BOOKBINDING, AND
THE CARE OF BOOKS
A HANDBOOK FOR AMATEURS
BOOKBINDERS & LIBRARIANS
BY DOUGLAS COCKERELL
WITH
DRAWINGS BY NOEL ROOKE
AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration]
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1910
COPYRIGHT, 1901,
BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
_All rights reserved_
EDITOR'S PREFACE
In issuing this volume of a series of Handbooks on the Artistic
Crafts, it will be well to state what are our general aims. W. R. LETHABY. The ordinary cloth "binding" of the trade, is better described as
casing. The case may be attached, as is now usual. "2. "3. "4. "5. 1, A). 1, B). 1.] 1, C). The lettering on the
back may be damaged in time if the book is much used, but if so it can
easily be renewed at a fraction of the cost of rebinding, and without
injury to the book. 2), and so on. 2.] The pages of an octave book, commencing at page 1, are shown at fig. 3. 3.] 4. 4.] These
have some error in them, and are intended to be cut out. If
the sheets are numbered, the numbers will of course follow
consecutively. 5). If the pages are
numbered at the foot, the leaves must be fanned out from the head. 5.] If in a bound book there are slips laced in the front cover, they must
be cut and the back torn off. 7). 7.] 8. 9), and can be torn off as wanted. 8.] 9.] 11.] 12). 12.] If plates are very thick, they must be hinged, as shown at fig. 11, B. 11, C). 13). 13.] 14.] 14). 15.] 15). This should turn up enough of the edge to form a "burr," which
causes the knife to cut while being held almost flat on the paper. 16). If the edges have been properly pared, the thickness where
they overlap should not exceed the thickness of the frame paper. 17.] This should make a clear solution when gently warmed,
and should be used at about a temperature of 120° F. Care must be
taken not to heat too quickly, or the solution may burn and turn
brown. Then put another sheet of strong paper on the top, and
put all three sheets into the size. Then the back sheet can be peeled off as
well, leaving the damaged sheet to dry. This
will usually take about an hour, but may take longer for some papers. If the
stain is not right, add more water or more stain as is needed. To remove grease or oil stains, ether may be used. of soap, 300 gr. of clay, 60
gr. It is a very tedious
operation, and seldom worth doing. 18). 18.] 19. 19, II). 19, III. 19, V, H), and the
sewing passes through this. When the book is pasted down the leaf A1
is torn off, and B1 pasted down on the board. If marbled paper is
desired, the marble should be "made," that is, pasted on to B1. 19.] If so, unless the board is very
heavy, it is best to have leather joints. A single leaf of vellum (in the place of B1 and 2, II, fig. They look well, and may be enriched by
tooling. 2, fig. 19), and cut with the book. If put in the press, the
glue may be squeezed through and the silk soiled. 19, IV). 20.] 20). At fig. This is screwed down first
with a short bar, and finally with a long bar. At fig. If the edges are to remain uncut, or be cut "in boards" with the
plough, the book will be ready for "marking up" as soon as it comes
from the press; but if it is to be gilt before sewing, it must be
first trimmed. 23.] 7). 3 (see fig. 23). Fig. 24.] 25.] No. 25), and screwed up tightly. 26). 27.] After the fore-edge is gilt the same operation is repeated at the head
and tail. In marking up
trimmed sheets for flexible sewing, the length of the back should be
divided from the head into six portions, five equal, and one at the
tail slightly longer. If these were sawn, the holes would show in the joint when
the ends are pasted down. 29). 28, cords are fastened to form
the bands. 28.] To fasten the cord below, a key is taken (see fig. The cord is then cut off, and the same operation
repeated for each band. 29.] The top back corner, on front and back waste end paper, should be
marked. When the board is in place,
the first section (end paper) is taken in the left hand and turned
over, so that the marks on the back come in the proper places against
the strings. 29). 30. 30.] 31.] 31. 32,
A. At fig. 32.] Books that are very thin or are to be bound in vellum, are best sewn
on tapes or vellum slips. The sewing, in the case of such flat bands, would not go round,
but only across them. 33. 33.] If tape is used it should be unbleached, such as the sailmakers
use. 34). 34.] 35). The glue
for this operation must be hot, and not too thick. 35.] 36). 37.] The sewing threads in the back cause that part to be
thicker than the rest of the book. 37). 38.] 39.] 39). When the backing boards are in position, the book
and boards must be carefully lowered into the lying press and screwed
up very tight, great care being taken to see that the boards do not
slip, and that the book is put in evenly. 40.] 41.] A book in which the sections have
been crushed down, as at fig. 42.] 43.] 44.] 43. At fig. 45.] 45. After the boards have been roughly cut to size, they should
have one edge cut straight with the plough. If the edge of the press has been
damaged, or is out of "truth," a cutting board may be used between
the cheek of the press and the board to be cut, making a true edge for
the knife to run on. 47.] The
shape shown at fig. They are stood up to dry, with the
doubly lined side outwards. The paste for lining boards must be fairly thin, and very
well beaten up so as to be free from lumps. 48.] 49.] 49). 50). This should rivet them into the board,
leaving little or no projection. 50.] 51.] 52). 52.] 53.] When the boards have been laced on and the slips hammered down, the
book should be pressed. 53. 54.] 55.] The waste sheets at each end
of the book should be cut off flush with the edge of the board, and
marks made on them below the edge showing the amount of the square,
and consequently how much is to be cut off. 54)
across the back, from the inside of the boards. 56). After the edges have been gilt they may be decorated by tooling,
called "gauffering." If the edges are to be coloured, they should be slightly scraped, and
the colour put on with a sponge, commencing with the fore-edge, which
should be slightly fanned out, and held firmly, by placing a
pressing-board above it, and pressing with the hand on this. 57). 57.] The light must come from the left, and well on to the work. When the ends of the silk are pasted down, the ends of the vellum slip
are cut off as near the silk as possible. 32),
and were very strong, as they were tied down at every section. 58). 58.] The skin is then pared, making it thin
where the edge of the boards will come. 59.] 59. 60, B. 60.] 61.] 62.] 63). At fig. 63.] 64.] 65.] 66.] 67.] 67. 68.] 68. 69, A, and a bad one at B. 69.] 70.] The corners must next be
mitred. 70. The corners should then be thoroughly damped, and the overlapping
leather from both sides removed, leaving what should be a neat and
straight join. When the boards have
been filled in and well rubbed down, the book should be left for some
hours with the boards standing open to enable the filling-in papers to
draw the boards slightly inwards to overcome the pull of the leather. 71). 71.] After the sections have been
thoroughly pressed, the book will be ready for marking up and sewing. In marking up for sewing on tapes, two marks will be necessary for
each tape. The back of the book is glued up, and in the ordinary way
rounded and backed. 72), and the book nipped in the press. The corners of the
boards should be protected by small tips of vellum or parchment. 72.] The lettering of library books is very important (see Chapter XV). The waste may be cut off and
inserted with the linen in a split board, as for library bindings. 73. 73.] 74, A. 74, B; or if on very heavy paper, by a double guard, as shown at fig. 74.] If the edges of a book for limp vellum binding are to be trimmed or
gilt, that should be done before sewing. The sewing should be
on strips of vellum. The back and headbands are lined with leather, and the
book is ready for the cover. This is marked
with a folder on the under side, as shown at fig. 75, A. The corners are cut, as shown at 5, and the
edges are folded over, as at B. 75.] 76). 77. 77.] 78). When the book is ready for covering, the vellum should be cut out and
lined with paper. 78.] 78). 79). 79.] In tools for gold tooling, the surface of
the tool gives the pattern. Tools may be either complex or simple in design, that is to say, each
tool may form a complete design with enclosing border, as the lower
ones on page 323, or it may be only one element of a design, as at
fig. 100. 88), or made with
gouges or pallets. 80, A). 80.] 81). 80, B.
Fillets are cut with two or more lines on the edge. 81.] 82. 82.] 83). The press is then screwed up tight, and the board left
for a short time. The lettering should be made out
first (see page 215). 83.] For the sides, the pattern is very slightly pasted on to the leather
at the four corners. 84.] The selected tools, which should be ready on the stove (see fig. If vinegar is used it must be of the best
quality, and must not contain any sulphuric acid. 86. This should make it just greasy enough to pick up the gold, but
not too greasy to part with it readily when pressed on the book. 87.] 87. 3d. to 1s. to 3s. 6d. This should always be kept in the same position when
blinding-in and tooling, and so make it possible to impress a second
time without "doubling." 88). 88.] This should cause the pieces to reunite into a soft lump. When the tooling is finished, and the loose gold removed with the
rubber, the leather should be washed with benzine, to remove any
grease and any fragments of gold that may be adhering by the grease
only. When the end papers are dry, the sides and back may be polished and
varnished. It must, therefore, be used very sparingly at the joints. 83), leaving each
board in the press for some hours. 89.] 89. This should be washed off with clean water before tooling. 60, B. When the thin leather is dry the inlays of
the leaves and flowers, &c., may be stamped out with steel punches cut
to the shape of the tools; or if only a few inlays are needed, the
tools may be impressed on the thin leather, and the inlays cut out
with a sharp knife. When
the paste is dry, the paper may be damped and washed off. If paper is used, it should be
sized with vellum size before tooling. At fig. 90.] 91.] 92.] Fold it near the centre, and mark the fold with a pencil. This should
give a line exactly at right angles to the top and bottom of the
strip. 91. 93. 94. 93.] 94.] The letters in the top line are counted, and the centre letter marked. The word may be put straight along the back, as at fig. 95.] 97.] 98.] 98. This should leave three ridges
on the leather. For instance, in tooling such a spray as is shown at fig. 99.] For blocking, one coat of glaire will be enough for most leathers. 100). 101). To have only one leaf, and to have that
curved, produces very restless patterns. 101.] 102. Tools may be solid or in outline. 104. 103. If the construction lines are accurately put in,
the spaces will all be of the same size and shape. In fig. Any lines that will appear
on the book, such as the marginal lines, may be put in with a pencil
to distinguish them. 105, in which
some gouges are introduced. 107, with slight modification at the corners. 108, and
below is shown the way to construct it. This is lined in with a pencil, and
folded over on the line B and rubbed off. This is lined in and folded
over on A and C, rubbed off as before, and the whole lined in. The
overs and unders of the lines are then marked, and gouges selected to
fit. At fig. 108. At pp. It may either consist of the title of the book, or some
line or verse from it or connected with it, or may refer to its
history, or to the owner. 111.] 111). In fig. At fig. To paste down end papers, the book is placed on the block with the
board open (see fig. 117, A, c). The joints should also be
pasted, and the paste rubbed in with the finger and any surplus
removed. 117, B). 71. At fig. At fig. When the three plaits are
worked, a little band of silver may be riveted on just below the ring. 77. Calf, known as calf and russia. Sheepskin, known as roan, basil, skiver, &c.
Pigskin, known as pigskin. Sealskin, known as seal. Thence to the paper mills, where I found them making a
coarse white paper. Cotton, flax, and hemp. B. of fibres of Class A. rosin, and finished with the
normal acidity of pure alum. PASTES
To make paste for covering books, &c., take 2 oz. of flour, and ¼
oz. The paste tub will need to be cleaned out from time to time, and all
fragments of dry paste removed. This should be removed, and replaced by a piece of twisted
cord. The paste should boil for about
five minutes, but not too fast, or it will burn and turn brown. Bookshelves should never be put against the wall, nor the books on the
floor. They are not in any way peculiar to books and will infest
the wood of bookshelves, walls, or floors. COCKROACHES
Cockroaches are very troublesome in libraries, eating the bindings. New leather, of the same colour is pasted on the
back, and tucked in under the old leather on the board. ------------+---------+-------------+----------+--------+----------+-------
| SHEETS. | END PAPERS. | PRESSING.| EDGES. | SEWING. | BACK. ------------+---------+-------------+----------+--------+----------+-------
|To be |To be sewn |Books on |To be |To be with|To be
I. |sound. |I., |paper made |No. I. |No. II. |paper, sewn |No. I. I.
for | |zigzag. Libraries, | | | |guillo- |less than |
IV. |
Leather. ------------+--------+----------+----------+----------+-----------+--------
|BOARDS. |warrants. |
Books. |tail. |No. I., |No. I. |No. I., |No. I. I. |Nos. I. |omitted. |No. II. For Binding |grey |with |and II., |and II. I. |omitted. |No. II. For Library |boards, | |or half |II. 40). _Bands_, (1) the cords on which a book is sewn. 61). _Board papers_, the part of the end papers pasted on to the boards. _Bodkin_, an awl used for making the holes in the boards for the
slips. _Bolt_, folded edge of the sheets in an unopened book. _Cutting in boards_, cutting the edges of a book after the boards are
laced on. 46). _Extra binding_, a trade term for the best work. _Finishing_, comprises lettering, tooling, and polishing, &c.
_Finishing press_, a small press used for holding books when they are
being tooled (see Fig. 84). _Finishing stove_, used for heating finishing tools. _Foredge_ (fore edge), the front edge of the leaves. Pronounced
"forrege." _Head cap_, the fold of leather over the head band (see Fig. 67). _Head and tail_, the top and bottom of a book. 4). _Lacing in_, lacing the slips through holes in the boards to attach
them. _Plate_, an illustration printed from a plate. _Proof_, edges left uncut as "proof" that the book has not been unduly
cut down. _Register_, (i.) (ii.) _Section_, the folded sheet. _Semée_ or _Semis_, an heraldic term signifying sprinkled. _Slips_, the ends of the sewing cord or tape that are attached to the
boards. _Squares_, the portion of the boards projecting beyond the edges of
the book. _Straight edge_, a flat ruler. _Tacky_, sticky. _T. E. G._, top-edge gilt. _Tub_, the stand which supports the lying press. _Unopened_, the book is said to be unopened if the bolts of the sheets
have not been cut. REPRODUCTIONS OF BINDINGS
I., II., AND III. Pigskin. Calf. Sheepskin,
with coloured roundels. Actual size, 11½" × 8¼".] Actual size,
12½" × 8½". Actual size, 17" × 11½".] Actual size, 8¼" × 5½".] Actual size, 6¾" × 4½".] Actual size, 11¾" × 9¼".] Edited by W. R. LETHABY. BOOKBINDING AND THE CARE OF BOOKS. A Handbook for Amateurs,
Bookbinders, and Librarians. By DOUGLAS COCKERELL. 12mo. SILVERWORK AND JEWELRY. By H. WILSON. By GEORGE JACK. By C. W. WHALL. With Diagrams by two of his
Apprentices, and other Illustrations. D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.