangement of threads in old style of sewing. 41 Fig. 22 Arrangement of threads with double cords. 41 Fig. 23 Divisions for sawing-in. 42 Fig. 24 Machine for sawing-in. 43 Fig. 25 Suggestions for single and double end papers. 45 Fig. 26 Suggestion for double end paper with tear-off. 45 Fig. 27 Overcast end paper. 46 Fig. 28 Loops for attaching to frame hooks. 47 Fig. 29 Loops for taking frame keys. 47 Fig. 30 Suggestion for sewing on four cords. 48 Fig. 31 Suggestion for sewing on six cords. 48 Fig. 32 Suggestion for sewing two-sheets-on. 50 Fig. 33 Thread-sewing machine. 53 Fig. 34 Wire-sewing machine. 53 Fig. 35 Rotary guillotine. 54

align="left">Fig. 36 Lever guillotine. 55 Fig. 37 Top edge arranged for when trimming three edges. 56 Fig. 38 Rounding the book. 57 Fig. 39 Rounding machine. 58 Fig. 40 Backing machine for small shops. 59 Fig. 41 Backing machine for large shops. 59 Fig. 42 Backed book arranged for trimming. 60 Fig. 43 Marbling outfit. 66 Fig. 44 Suggestion for sprinkling colour. 68 Fig. 45 Comb marbling. 69 Fig. 46 Suggestion for curl marbling. 69 Fig. 47 Bouquet or peacock marbling. 70 Fig. 48 Eye marbling. 70 Figs. 49 & 50 Arrangement of flat and rounded edges. 74 Fig. 51 Top edge arranged for gilding. 80 Fig. 52 Headband shears. 82 Fig. 53 Headband working. 83 Fig. 54 Board-cutting machine. 86 Fig. 55 Spring back. 87 Fig. 56 Boarded book. 88 Fig. 57 Section of edge rule. 89 Fig. 58 English style of lacing boards. 90 Fig. 59 View of the most general styles of binding, showing the divisions of the work. (Table) 94 Fig. 60 Corners cut for turning in. 96 Fig. 61 Corners: Right and wrong. 96 Fig. 62 Paring with Offenbach or Berlin knife. 97 Fig. 63 Paring with French knife. 99 Fig. 64 Blocking press. 105 Fig. 65 Appliances used in blocking

backs. 107 Fig. 66 Colour roller. 115 Fig. 67 Stuck-on gauges. 118 Fig. 68 Turning in the head. 121 Figs. 69 & 70 The head: good and bad. 122 Fig. 71 The pasted-down book. 125 Fig. 72 Treatment of tear-off. 128 Figs. 73 & 74 Simple line designs. 131 Fig. 75 Half-calf extra tooled in blind. 133 Fig. 76 Leather binding with simple design in blind. 134 Fig. 77 Simple gold tooling on sides. 135 Fig. 78 Tooled cover. 136 Fig. 79 Specimen of tooling done in the Düsseldorf Technical School. 137 Fig. 80 Leather binding by Oswald Kob, Bozen. 138 Fig. 81 Cover with laurel motive done in the Düsseldorf Technical School. 139 Fig. 82 Leather binding with fern motive done in the Düsseldorf Technical School. 143 Fig. 83 Simple gold tooling on squares. 144 Fig. 84 Design in gold for squares. Tools by F. Clement, Leipzig. 145 Figs. 85 & 86 Two designs in gold for squares. 145 Figs. 87, 88, & 89 Three simple backs. T, d, B = Title; N, T = Sub Title. 147 Fig. 90 Type-holder with centre position. 148 Figs. 91, 92, 93, & 94 Four backs tooled in the Düsseldorf Technical School. 149 Fig. 95 Group of backs tooled in Carlsruhe Technical school. 150 Figs. 96 & 97 Two richly decorated insides done in the Düsseldorf Technical School. 150 Figs. 98, 99, 100 & 101 Four richly tooled backs 151 Fig. 102 Rich half-calf extra binding. 152 Figs. 103 & 104 Tooling on heads. 153 Figs. 105, 106, & 107 Tooling on the edges of the boards. 154

href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@39318@[email protected]#Fig_105107108" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Fig. 108 Motive executed in the Düsseldorf TechnicalSchool. 154 Fig. 109 Case to protect book. 155 Fig. 110 Cut-out case. 155 Fig. 111 Book cover. 155 Fig. 112 Cover in case form. 155 Figs. 113 & 114 End papers for account books. 158 Fig. 115 Boards cut out at head. 160 Fig. 116 Suggestion for account book back. _K_Pared edge; _T_Part to be pasted. 161 Fig. 117 Suggestion for account book back. 162 Fig. 118 Boarded account book. 163 Fig. 119 To show where turn-in is to be cut. 164 Fig. 120 Hand numbering machine. 165 Fig. 121 Suggestion for back of guard book. 166 Fig. 122 Pattern for dust flaps. (Leinwand = Linen hinge.) 167 Fig. 123 Eyeleting machine. 172 Figs. 124 to 127 Showing stages of pinning down for stretching. 173

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THE METRIC AND BRITISH SYSTEMS.

TABLE OF COMPARISON.

align="right">3·94   ·2     2     20   200 7·87   ·3     3     30   300 11·81   ·4     4     40   400 15·75   ·5     5     50   500 19·69   ·6     6     60   600 23·62   ·7     7     70   700 27·56   ·8     8     80   800 31·50   ·9     9     90   900 35·43   1       10     100  1000 39·37  

WEIGHT.

1 gramme      = 15·44 grains.

28-1/3 grammes = 1 oz. avoird.

1 kilogramme  = 1000 grammes = 2·20 lb. avoird.

LENGTH.

1 metre = 100 centimetres = 39·37 inches. Roughly speaking, 1 metre = a yard and a tenth.  1 centimetre = two-fifths of an inch. 1 kilometre = 1000 metres = five-eighths of a mile.

VOLUME.

1 cubic metre = 1000 litres = 35·32 cubic feet.

1 litre = 1000 cubic centimetres = ·2202 gall.

HEAT.

1 calorie = 3·96 British thermal units.

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COMPARISON BETWEEN FAHRENHEIT AND CENTIGRADE THERMOMETERS.

To Convert:—

Degrees C. to Degrees F., multiply by 9, divide by 5, then add 32.
Degrees F. to Degrees C., first subtract 32, then multiply by 5 and divide by 9.

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PREFACE.

Nowadays the bookbinder does not bind only those books given to him for this purpose as was the case in former years, for present conditions necessitate his undertaking many kinds of work which have little or nothing to do with the binding of books, particularly such as are connected with the making or finishing of printed matter and paper goods, or where pasting, gumming, and glueing are required, which, in their turn, are connected with paper and cardboard.

On the other hand, some branches of the bookbinder's craft have now become quite distinct, and have developed into special industries, and have so enlarged and extended that even their particular methods of working and technical terms have quite changed. Cardboard goods, leather goods, photo albums, maps, and even account-books are treated by particular firms as specialities.

As we must now keep within clearly defined limits, we shall treat here only the work of bookbinding proper as far as it is concerned with the making of the book for publisher, bookseller, and buyer, and also the making of account-books, whilst the other work given to the binder, commonly called "fancy goods," must be excluded. Editions de luxe, charters, illuminated addresses, &c., are likewise excluded, as they are quite apart from the ordinary work of the bookbinder, belonging solely to artistic bookbinding. When any such work is required the intelligent worker will not be at a loss; besides, he will derive ample assistance from the illustrations for this class of work.

The parts of this little book have been so arranged as to correspond to our present-day division of work: preparatory work, forwarding, covering, and finishing. In England and France the various

processes have for a long time been similarly termed, and although in Germany we could not follow their lead without any deviation, because our method of work and division of labour are so different, yet the basis of this arrangement has been used in this book.

Every text-book has some drawback, the greatest of these being that a practical demonstration on the subject is more helpful than the most detailed written description, and yet even in the latter a text-book is limited. For the rest, I have tried to be as brief and clear as ever possible and to avoid faults which I have discovered in my former writings of a similar kind.

Paul Adam.

Düsseldorf, Germany, 1898.

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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON WORKING METHODS AND MATERIALS.

The bookbinder works with quite a large variety of materials which are mostly what we might call "half-made," that is to say, such materials as have already undergone some hand or machine process in order to make them fit for the work of the bookbinder. This is not the place to go into details as to the source of all these materials or the manner of their production: that may be seen in special treatises.

We separate into various groups the materials we use.

A.—Materials for Sewing and Pasting.

The bookbinder himself prepares his paste from wheaten flour and boiling water. Put in a shallow vessel, by preference a stone or enamelled metal wash-basin, the quantity of flour required for about eight days, pour in as much water as will make a mixture by soaking and stirring of the consistency of honey. Add to it boiling water, first slowly, then quicker, stirring all the time. It does not do to add the water too quickly, as that is likely to make the paste knotty or lumpy, because it cannot be stirred quickly enough and the gluten develops unequally. If added too slowly, the starch is not heated quickly enough and does not thicken sufficiently or not quickly enough, and the paste turns out too thin.

Good paste, when cold, should not be stiff like pudding, but should be easily worked with a brush. In order to prevent a skin forming on the top whilst cooling, pour over the paste as much cold water as will cover the surface immediately after the mixing with the boiling water; this water is afterwards poured off.

In summer when the paste is made, and whilst still hot, add a few drops of turpentine and mix well; this preserves the paste and keeps off insects. The addition of alum to the paste tends to make it watery, besides having no preservative properties.

If required, paste may be thinned by adding a little warm water. Potato flour is often used fraudulently for making paste, but this should only be taken when it is possible to use it up quickly, and not for books, but only for fancy goods, as this flour does not possess great adhesive power and is unsuitable for leather.

Glue is made from the well-known cake glue. The best English glue, although the dearest, is the cheapest to use. Good glue whilst soaking in water should still retain a certain degree of stickiness, must not be greasy, and should have no disagreeable smell. Glue if weighed before soaking and afterwards dried and again weighed should give no perceptible loss in weight. Good glue should not have a disagreeable taste, and above all should not betray the presence of salt.

To obtain the proper consistency in glue for bookbinding, a quantity of the cakes is taken and sufficient water poured over it to cover well. The next day the gelatinous mass is taken out of the water and dissolved in the glue-pot by placing the softened glue in a pot standing in an outer vessel containing boiling water. Glue should never be boiled nor placed directly on the fire, as that causes the loss of the best part of its adhesive property.

Glue and paste are generally worked with a brush. For paste a large hollow brush is used; this holds a large quantity of paste and covers a large surface. For glue a closer brush with a metal fastening is used, because here the hairs cannot be secured with pitch owing to the brush being constantly exposed to heat. On the paste brush there must be neither ring nor anything else of iron, as this used in paste would cause rust, and rust would give iron stains to light-coloured leathers. For the same reason no enamelled vessel should be used for paste after the enamel has once been chipped or worn.

Laying the glue or paste on a material is called glueing or pasting. A zinc-plate is the most serviceable pasting-board, as the paste is easily washed off. Glue can be scraped or soaked off and used again. Pasting-boards of mill-board or paper are hardly to be recommended, as their use entails a considerable loss of material.

Of other adhesive substances, dextrine, gum, gelatine, and isinglass are used for certain purposes. The two former are always used cold, the two latter warm. The former are dissolved in cold water; gelatine and isinglass are soaked exactly like glue, the water poured off, and then melted in the glue-pot.

Dextrine and gum are used by the bookbinder almost exclusively for pasting larger surfaces, and for laying on these substances a broad thin brush fastened with a metal strip is used.