BOOKBINDING 



423 



is perforated by channels, for the admission of a jot of gas or steam, sufficient to give 

 the required heat to the metal blocks suspended ; heat being needful to give distinct- 

 ness and permanence to the impression on the cloth case. Beneath the stamping 

 block so prepared and suspended, is a table on which has to be fixed a frame or 

 gauge, adjusted to the exact proportions of the case about to be stamped; and the 

 table is then brought by means of regulating screws, to the exact position under the 

 stamping-block, to receive the required impression on the back and sides of each case. 

 The application of a lever, moved either by hand or steam-power, brings the super- 

 incumbent and heated block forcibly upon the cloth case ; and when the pressure (which 

 has to be carefully adjusted so as not to give too faint an impression on the one hand, 

 or on the other to burn too deeply and injure the fabric and colour of the cloth) the 

 case is withdrawn with the required impression stamped upon it ; another is substi- 

 tuted, and the process is repeated throughout the required number of the sort. An 

 impression given simply as above described, is technically termed ' blind blocking,' 

 and is a mere indentation in the cloth case of the pattern of the block applied. 

 When gold or other metal for lettering or ornament is required, the cover of the 

 book has to undergo the previous process of ' laying on ' as follows : 



Gold-leaf is laid on a leather cushion and divided by the gentle pressure of a knife- 

 edge into slips of the requisite size, which aro then" deftly and smoothly lifted by 

 adhesion to a slightly greased pad and transferred from it to the part or parts of the 

 cloth case about to be lettered or ornamented in gold. The case, with the gold-leaf 

 thus laid on, is then subjected to the pressure of the arming-press as in blind blocking ; 

 the gold-leaf is pressed by the heated block into the case of the book, which, on being 

 withdrawn from the lower table of the press, is gently wiped with a rag or brushed ; 

 this removes the metal-leaf from every unpressed part, leaving the impression of the 

 lettering or ornament clear and distinct. 



The cases are then ready to be fixed upon the books to which they belong, and 

 which having been, as before described ' folded, collated, placed and sewn,' and after- 

 wards ' papered ' (this last term being given to the pasting of the end papers with a 

 fly-leaf to the beginning and end of each volume) have to undergo the further processes 

 needful to fit them for insertion into the cases. In the first place the edges of each book 

 are either cut at top, tail and fore-edge, or only ' trimmed.' This last operation merely 

 pares down the rough and projecting leaves at the fore-edge and toil nearly to the 

 level of those leaves which present a double or quadruple fold, technically termed ' the 

 bolt,' and leaving the top of the book entirely uncut, so that without reducing the general 

 margin of the book a neat and tolerably uniform edging is presented. The backs of the 



books are then coated with glue, on which is laid a strip of strong paper, and again 

 over that a lining cloth or webbing of tough but loose and elastic texture, which 



