A Manual of the Art of Bookbinding. James B. Nicholson
Two presses are frequently worked by the same pump, one being on each side.
The hydraulic press is manufactured by nearly all the press-makers, differing only in the general design, the application of power being the same.
After beating, should there be any plates to the work, they, as before stated, must now be placed among the text. Great care must be taken to make the justification of the plates uniform with the text, by cutting off any superfluity at the head or back, and by placing them exactly facing the pages to which they refer, pasting the edge next to the back. Any that may be short at the head must be brought down, to preserve a uniformity. It is advisable to place a leaf of tissue-paper before each plate, particularly when newly printed, as the ink of copper-plates is longer in drying than that of letter-press. When a work contains a great number of plates, which are directed to be placed at the end, they are sewn on the bands by overcasting, which operation will shortly be treated of in full.
The book, being now ready for pressing, is taken in sections, according to the work and the judgment of the workman, and placed between pressing-boards the size of the volume, one on the other, and conveyed to the standing-press, which is pulled down as tight as possible by the press-pin, or fly-wheel, according to the nature of the standing-press; although it must be premised that when a book has been through the smasher, no further pressing will be required until it reaches the hands of the forwarder.
After the book has been sufficiently pressed, it will be necessary again to collate it, to correct any disarrangement that may have taken place during the beating and pressing. It is then ready for being sawn out.
SAWING THE BACKS.
This operation is performed in order to save the expense of sewing upon raised bands, and also to prevent the bands on which a book is sewn appearing on the back. After beating the book up well on the back and head, it is placed between two cutting-boards, the back projecting a little over the thick edge, and tightly screwing in the laying or cutting-press, the whole being elevated sufficiently to prevent the saw damaging the cheeks of the press. Then with a tenant-saw the proper number of grooves are made, in depth and width according to the diameter of the band intended to be used, which will depend on the size of the book. A slight cut must also be given above the first and under the last band, for lodging the chain or kettle-stitch. It is very necessary that the saw should be held parallel with the press, without which precaution, the grooves being deeper on one side than the other, the work will present, when opened, a defect to the eye.
The end-papers, which should consist of four leaves of blank paper, folded according to the size of the book, are now prepared, and one placed at the beginning and end of each volume.
SEWING.
According to the number of bands wanted, must be attached to the loops on the cross-bar of the sewing-press as many pieces of cord, of proper length and thickness, and fastened with the aid of the keys in the groove of the press as nearly equal in tightness as possible. When this is done, the back of the first sheet in the book is placed against the cords, which must be moved upwards or the contrary to the marks of the saw, when the small screws at each end under the cross-bar must be moved upwards till the strings are equally tight. All this being disposed, the book is commenced sewing by placing the end-paper, which has no marks of the saw, on the sheet before laid down, and sewing it throughout, leaving a small end of thread to form the knot, after sewing the first sheet, which is then taken from under and sewn the whole length.
There are various ways of sewing, according to the size and thickness of the sheets of a book. A volume consisting of thick sheets, or a sheet containing a plate or map, should be sewn singly the whole length, in order to make the work more secure and solid. Great care should also be taken not to draw the thread too tight at the head or foot of the book. The thread, in order to keep the book of the same thickness at the ends and centre, should be drawn parallel with the bench, and not downwards, as is too frequently the case. Upon the proper swelling of the back mainly depends the regularity of the round and firmness of the back in the after-stages of the binding.
When a book is sewed two sheets on, three bands are generally used. Taking the sheet and fixing it on the bands, the needle is inserted in the mark made for the kettle-stitch and brought out by the first band; another sheet is then placed, and the needle introduced on the other side of the band, thus bringing the thread round it, sewn in like manner to the middle band, and continued to the third, when, taking again the first sheet, it is sewn from the third band to the other kettle-stitch, where it is fastened, and another course of two sheets commenced, and so continued to the last sheet but one, which is sewn the whole length, as directed for the first sheet, as also the end-paper. Three bands are preferable to two, the book being more firm from being fastened in the middle, which is the only difference in sewing on two and three bands.
Half-sheets, to obviate the swelling of the back too much, are usually sewn on four bands, which admit of three on a course: the first sheet is sewn as in three bands, from the kettle-stitch to the first band, the next to the second, and the third takes the middle space; then the second sheet again from the third to the fourth band, and the first from thence to the other kettle-stitch. The third sheet having only one stitch, it is necessary that, in sawing, the distance from the second to the third band should be left considerably longer than between the others. Quartos are generally sewn on five bands to make the work firmer, but if in half-sheets, as in the folio size, six or more are used, sewing as many sheets on as bands, giving each sheet but one tack or sewing, and piercing the needle through the whole of the course at each end or kettle-stitch before fastening the thread. This, which gives sufficient firmness, is necessary to prevent the swelling of the back which a less number of sheets in a course would make and spoil the appearance of the binding.
When the book is composed of single leaves, plates, or maps, or, as in the case of music, where, from the decayed state of the back, it is necessary to cut off a portion with the plough in the manner pointed out for cutting edges, the whole must be attached to the bands by what is called whipping or overcasting. This is by taking a section, according to the thickness of the paper, and forcing the needle through the whole at the kettle-stitch, and on each side of all the bands, at a distance sufficient to secure the stitches from tearing, bringing the thread round each band, as before directed, and fastening it at the end before proceeding with another course. To keep the whole of the sheets properly even, the back is sometimes glued immediately after cutting, and when dry divided into sections. Atlases and books of prints, when folded in the middle, will require a guard, or slip of paper, to be pasted to them, so as to allow them to open flat, which they could not do if attached to the back, and which would destroy the engraving. These guards must be of strong paper about an inch in breadth and folded to the right size. They are sewn by overcasting, as above directed.
A better method for books of plates, or single leaves, is, after cutting the back evenly with the plough, to lay it between boards and glue the back evenly over with thin glue. After it has become dry and hard, separate it into thin sections; then let it be sawn out in the usual manner; it should then be taken and whipped, or overcast in separate sections with fine thread, care being taken in whipping the sections that it be evenly and neatly done. After the sections are all whipped, they should be sewn or affixed to the bands in the same manner as folded sheets.
The old mode of sewing on raised bands combines many advantages. This style is still adopted with many works, particularly with those having a small margin; in fact, it is, both for elasticity and durability, far superior to any mode that is practised; it is, however, a very slow process, and necessarily an expensive one; and many binders who pretend to bind in this manner, to obviate this, have their books sewed in the ordinary way, and then, by sticking false bands upon the back, give them the appearance of having been sewn on raised bands. If it is intended to sew a book purely flexible, it should be knocked up even and square, placed between two pieces of pasteboard, and placed in a laying-press; then draw a line across the back, near the head, where it will be cut by the forwarder in cutting the edges. Next take a pair of compasses and divide the back lengthwise