Moxon's mechanick exercises, volume 1 (of 2)

§. 15. ¶. 1. Of making the Mold.

The Steel-Punches being thus finish’d, as afore was shewed, they are to be sunk or struck into pieces of Copper, about an Inch and an half long, and one quarter of an Inch deep; but the thickness not assignable, because of the different thicknesses in Letters, as was shewed in §. 2. and shall further be shewed, when I come to the sinking and justifying of Matrices. But before these Punches are sunk into Copper, the Letter-Founder must provide a Mold to justifie the Matrices by: And therefore it is proper that I describe this Mold to you before I proceed any farther.

I have given you in Plate 18. at A, the Draft of one side or half of the Mold; and in Plate 19. at B, its Match, or other half, which I shall in general thus describe.

Every Mold is made of two parts, an under, and an upper Part; the under part is delineated at A, in Plate 18, the upper part is marked B, in Plate 19, and is in all respects made like the under part, excepting the Stool behind, and the Bow, or Spring also behind; and excepting a small roundish Wyer between the Body and Carriage, near the Break, where the under part hath a small rounding Groove made in the Body. This Wyer, or rather Half-Wyer in the upper part makes the Nick in the Shank of the Letter, when part of it is received into the Grove in the under part.

These two parts are so exactly fitted and gaged into one another, (viz. the Male Gage, marked C in Plate 19, into the Female-Gage marked g, in Plate 18.) that when the upper part of the Mold is properly placed on, and in the under part of the Mold both together, makes the entire Mold, and may be slid backwards for Use so far, till the Edge of either of the Bodies on the middle of either Carriage comes just to the Edge of the Female-Gages, cut in each Carriage: And they may be slid forwards so far, till the Bodies on either Carriage touch each other. And the sliding of these two parts of the Mold backwards, makes the Shank of the Letter thicker, because the Bodies in each part stand wider asunder; and the sliding them forwards makes the Shank of the Letter thinner, because the Bodies on each part of the Mold stand closer together.

This is a general Description of the Mold; I come now to a more particular Description of its parts.

I have here given you only the Names of the parts of the Mold, because at present I purpose no other Use of it, than what relates to the sinking the Punches into the Matrices: And when I come to the casting of Letters, You will find the Use and Necessity of all these Parts.

¶. 2. Of the Bottom-Plate.

The Bottom-Plate is made of Iron, about two Inches and three quarters long, and about the same breadth; its thickness about a Brevier: It is planisht exactly flat and straight: It hath two of its Fore-Angles, as a a cut off either straight or rounding, according to the pleasure of the Workman.

About the place where the middle of the Carriage lies, is made a Hole about a Great-Primmer square, into which is rivetted on the upper-side a Pin with a Sholder to it, which reaches about half an Inch through the under-side of the Bottom-Plate. This Pin on the under-side the Bottom-Plate is round, and hath a Male-Screw on its end. This Pin is let through a Hole made in the Wood of the Mold to fit it; so that when a square Nut, with a Female-Screw in it, is turned on the Male-Screw, it may draw and fasten the Half Mold firm to the Wood.

The Hind-side of the Carriage lies on this Bottom-Plate, parallel to the Hind-side of it, and about a Two-Lin’d-English within the Hind Edge of it; and so much of this Bottom-Plate as is between the Register and the left-hand end of the Carriage (as it is posited in the Figure) is called the Stool, as g g in the under half of the Mold, because on it the lower end of the Matrice rests; but on the upper half of the Mold is made a square Notch behind in the Bottom-Plate, rather within than without the Edge of the Carriage, to reach from the Register, and half an Inch towards the left-hand (as it is posited in the Figure) that the upper part of the fore-side of the Matrice may stand close to the Carriage and Body.

¶. 3. Of the Carriage.

On the Bottom-Plate is fitted a Carriage, (as a) This Carriage is almost the length of the Bottom-Plate, and about a Double-Pica thick, and its Breadth the length of the Shank of the Letter to be cast.

This Carriage is made of Iron, and hath its upper side, and its two narrow sides filed and rubed upon the using File, exactly straight, square and smooth, and the two opposite narrow sides exactly parallel to each other.

On one end of the Carriage, as at g, is made a long Notch or Slit, which I call the Female-Gage: It is about a Double-Pica wide, and is made for the Male-Gage of the other part of the Mold to fit into, and to slide forwards or backwards as the thickness of the Letter to be cast may require.

¶. 4. Of the Body.

Upon the Carriage is fitted the Body, as at b. This Body is also made of Iron, and is half the length of the Carriage, and the exact breadth of the Carriage; but its thickness is alterable, and particularly made for every intended Body.

About the middle of this Body is made a square Hole, about a Great-Primmer, or Double-Pica square; and directly under it is made through the Carriage such another Hole exactly of the same size.

¶. 5. Of the Male-Gage.

Through these two Holes, viz. That in the Body, and that in the Carriage, is fitted a square Iron Shank with a Male-Screw on one End, and on the other End an Head turning square from the square Shanck to the farther end of the Body, as is described at c; but is more particularly described apart at B in the same Plate, where B may be called the Male-Gage: For I know no distinct Name that Founders have for it, and do therefore coyn this:

This square Shanck is just so long within half a Scaboard thick as to reach through the Body, Carriage, and another square Hole made through the Bottom-Plate, that so when a square Nut with a Female-Screw in it is turned on that Pin, the Nut shall draw and fasten the Body and Carriage down to the Bottom-Plate.

The Office of the Male-Gage is to fit into, and slide along the Female-Gage.

¶. 6. Of the Mouth-Piece.

Close to the Carriage and Body is fitted a Mouth-Piece marked d e. Letter-Founders call this altogether a Mouth-Piece: But that I may be the better understood in this present purpose, I must more nicely distinguish its parts, and take the Freedom to elect Terms for them, as first,

Altogether (as aforesaid) the Mouth-Piece.

The Mouth-Piece hath its Side returning from the Throat filed and rubb’d on the Using-File exactly straight and square to its Bottom-side, because it is to joyn close to the Side of the Carriage and Body; but its upper-side, viz. the Palate is not parallel to the Bottom, but from the Side d d, viz. the Throat falls away to the Mouth e, making an Angle greater or smaller, as the Body that the Mold is made for is bigger or less: For small Bodies require but a small Mouth, because small Ladles will hold Metal enough for small Letters; and the smaller the Ladle, the finer the Geat of the Ladle is; and fine Geats will easier hit the Mouth (in a Train of Work) than the course Geats of Great Ladles: Therefore it is that the Mouth must be made to such a convenient Width, that the Ladle to be used and its Geat, may readily, and without slabbering, receive the Metal thrown into the Mold.

But again, if the Mouth-Piece be made too wide, viz. the Jaws too deep at the Mouth, though the Geat of the Ladle does the readier find it, yet the Body of the Break of the Letter will be so great, that first it heats the Mold a great deal faster and hotter; and secondly, it empties the Pan a great deal sooner of its Metal, and subjects the Workman sometime to stand still while other Metal is melted and hot: Therefore Judgment is to be used in the width of the Mouth; and though there be no Rule for the width of it; yet this in general for such Molds as I make, I observe that the Orifice of the Throat may be about one quarter of the Body for small Bodies; but for great Bodies less, according to Discretion, and the Palate about an Inch and a quarter long from the Body and Carriage. The reason that the Orifice of the Throat is so small, is, because the Substance at the end of the Shanck of the Letter ought also to be small, that the Break may easier break from the Shanck of the Letter, and the less subject the Shanck to bowing; for the bowing of a Letter spoils it; and the reason why the Palate is so long, is, that the Break being long, may be the easier finger’d and manag’d in the breaking.

If it be objected, that since the smalness of the Break at the end of the Shanck of the Letter is so approvable and necessary for the reason aforesaid, then why may not the Break be made much more smaller yet? The Answer will be, No; because if it be much smaller than one quarter of the Body, Metal enough will not pass through the Throat, to fill both the Face and Shanck of the Letter, especially if the Letter to be cast prove thin.

Near the Throat and Jaw is made straight down through the Palate a square Hole (as at k.) This square Hole hath all its Sides on the Upper-Plain of the Palate opened to a Bevel of about 45 Degrees, and about the depth of a thick Scaboard. Into this square Hole is fitted a square Pin to reach through it; and within half a Scaboard through a square Hole, made just under it in the Bottom-Plate which the Mouth-Piece lies upon. On the upper end of this square Pin is made a square Sholder, whose under-sides are filed Bevil away, so as to comply and fall just into the Bevil made on the Palate aforesaid, and on the under end of the Pin is made a Male-screw long enough to contain a square Nut, with a Female-screw in it about a Pica or English thick, which Nut being twisted about the Pin of the Male-screw, draws and fastens the Mouth-piece close down to the Bottom-Plate, and also close to the Carriage and Body of the Mold.

Note, that the square Hole made in the Bottom-Plate to receive the square Shanck of the Pin, must be made a little wider than just to fit the square Shanck of the Pin, because the Mouth-piece must be so placed, that the end of the Jaw next the Throat must lie just even with the Body it is to be joyned to; and also that the Throat of the Mouth-piece may be thrust perfectly close to the Sides of the Carriage and Body: And when Occasion requires the Shanck of the Letter to be lengthned, it may be set farther off the Carriage, that an Asidue, or sometimes a thin Plate of Brass may be fitted in between the Carriage and the Throat of the Mouth-piece, as shall farther be shewed when I come to justifie the Mold.

¶. 7. Of the Register.

Behind the Mold is placed the Register, as at f i h, which I have also placed apart in the aforesaid Plate, as at C, that it may the more perspicuously be discerned, and a more particular account of its parts be given, which are as follows:

It is made of an Iron Plate about a Brevier thick; its upper-side is straight, but its under-side is not: For at a a projects downwards a small piece of the same Plate, which we may call the Sholders, of the Form you see in the Figure. These Sholders have two small Notches (as at b c) filed in them below the Range on the under-side of the Register, which we will call the Neck, and is just so wide as the Bottom-Plate is thick. This Neck is set into a square Notch, filed so far into the Bottom-Plate, that the flat inside of the Register may stand close against the hind-side of the Carriage and Body; and this Notch is filed so wide on the left Hand, that when the side b of the Neck stands close against the left-hand-side of this Notch (as it is posited in the Figure) the Cheek of the Register stands just even with the Edge of the Body. And this Notch is also filed so wide on the right-Hand-side, that when the Neck at c stands close against the right-hand Side of the Notch, the Cheek of the Register may remove an m, or an m and an n from the edge of the Body towards the right hand: And the Sholders a a are made so long, that when either Side of the Neck is thrust close against its corresponding side in the Notch of the Bottom-Plate, the upper Edge of the opposite Sholder shall hook or bear against the under-side of the Bottom-Plate, and keep the whole Register steady, and directly upright to the Surface of the Bottom-Plate.

In the Plate of the Register, is made a long square Hole, as at e, just wide enough to receive the Pin of a Male-screw, with a Sholder to it, which is to fit into a Female-screw, made in the Edge of the Carriage, that when the Male-screw is turned about in the Female-screw in the Carriage, it shall draw the Sholder of the said Male-screw hard against the upper and under Sides of the square Hole in the Plate of the Register, close to the side of the Carriage and Body.

The reason why the Hole in the Plate of the Register is made so long, is that the Cheek of the Register may be slid forwards or backwards as occasion requires; as shall be shewn when I come to justifying the Mold.

¶. 8. Of the Nick.

In the upper half of the Mold, at about a Pica distance from the Throat, is fitted into the under-side of the Body the Nick: It is made of a piece of Wyer filed flat a little more than half away. This Nick is bigger or less, as the Body the Mold is made for is bigger or less; but its length is about two m’s. It is with round Sculptors let exactly into the under-side of the Body.

In the under half of the Mold, is made at the same distance from the Throat, on the upper-side of the Body, a round Groove, just fit to receive the Nick in the upper half.

¶. 9. Of the Bow or Spring.

This is a long piece of hard Iron Wyer, whose Diameter is about a Brevier thick, and hath one end fastned into the Wood of the under half of the Mold, as at h; but it is so fastned, that it may turn about in the Hole of the Wood it is put into: For the end of it being batter’d flat, a small Hole is drilled through it, into which small Hole the end of fine Lute-string Wyer, or somewhat bigger is put, and fastned by twisting about half an Inch of the end of the Lute-string to the rest of the Lute-string: For then a considerable Bundle of that Wyer, of about the Size of a Doublet Button, being wound behind the Hole, about the end of the Spring, will become a Sholder to it, and keep the end of the Spring from slipping through the Hole in the Wood: But this Button or Sholder must also be kept on by thrusting another piece of Wyer stiff into the Hole made on the end of the Spring, and crooking that Wyer into the Form of an S, that it slip not out of the Hole.

The manner how the Spring is bowed, you may see in the Figure: But just without the Wood is twisted upon another Wyer about an English thick five or six turns of the Wyer of the Spring, to make the whole Spring bear the stronger at its point: For the Office of the Spring is with its Point at g, to thrust the Matrice close against the Carriage and Body.

¶. 10. Of the Hooks, or Haggs.

These are Iron Wyers about a Long-Primmer thick: Their Shape you may see in the Figure: They are so fastned into the Wood of the Mold, that they may not hinder the Ladle hitting the Mouth. Their Office is to pick and draw with their Points the Break and Letter out of the Mold when they may chance to stick.

¶. 11. Of the Woods of the Mold.

All the Iron Work aforesaid of the Mold is fitted and fastned on two Woods, viz. each half one, and each Wood about an Inch thick, and of the shape of each respective Bottom-Plate. The Wood hath all its Sides except the hind-side, about a Pica longer than the Bottom-Plate; but the hind-side lies even with the Bottom-Plate. The Bottom-Plate, as afore was said in ¶. 2. of this §. hath an Iron Pin on its under-side, about half an Inch long, with a Male-screw on its end, which Pin being let fit into an Hole in the Wood does by a Nut with a Female-screw in it draw, all the Iron Work close and fast to the Wood.

But because the Wood is an Inch thick, and the Pin in the Bottom-Plate but half an Inch long, therefore the outer or under-side of the Wood (as posited in the Figure) hath a wide round Hole made in it flat at the Bottom, to reach within an English, or a Great Primmer of the upper-side of the Wood. This round Hole is wide enough to receive the Nut with the Female-screw in it; and the Pin being now long enough to receive the Female-screw at the wide Hole, the Female-screw may with round nosed Plyers be turned about the Male-screw on the Pin aforesaid, till it draw all the Iron Work close to the Wood.

The Wood behind on the upper half is cut away as the Bottom-Plate of that half is; and into the thickness of the Wood, close by the right and left-hand side of this Notch is a small square Wyer-staple driven, which we may call the Matrice-Check; for its Office is only to keep the Shanck of the Matrice from flying out of this Notch of the Mold when the Caster is at Work. And the Nuts and Screws of the Carriage and Mouth-piece, &c. that lie under the Bottom-Plate, are with small Chissels let into the upper-side of the Wood, that the Bottom-plates may lie flat on it.

Sect. XVI. Of justifying the Mold.

Although the Mold be now made; nay, very well and Workman-like made, yet is it not imagin’d to be fit to go to work withal; as well because it will doubtless Rag (as Founders call it; for which Explanation see the Table) as because the Body, Thickness, Straightness, and length of the Shanck must be finisht with such great Nicety, that without several Proofs and Tryings, it cannot be expected to be perfectly true.

Therefore before the sinking and justifying the Matrices, the Mold must first be Justified: And first, he justifies the Body, which to do, he casts about twenty Proofs or Letters, as they are called, though it matters not whether the Shancks have yet Letters on them or no. These Proofs he sets up in a Composing-stick, as is described in §. 17. ¶. 2. Plate 19. at G, with all their Nicks towards the right Hand, and then sets up so many Letters of the same Body, (which for Distinction sake we will call Patterns) that he will justifie his Body too, upon the Proofs, with all their Nicks also to the right Hand, to try if they agree in length with the same Number of Letters that he uses for his Pattern; which if they do not, for very seldom they do, but by the Workman’s fore-cast are generally somewhat too big in the Body, that there may be Substance left to Justifie the Mold, and clear it from Ragging. Therefore the Proofs may drive-out somewhat, either half a Line (which in Founders and Printers Language is half a Body) or a whole Line. (more or less.)

He also tries if the two sides of the Body are parallel, viz. That the Body be no bigger at the Head than at the Foot; and that he tries by taking half the number of his Proofs, and turning the Heads of them lays them upon the other half of his Proofs, so that if then the Heads and Feet be exactly even upon each other, and that the Heads and Feet neither drive out, nor get in, (Founders and Printers Language, for which see the Table) the two sides of the Body are parallel; but if either the Head or Foot drives out, the two sides of the Body are not parallel, and must therefore be mended.

And as he has examin’d the Sides of the Body so also he examines the thickness of the Letter, and tries if the two Sides of the thickness be also parallel, which to do, he sets up his Prooves in the Composing-stick with their Nicks upwards. Then taking half of the Prooves, he turns the Heads and lay the Heads upon the Feet of the other half of his Prooves, and if the Heads and Feet lies exactly upon each other and neither drive out or get in the two Sides of the thicknesses are parallel. But if either the Head or Foot drive-out the two Sides of the thicknesses are not parallel; and must therefore be mended.

Next, he considers whether the sides of the Body be straight, first by laying two Letters with their Nicks upwards upon one another, and holding them up in his Fingers, between his Eye and the Light, tries if he can see Light between them: For if the least Light appear between them, the Carriage is not straight. Then he lays the Nicks against one another, and holds them also against the Light, as before: Then he lays both the Nicks outward, and examines them that way, that he may find whether either or both of the Carriages are out of straight.

But we will suppose now the Body somewhat too big, and that it drives out at the Head or Foot; and that the thickness drives out at the Head or Foot and that the Sides of the Body are not straight. These are Faults enough to take the Mold asunder: but yet if there were but one of these Faults it must be taken asunder for that; by unscrewing the Male-Gage, to take the Body off the Carriage, and the Carriage off the Bottom-Plate.

Having found where the Fault of one or both sides of the Body is, he lays the Body down upon the Using File; and if the Fault be extuberant, he rubs the Extuberancy down, by pressing his Finger or Fingers hard upon the opposite side of the Body, just over the extuberant part; and so rubbing the Body hard forwards on the Using-File, and drawing it lightly backwards, he rubs till he has wrought down the extuberancy, which he examins by applying the Lyner to that side of the Body, and holding it so up between his Eye and the Light, tries whether or not the Lyner ride upon the part that was extuberant; which if it do, the extuberancy is not sufficiently rub’d off, and the former Process must again begin and be continued till the extuberancy be rub’d off. And if the Body were too big, he by this Operation works it down: Because the extuberancy of the Body rid upon the Carriage, and bore it up.

And if the fault be a Dawk, or Hollow in the Body, then he Works the rest of that side of the Body down to the bottom of the Dawk, which by applying the Lyner (as afore) he tryes, and this also lessens the Body.

If the Body drive-out at Head or Foot, he lays the weight of his Fingers heavy at that side or end of the Body which is too thick, and so rubs that down harder.

If the thickness of the Letter, drive-out at Head, or Foot, he Screws the Body into the Vice, and with a flat sharp File, files the Side down at the Head, or Foot. At the same time, if the Shanck of the Letter be not Square, he mends that also, and smooth-files it very well.

Then he puts the Mold together again: And melting, (or laying aside) his first Proofs, lest they should make him mistake, he again Casts about twenty New Proofs, and examins by them as before, how well he has mended the Body, and how near he has brought the Body to the size of the Pattern: For he does not expect to do it the First, Second, or Seventh time; but mends on, on, on, by a little at a time, till at last it is so finisht.

If the Body prove too small, it is underlaid with a thick or a thin Asidue; or sometimes a thin Plate of Brass.

Then he examins the Mouth-piece, and sees that the Jaws slide exactly true, upon every part of the Pallat without riding.

If the Throat of the Mouth-piece lie too low, as most commonly it is designed so to do; Then a Plate of Brass of a proper thickness is laid under it to raise it higher.

He also Justifies the Registers, making their Cheeks truly Square. And Screwing them about an n from the Corner of the Body.

He tryes that the Male and Female-Gages fit each other exactly, and lie directly straight along, and parallel to both the Sides of the Carriage.

All this thus performed he needs not (perhaps) take the Mold assunder again. But not having yet consider’d, or examin’d the length of the Shanck of the Letter, he now does; and if it be somewhat too long (as we will suppose by forecast it is) then the Body and Carriage being Screwed together, and both the Halves fitted in their Gages, the Edges of the Carriage and Body are thus together rub’d upon the Using-File, till the Carriage be brought to an exact length.

Having thus (as he hopes) finisht the justifying of the Mold; and put it together, and Screwed it fast up, he puts the two Halves together, and then Rubs or Slides them hard against one another, to try if he can perceive any little part of the Body Ride upon the Carriage, or Carriage ride upon the Body: To know which of them it is that Rides, or is extuberant, he uses the Liner; applying it to both the Places, as well of the Body as the Carriage: where he sees they have Rub’d or bore upon one another: And which of them that is extuberant, the Edge of the Liner will shew, by Riding upon it: And that part he Files upon with a small flat and very fine File, by little and little, taking off the extuberancy, till the Bodies and Carriages lie exactly flat upon, and close to one another: Which if they do not, the Mold will be sure to Rag.

§. XVII. ¶. 1. Of Sinking the Punches into the Matrices.

That the Matrice, and all its parts may be the better understood, as I shall have Occasion to Name them, I have given you a Draft of the Matrice in Plate, 18 at E. and shall here explain its parts.

In the Back or Side behind the Matrice, just behind E is filed in athwart the Back, from the right to the left Side a Notch, to settle and hold the point of the Spring or Wyer of the Mold in, that the Matrice fly or start not back when it is at Work.

As I told you (in §. 11. ¶. 1.) that the Punches are to be made of several Thicknesses, for reasons there shewed; and that therefore the Letter-Cutter makes Wooden Patterns for his several Sizes of Thicknesses as well as Heights; so now I am come to the Sinking of the Punches into the Matrices, I must tell you again that the Letter-Cutter or else the Founder, (either of which that Sinks them; for sometimes it is a Task Incumbent on each of them) considers the Thicknesses of all the Punches he has to Sink, though Heighth he need not consider in Sinking the Matrices: For the Matrices, by reason of their length in Copper upwards and downwards, have Substance enough and to spare, for the longest Letters to be Sunk into them: Therefore I say, he only considers the several Thicknesses of all the Punches, and makes Wooden Patterns for them, marking with a Pen and Inck the number of each size, on the Pattern as before he did for the Steel-Punches: But the Patterns he made for the Steel-Punches will be too Thin for the Copper Matrices: Because the Steel-Punches by Sinking into the Matrices, stretch and force the Sides of the Copper out, and sometimes crack them for want of Substance; and at other times carry or force the Substance of the Matrice so low with their Sholder if the Letter be broad, that it creates a great Trouble to rub them Flat, (as it is called) because it is done upon the Using-File.

Therefore he makes Wooden Patterns for every of the former siz’d Punches, so thick or rather an n thicker at the least, then he made the Wooden Patterns, that the Steel-Punches were made to be Forged by, that there may be Substance enough on each side the Copper to bear the dilating that the sinking of the Punch into it will make, because the Counter-Puncht-Letters are Thicker by their Stems and Footing or Topping than the Counter-Punches made for them need be.

Therefore (as before) for three sizes of Punches to be Counter-Puncht, he made three several siz’d Patterns; so now for the several siz’d Punches that are to be Sunk into Matrices, he makes three several siz’d Patterns of Wood for the Copper-Smith to draw out Rods of Copper of those several Sizes by, and each of them (as aforesaid) an n, and for the Thick Letters an m (at least) Thicker than the Patterns were made, for the Steel-Punches to be Forged to a size by.

In the Forging of these Copper-Rods, he instructs the Copper-Smith to make Choice of the softest Copper he can get, that the Steel-Punches may run the less hazzard of breaking; and sometimes (if too soft Temper’d) battering their Stroaks.

The Rose Copper is commonly accounted the softest: But yet I have many times Sunk Punches indifferently into every sort of Copper. Nay, even cast Copper, which is generally accounted the Hardest: Because Copper, as well (as some other Mettals) Hardens with Melting.

These Rods of Copper are (as I told you in §. III. ¶. 1.) to be Cut into small Lengths, each about an Inch and an half long, and a Great-Primmer or Double-Pica deep; and for great Bodyed Letters a Two-lin’d-English deep; But their Thickness not assignable, because of the Different Thicknesses in Letters, both of the same and other Bodies, as in part I shewed, in §. II. and more fully in this present §. and ¶.

The reason why the Copper-Rods are Forg’d so deep, is, That the more substance of Copper may lie under the Face of the Punch: For if the Rod have not a convenient depth, the Face of the Punch in Sinking, does the sooner ingage with the Hardness of the Face of the Stake it is Sunk upon: And having with a few Blows of the Hammer, soon hardned the Copper just under the Face of the Punch, as well the hardness of the small (thus hardned) Body of Copper just under the Face of the Punch, as the Hardness of the Face of the Stake contribute a complycated assistance to the breaking or battering the Face of the Punch. But if the Rod be deep, the Substance of Copper between the Face of the Punch and the Stake is less hardned, and consequently the Punch will Sink the easier, and deeper with less Violence.

But sometimes it has happ’ned that for the Sinking one Matrice or two, I have been loath to trouble my self to go to the Copper-Smiths, to get one Forg’d: and therefore I have made shift with such Copper as I have had by me. But when it has not been so deep as I could have wisht it, I have just entred the Punch into the Matrice upon the Stake, and to Sink it deep enough, I have laid it upon a good thick piece of Lead, which by reason of its softness has not hardned the Copper just under the Face of the Punch; but suffered the Punch to do its Office with good Success.

Having cut the Copper-Rods, into fit Lengths with a Cold Chissel, He files the end that is to stand upon the Stool of the Mold exactly square, and the Right-side of the Matrice, that stands against the Carriage and Body, also exactly Square and smooth upon the Using-File. Then he places the filed end, or Bottom upon the Stool, with the Face of the Matrice towards the Carriage and Body, and the Right side of the Matrice, close against the Register: Then if the Punch to be sunck be an ascending Letter. He with a fine pointed Needle, makes a small Race by the upper-side of the Carriage upon the Face of the Matrice, and that Race is a mark for him, to set the top of the Ascending Letter at, when he Sinks it into the Matrice: So that then placing the Punch upright upon the middle of the Thickness of the Matrice, the Matrice lying solid on the Stake: He with the Face of an Hammer sizable to the bigness of his Punch, cautiously knocks upon the Hammer-end of the Punch, with reiterated Blows, till he have driven the Punch deep enough into the Matrice.

But if it be a short Letter, or a Descending Letter, and not Ascending also: Then he elects any Cast-Letter of the Thickness of the Beard, (as Founders and Printers call it) For which Explanation see the Table, and he lays that Letter upon the Surface of the Carriage, and then placing the Bottom of the Matrice to be Sunk as before, on the Stool, and against the Register, He draws with a Needle as before, a race above the Surface of that Letter, against the Face of the Matrice, and that race is a Mark for him to place the Head of the Letter by. Then managing the Punch and Hammer as before was shewed, he Sinks the Punch into the Matrice.

But here arises a Question, viz. How deep the Punches are to be Sunk into the Matrices? The Answer is, a Thick Space deep, though deeper even to an n would be yet better: Because the deeper the Punches are Sunk, the lower does the Beards stand below the Face, and those Beards when the Cast Letter comes into the Printers Hands to be used, are the less subject to Print, as too oft they do both at Head or Foot of a Page, than when they lie so high that the softness of the Blankets, and Hardness of a Pull, or else carelesness of Running the Carriage of the Press to a considered Mark they would be. But they are seldom Sunk any deeper then a thick Space: and the reason is, because the breaking or battering the Face of the Punch should not be too much hazarded.

The many Punches to be Sunk into Matrices for the same Body, are difficult to be Sunk of an equal depth. Therefore I always make a Beard-Gage, as is described in Plate 19 at F, where a b is a Sholder that rests upon the Face of the Matrice, c is the Point or Gage that measures the depth of the Sunken Punch. So that when the Point c just touches the Bottom, and both the Sholders a b the Face of the Matrice, the Punch may be accounted well Sunk as to depth.

But though it be accounted well Sunk for a first Essay, yet can it not be reasonably imagined it is well Sunk for good and all; as well because in Sinking the Punches it has carryed some part of the Surface of the Matrice down below the Face of the Matrice into the Body of the Copper, as because both the Sides are doubtless extorted, and one Side or Part of the Punch Sunk more or less deeper than the other. Wherefore I now come to

¶. 2. Justifying the Matrices.

Justifying of Matrices is, 1. to make the Face of the Sunken Letter, lie an exact designed depth below the Face of the Matrice, and on all its sides equally deep from the Face of the Matrice. 2. It is to set or Justifie the Foot-line of the Letter exactly in Line. 3. It is to Justifie both the sides, viz. the Right and left sides of a Matrice to an exact thickness.

Therefore to proceed Methodically, he first slightly Files down the Bunchings out that the Punch made in the Sides of the Matrice; And then slightly Files down all the Copper, on the Face of the Matrice, till the Hollow the Punch made becomes even with the whole Face of the Matrice.

Then he Casts a Proof-Letter or two, and Rubs them: And with the Edge of a Knife cuts out what may remain in the bottom of the Shanck by reason of the un-even breaking, off of the Break that the square bottom of the Shanck may not be born off the Bottom-Ledge of the Lining-Stick.

But having till now said nothing of the Lining-Stick, it is proper before I proceed, to give a Description of it: It is delineated in Plate 19 at G. Where G is the Plain, a the Side-Ledge, b the Bottom-Ledge, c the Stilt, all made of Brass.

The Plain is exactly flat, Straight, and Smooth, that the Shancks of the Letter being likewise so, may lie flat and solidly on it. Its depth between the Bottom-Ledge, and the fore edge is about the length of the Shanck of the Letter: But the whole Plain of Brass is yet deeper; Because the Bottom-Ledge is fastned on it. The Lining-Stick is about two Inches long for small Letters; but longer for Big-Bodyed Letters.

Both Bottom and Side-Ledge, is a thin piece of Brass, from a Scaboard to a Pica thick, according as the Body whose Face and Foot-line is to be Justified in it is bigger or less. These two Ledges is an Inside Square exactly wrought, and with small Rivets fastned on the Side edge, and on the Bottom edge.

The Stilt is a thin flat piece of Brass-Plate about a Scaboard thick, and a Double-Pica broad: One of its edges is Soldered to the under-side of the Plain, about a Double-Pica within the fore-edge of the Plain, that the Lining-Stick (when set by with Proof-Letters in it) may not lie flat on its Bottom; but have its fore edge Tilted up, that the Letters in it may rest against the Bottom-Ledge.

Having cut the Notch in the Break of the Letters as aforesaid, He Rubs every side of them on the Stone, with two or three hard Rubs, to take off the small Rags that may happen on the Shanck of the Letter, notwithstanding the Mold is imagined to be very truly made and Justified.

The Stone is commonly a whole Grind-Stone, about eighteen Inches diameter, having both its sides truly Rub’d flat and smooth, by Jostling it (as Masons call it) upon another broad long and flat Stone with Sand and Water. It must have a fine, but very sharp Greet. Now to return.

He places a Quadrat of the same Body, on the Plain of the Lining-stick, and against the Side-Ledge of it He sets up three or four old m’s of the same Body: Then sets up his Proof-Letter or Letters, and after his Proof-Letter three or four old m’s more of the same Body; and being very careful that the Foot of the Shanck of the Letter stands full down against the Bottom-Ledge of the Lining-stick, He applies the edge of the Liner to the Faces of all these Letters: And if he finds that the edge of the Liner just touch (and no more) as well all the parts of his Proof-Letters as they do upon his old Letters, He concludes his Matrice is Sunk to a true Height against Paper.

But he seldom hopes for so good luck; but does more likely expect the Matrice is Sunk too deep or too shallow, and awry on the right and left side, or on the top or bottom of the Line, for all or any of these Faults the Liner will easily discover. Therefore I shall shew you how he Justifies a Matrice that is too High against Paper.

We will suppose the Face of the Punch is Sunk flat and straight down into the Matrice; but yet it is a little too deep Sunk. Therefore he considers how much it is too deep: If it be but a little too deep, perhaps when the Face of the Matrice shall be made exactly flat (for yet it is but Rough-Filed) it may be wrought down to be just of an Height against Paper. But if the Punch be Sunk so much too deep that the smoothing the flat of the Face on the Using-File will not work it low enough; then with a Bastard-cut flat-File, he takes off (according to his Discretion) so much Copper from the Face of the Matrice as will make it so much nearer as he thinks it wants to the Face of the Letter. But yet considers that the Face of the Matrice is yet to smoothen on the Using-File, and therefore he is careful not to take too much off the Face of the Matrice with the Rough-File.

He is also very careful that when he is to File upon the Face of the Matrice, to Screw the Face of it Horizontally flat in the Vice: And that in Filing upon it, he keeps his File directly Horizontal, as was shewed, Numb. 1. Fol. 15, 16. Vol. 1. For if he let his right or left hand dip, the File will in its Natural Progress take too much off the side it dips upon, and consequently the Face of the Letter on that side will lie shallower from the Face of the Matrice then it will on the opposite side. The like caution he makes, in Filing between the Top and Bottom of the Matrice on the Face. For if he Files away too much Copper toward the Top or Bottom, the Face of the Letter on its Top or Bottom-Line, will lie on that end shallower from the Face of the Matrice.

Then he considers by his Proof-Letters how much too thick the right or left side of the Matrice is.

I told you in §. 11. ¶. 4. that the Angle the Sholder made with the Face of the Letter, is about 100 Degrees, which is 10 Degrees more then a right Angle or Square. So that if a Letter be Cast and Rub’d just so thick that the Liner when applied to the Shanck of the Letter reaches just to the Sholder, there will be an Angle of 10 Degrees, contained between the edge of the Liner and the Straight Line that proceeds from the Sholder at the Shanck, to the outer-edge of the Face of the Letter. And if two Letters be thus Cast and Rub’d and Set together, the Angle contained between their Shancks, and the outer-edge of the Face of the Letter will be 20 Degrees, which is too wide by half for the Faces of two Letters to stand assunder. Therefore the sides of the Matrice must be so Justified, that when the Shancks of two Letters stand close together, the Angle between both the Shancks, and the adjacent outer-edges of the Faces of the Letters may both make an Angle of about 10 Degrees as aforesaid, which is a convenient distance for two Letters to stand assunder at the Face. But to do which, If the right-side be too thick, the Register of the under-half of the Mold, being (as I said) hard screw’d, so as to stand about an n off the edge of the Body towards the right hand; He places the Foot of the Matrice on the Stool, and the right-side of the Matrice close against the Register, and observes how much too thick that side of the Matrice is: For so much as the right-hand edge of the Orifice of the Matrice stands on the left-hand side of the Body, so much is the Right-side of the Matrice too thick, and must by several offers be Filed away with a Bastard-Cut-File, not all at once, least (ere he be aware) he makes that side of the Matrice too thin, which will be a great dammage to the Matrice, and cannot be mended but with a Botch, as shall in proper place be shewed.

Having by several proffers wrought the right-side of the Matrice thus near its thickness, he proceeds to Justifie the left side also. But this side must be Justified by the upper half of the Mold; By turning the top of the Matrice downwards, and placing the left side of it (now the right-side) against the Register, and works away the left side in all respects as he did the right-side; still being very cautious he takes not to much Copper away at once.

To Justifie the Letter in Line he examins the Proof-Letter (yet standing in the Lining-Stick) and applies the Liner to the Foot-line: And if the Liner touch all the way upon the Foot-line of the Proof-Letter and the Foot-Line of all the old m’s, that Matrice is Justified in Line. But this also very rarely happens at first, for by design it is generally made to stand too low in Line: Because the Bottom of the Matrice may by several proffers be Filed away till the Letter stand exactly in Line. But should he take too much off the Bottom of the Matrice, it cannot be made to stand lower without another Botch.

Nor does he reckon that this first Operation, or perhaps several more such, shall Justifie the Matrice in Line. But after bringing both the sides of the Matrice thus near, and also bringing the Matrice thus near the Line. He Casts another Proof-Letter or two, and Rubbing all the sides of their Shancks, as before was shew’d, he tries by Rubbing the Letters how near he has brought the thickness of both the sides: For when the sides of the Matrice are brought just to such a thickness, that the Shanck of the Letter (Cast in the Mold) Rubs flat half way up beyond the Beard towards the Face of the Letter, the Matrice is of a convenient thickness, and there the Angle from the Beard of the Shanck, to the outer-edge of two Letters set together, will make an Angle of about 10 degrees as aforesaid, which being about one third part of a thin Space is a convenient distance for the adjacent edges of two Letters to stand assunder: But yet Founders sometimes to Get in or drive-out, Cast the Letters thinner or thicker, and consequently their Faces stand closer or wider assunder, which is unseemly when the Letter comes to be Printed.

Then he sets the Proof-Letters in the Lining-Stick, between four or five old m’s as before, and with the Liner examins again how well these Proof-Letters stand in Line with the old m’s, which if they do not, he Reiterates the former Operations so oft, till the sides and Line of the Matrice is Justified, and at every Operation Casts new Proof-Letters to examine the thickness of both the Sides, and how well the Matrice is Justified to Stand in Line.

The Matrice being now Justified, he Files a Leather-Groove round about it, viz. a Notch (made properest with a three square File) within about a thick Scaboard of the top of the Matrice, to tie the Leather fast to.

He also Files another Notch in the back-side of the Matrice athwart it, to rest the point of the Wyer or Spring in. But this Notch must by no means be made before the Matrice be Justified to its true Height against Paper: Because when this Notch is made, the Punch cannot again be struck in the Matrice; For that the Matrice will not lie solid on the Stake in that place.