Home PageBook AnatomyFamous Binders

- About Bookbinding -


Practical Bookbinding

by Paul Adam 1903

Sewing Part 2

 

The saw cuts at the kettle stitch are less deep and quite narrow; they only mark the place where the thread is to pass in and out.

It may be wondered why the distances between the cords, when using four or six, are unequal; the reason for this will be explained when we come to the sewing of such sizes.

In sawing in the batch to be sawn is knocked up head and back and put between two boards if the volumes are thin, several may be laid together--so that the back projects about ½ cm beyond the edges of the boards. The first and last sheet of each volume have previously been laid aside, as these, with one exception, are not sawn in.

Books and boards are now clamped in a small hand press, which is screwed up by hand only. For convenience of working, the press with the screws is laid flat upon the table, so that the nuts are against the table edge. The press is propped up at the back by the press jack. The divisions for the cords are marked on the back with a lead pencil after measuring with the dividers, and the cuts made according to the markings. If several volumes of the same size are to be sawn in, the top sheet of the first batch sawn is used as a guide for marking the others, thus saving the work of measuring each one with the dividers. Where much sawing in is done, a sawing in machine is employed. The sheets are placed, backs downwards, in a moveable box, which is led over the system of circular saws.

Machine for Sawing In

After the work of sawing in, the first and last sheets are replaced, the volumes again collated, and the end papers put in place; the sheets are now ready for sewing.

End papers are the blank leaves which the binder places at the beginning and end of a book. They vary according to the style of the book. Every end paper consists of a "fly leaf" (this lies over the title page in the book), the" pastedown," and in most cases of a" tear-off." For the stronger end papers and in half-leather bindings a cloth joint is used. Whilst dealing with these end papers, we must not forget the narrow guard; it is worked on the prepared end paper (as will be shown later) by folding over, and serves to enclose the title or end page with which it is sewn. The words joint, guard, and swell may here be more clearly explained, as they are used very frequently in the bindery. In the first place, we call the part where back and cover are joined by a sort of hinge" the joint," also strips of leather, cloth, &c., used for making this part are called" joints"; .secondly, the slightly raised part of the back, caused by pressing or sewing, is shortly called" the swell"; and any strips of linen or paper fastened into the back of the book for hingeing maps, plates, &c., are called "guards."

For use as end papers, a paper must be selected which suits in quality and tone the printed paper. Nothing shows lack of taste more than the use of a blue end paper with a paper of yellow tone. For both back and front a double sheet is necessary and is cut the required size. A paper guard, about the width of three fingers, is made from a piece of stout waste paper and pasted on a narrow margin at the hack of the double leaf in order to protect it in the joint and also for fastening on the cover. If there are single leaves to be used up, two of these might be pasted to each other narrowly on the back and upon this the guard; this is the so called double end paper.



 
 
 

< Sewing

Chapter Index
Sewing Part 2 >

© aboutbookbinding.com All rights reserved our email