The next operation after backing the book is cutting the boards. These have, of course, been brought to an approximate size by the shears or the cutting machine (illustrated in our last chapter), and also approximately square, but in neither respect are sufficiently accurate.

They have now to be cut to exact square ness, and the precise size requisite for each book, by the agency of the cutting-press and plough. For cloth boarded books and case work this operation is frequently omitted.

For cutting the boards, they are placed in the press between two cutting-boards, one behind the board called a" cut-against," because against this the plough-knife cuts, and one in front, to guide the knife, termed the" runner." It is usual to place a strip of mill board in front of the "cut-against," to receive the first impact of the knife, and preserve the board in some measure.

The first step in cutting the boards is to place a pair (or more) destined for a certain sized book with their edges level, and remove as small a portion of the edges with the plough as will leave them perfectly smooth. Fig 70 is a sketch of boards between the cutting-boards, ready to be lowered into the press. A is the "cut-against," B the millboards, and C the runner.

One edge of the board being thus cut, the opposite one is operated on. For this it is necessary to ascertain the exact width that the board must be when affixed to the book, including the square of the fore edge. (The" squares" of a board are those portions of the boards which project beyond the edges of the book when cut.) For this purpose, the book is laid down upon its side on the cutting-press, and, taking the compasses in his right hand, the workman rests the point of one leg in the groove made in backing, and, opening out the other leg, searches for the narrowest leaf in the book (Fig. 71).

When this is found, he has to consider that in cutting the edges he will have to cut down to this, and hence the millboard must be the amount of the "square" wider than this consequently

he opens out the compasses the amount of the "square" beyond this narrowest leaf which he has found, and fixes them in this position by screwing them tight. He now places the point of one leg of the compasses to the cut edge of the millboard, and presses the other on to the other side of the millboard; the operation is then repeated at the other end of the board (Fig. 72). This part of the millboard is then placed on the cut against, the runner adjusted to the two dots, and the superfluous millboard ploughed off. It is now necessary to cut the head and tail. The wooden stock of the square is

adjusted to one of the cut edges, the steel blade being a little below the end of the millboard, and a bodkin is drawn along the blade (Fig. 73), or a couple of dots made, either mark to serve as a guide for the edge of the runner.

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