Library Bookbinding Part 2

FIGURE 5.--One kind of modern overcast st.i.tch. There are others equally good. Note that each st.i.tch extends through two sections.

It is difficult to give a description of modern overcasting which can be easily understood by one unfamiliar with sewing processes. The reader will be helped by looking closely at Figure 5 while reading the following description, but one can understand it best by seeing it done or by tearing a book apart and examining the sewing.

The first section of the book is sewed over and over in the same way as in the old-fas.h.i.+oned method of whipst.i.tching, except that a great many more st.i.tches are taken. The second section, when placed on the first, is also sewed over and over but a certain number of st.i.tches are also made which connect the second section with the first. In the same way the third section is sewed to the second and so on through the book, so that when the book is finally sewed it is tight and compact; its weakness lies in the paper itself, not in the sewing. Some binders add three kettlest.i.tches at the end of the book instead of one, believing that when all kettlest.i.tches are placed in one sawcut the swell at the head and tail of the book is too great.

FIGURE 6.--From "About Public Library Books and Their Binding" by Cedric Chivers.

FIGURE 7.--Sewing on tapes. Sawcuts made only for kettle st.i.tches. Based on ill.u.s.tration in Report of the Committee on Leather for Bookbinding.

Edited for Society of Arts, London, 1905.

Overcasting is the most expensive way of sewing a book, so that it is advantageous to binders to place as large a number of leaves as possible in a section. The more careful binders, however, regulate the number of leaves in a section according to the kind of paper in the book. A larger number of leaves can be taken in books printed on thin paper than in those printed on thick, spongy or heavy papers.

FIGURE 8.--St.i.tching.

In deciding how a book ought to be sewed one must consider: (_a_) The use the book is to receive. If it will not receive hard usage sew through the signatures; otherwise overcast. (_b_) Paper on which the book is printed. Poor paper should be oversewed. (Fig. 6.)

_Tapes._ When it does not seem necessary to overcast it may be advantageous to sew on tapes instead of bands. This method eliminates saw-cuts since the narrow tapes are simply laid against the back of the book and the needle pa.s.sed around them, as indicated in Figure 7. Sewing on tapes makes a book much more flexible than it can be made any other way except by sewing on raised bands. Music should always be sewed in this way. Until recently it was supposed that tapes added strength, but it is certain that they do not if the book is properly bound in other respects. If used at all, tapes should be narrow. Wide ones take up a great deal of surface and when glue is applied this surface remains untouched, unless the sewer has sewed through them instead of around them.

_St.i.tching._ St.i.tching is the process of sewing loose leaves lengthwise on a sewing machine, after which the st.i.tched sections are sewed in the regular way on bands. (Fig. 8.) The objection made to old-fas.h.i.+oned whipst.i.tching, that between the sections the book opens all the way to the back while inside the section it opens only as far as the threads, is equally applicable to a st.i.tched book. Any one who has read a book sewed in this way will remember how difficult it was to hold in the hands. St.i.tching makes a stronger book than the old-fas.h.i.+oned whipst.i.tching but cannot compare in strength with the modern overcasting. In some few cases it may be used advantageously on the first and last signatures of a book, but its use on the entire book cannot be too strongly condemned.

It may be inferred by what has been said about sewing that it is a comparatively simple matter to sew books properly. It is right at this point, however, that the librarian and the binder who does not understand the requirements of library work will come into conflict. The binder will insist that all books must be sewed on bands. When the backs of sections are very badly worn he will agree to whipst.i.tch, but will use the old method. The librarian will insist not only that nine-tenths of fiction and juvenile books must be overcast, but that a special kind of overcasting must be used. The binders who make a specialty of library work do all this as a matter of course. At least one binder tests the thickness, tensile strength and other qualities of the paper and sews each book in the way that experience has shown to be the best.

FORWARDING

After the book is sewed it goes to the forwarder who has charge of the book during all processes which the book pa.s.ses through between sewing and finis.h.i.+ng. Forwarding includes tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, gluing, rounding, backing, putting on back-lining, making the case (or lacing-in, see page 42), casing-in, pressing.

12. FLY LEAVES PASTED

The end papers and fly-leaves which lie together are pasted together, making one thick fly-leaf. When it is remembered that both end papers and fly-leaves are guarded with cloth, it will be seen that pasting the two together adds materially to the strength of the book.

13. BANDS FRAYED

The bands which project about an inch and a half on each side of the book are frayed out at the end and pasted to the end papers. The fraying is done so that they will paste down flat, and the pasting so that they will be out of the way during succeeding processes.

14. Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g

The book is squared up by tapping on a flat surface, and trimmed at the head, fore-edge and tail. As little as possible must be trimmed, but binders find that if less than an eighth of an inch is cut the cutting machine does not work well. Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g makes the edges even and what is more important in rebound books, removes much dirt.

15. SPRINKLING

At this point edges are sprinkled. This process is not essential either for strength or beauty, but it helps to keep the book from becoming soiled, or at least from showing dirt. It cannot be expected on cheap work. The process was formerly done by hand, using a brush and shaking the coloring matter on the book. It can now be done with a machine operated by hand which sprays the coloring matter on the book.

Occasionally the top of the book is burnished with an agate or blood stone.

Occasionally also it may be desirable to gild the top of a book which is being rebound. When this occurs it is not a process to which the librarian need give much attention, except to be sure that good gold is used.

16. GLUING

The back of the book is then slightly glued. The glue must be very hot and quite thin, and must be thoroughly worked into the back. By placing books in a pile a number can be done at a time.

17. ROUNDING

As soon as the glue has stiffened but before it is hard the book is rounded. This must be done by experts and is a process which must be seen to be understood. The book is placed on the table with the fore edge toward the workman who then hammers the part of the back lying uppermost in such a way as to force the upper part of the book toward the workman. The book is then turned over and the process repeated.

After a few operations like this the back of the book becomes rounded and the fore edge concave.

18. BACKING

The book is then placed in a backing press allowing about an eighth of an inch to project, and screwed very tight. With a backing hammer the rounding process is continued and the sides of the book forced down over the edge of the press to form a projection against which the edge of the board for the side rests, forming the joint. In hammering, the workman begins at the proper distance from the center of the back so that he can force the backs of the other signatures over on each side toward the edge. (Fig. 9.)

FIGURE 9.--A book rounded and backed.

This process is the most important one in forwarding, calling for skilled labor. If the hammer is not used in exactly the right way the backs of the signatures may be crushed in, the st.i.tches broken, or the paper or bands cut. In any case the book is materially weakened. A good workman will make a sharp joint and round the book perfectly without injuring its strength in any way.

19. BACK LINING

All books have a lining of one kind or another on the back.

Machine-bound books are generally lined with a coa.r.s.e "super," as it is called in this country, or "mull" as it is called in England. Some library binders use a thin muslin, but the best material is canton flannel cut in strips wide enough to cover the back of the book and also to project about one inch on each side. The back of the book is glued, while the nap or fuzzy side of the canton flannel is pasted and then put on the back and well rubbed down. It is very important that both the glue and the paste be used. Experience has proved that when only one is used the canton flannel will come off, but when both are used, it becomes an integral part of the book.

The flannel which projects on the sides must be pasted to the end papers. When the paste and the glue have dried, the canton flannel shrinks tight to the back and adds materially to the strength of the book. After drying the flannel is trimmed at the head and tail close to the back.

If the book is a valuable one that will receive hard usage and therefore should be as strong as possible, the flesh side of a piece of split goat skin can be used for back-lining, covering the back from joint to joint.

It will seldom be necessary, however, to employ this method.

Perhaps nothing better shows the difference between old methods of library binding and new than this one item of back-lining. In the old methods the binders depended for strength largely upon the bands. In the new the bands are practically immaterial when the book is fastened into the cover.

20. REBACKING

At this point some binders reback to make a sharp joint, and to make the book open more easily. When the canton flannel dries it may pull the back somewhat out of shape. It is doubtful, however, if rebacking is always necessary.

21. BOARDS CUT

The book is then measured for boards which are cut to the proper size.

In measuring it must be remembered that the boards must project an eighth of an inch on all edges (except the back) forming what is called the "squares." It will also make a difference in measuring if the book is to have a French joint. (See page 46.)

22. CLOTH CUT

If the book is to be bound in cloth, this is cut the proper size. If leather backs are to be used the covering material consists of two pieces of cloth and one of leather, all of which must be cut to the proper size.

23. LOOSE BACK

If the book is to be made a loose back, a piece of coa.r.s.e paper is cut the size of the book from joint to joint and the length of the back.

This is placed in the book.

24. MAKING THE CASE

(_a_) The cloth for a full cloth book is now glued all over on the inside. The boards are adjusted on the book ("setting the square," as the binders call it) as they ought to be when the book is finally bound, and the book is placed on the right-hand side of the glued cloth, with the back toward the middle of the case, leaving enough cloth projecting on all sides to turn in. The other side of the case is then drawn up over the board on top and pressed down firmly enough so that when it is laid back again, the board which has been uppermost goes with it. The book itself is laid aside. The paper which is to prevent the glued cloth from sticking to the back of the book is then placed in the s.p.a.ce between the two boards, and all edges of the cloth turned in on the boards. This forms the complete cover or case.

(_b_) If the book is to have a leather back, the boards are tipped lightly with paste to the end papers, allowing for the French joint. The leather is pasted and the book is then laid on the leather in the right position so that the rest of the leather can be pulled up over the back on the top board. The top cover is then laid back, the paper forming a loose back inserted, the leather turned in, and cloth sides put on and turned in.