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Title: Practical Bookbinding

Author: Paul Adam

Translator: Thomas E. Maw

Release date: March 31, 2012 [eBook #39318]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Hazel Batey and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRACTICAL BOOKBINDING ***

PRACTICAL BOOKBINDING.

PRACTICAL BOOKBINDING

PAUL ADAM,

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

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY

THOS. E. MAW,

LIBRARIAN KING'S LYNN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

WITH 127 ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON

SCOTT, GREENWOOD & CO.

19 LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

NEW YORK

D. VAN NOSTRAND CO.

23 MURRAY STREET

1903

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

Contents.

	Page.
Metric and British Systems Compared	vi.
Preface	vii.
Introductory Remarks on Working Methods and Materials	1
A.—Materials for Sewing and Pasting	1
B.—Materials for Covering the Book	4
C.—Materials for Decorating and Finishing	7
D.—Tools	9
PART I.
Forwarding.
Chapter I.—General Preparatory Work	13
Chapter II.—Sewing	40
Chapter III.—Forwarding: Cutting, Rounding, and Backing	54
Chapter IV.—Forwarding: Decoration, of Edges and Headbanding	62
Chapter V.—Boarding	85
PART II.
Finishing.
The Book Cover	93
Chapter VI.—Making the Cover	95
Chapter VII.—Work with the Blocking Press	103
ChapterVIII.—Treatment of Sewn Books, Fastening in Covers, and Finishing Off	119
Chapter IX.—Hand Finishing	129
Chapter X.—Account Books	157
Chapter XI.—School Books, Mounting Maps, Drawings, &c.	169
Conclusion	177
Index	180

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

		Page.
Fig. 1	Glue-pot for heating by petroleum.	3
Figs. 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
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
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

THE METRIC AND BRITISH SYSTEMS.

TABLE OF COMPARISON.

Metres.	Decimetres.	Centimetres	Millimeters.	Inches.
·001	·01	·1	1	·039
·002	·02	·2	2	·079
·003	·03	·3	3	·118
·004	·04	·4	4	·157
·005	·05	·5	5	·197
·006	·06	·6	6	·236
·007	·07	·7	7	·276
·008	·08	·8	8	·315
·009	·09	·9	9	·354
·01	·1	1	10	·394
·02	·2	2	20	·787
·03	·3	3	30	1·181
·04	·4	4	40	1·575
·05	·5	5	50	1·968
·06	·6	6	60	2·362
·07	·7	7	70	2·756
·08	·8	8	80	3·150
·09	·9	9	90	3·543
·1	1	10	100	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.

COMPARISON BETWEEN FAHRENHEIT AND CENTIGRADE THERMOMETERS.

C.	F.	C.	F.	C.	F.	C.	F.	C.	F.
-25	-13	5	41	25	77	65	149	105	221
-20	-4	8	46·4	30	86	70	158	110	230
-17	1·4	10	50	35	95	75	167	115	239
-15	5	12	53·6	40	104	80	176	120	248
-10	14	15	59	45	113	85	185	125	257
-5	23	17	62·6	50	122	90	194	130	266
0	32	18	64·4	55	131	95	203	135	275
1	33·8	20	68	60	140	100	212	140	284

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.

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.

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.