Bookbinding and The Care of Books
Douglas Cockerell with Drawings by Noel Rooke and other
Illustrations New York 1902
Book binding Chapter IX Part 3
trimmed, or is to remain uncut, will be the height of
the page with a small allowance at each end for the
squares. When a pair of boards has been cut all
round, it can be tested for square ness by reversing on
board, when any inequality that there may be will
appear doubled. If the boards are out of truth they
should generally be put on one side, to be used for a
smaller book, and new boards go out. To correct a
badly cut pair of boards, it is necessary to reduce them
in size, and the book consequently suffers in
proportion. If the boards have been found to be truly
cut, they are on the book, and the position of the slips
marked on them by lines at right angles to the back. A
line is then made parallel to the back, about half an
inch in (see fig. 49). At the points where the lines
cross, a series of holes is punched from the front with
a binder’s bodkin on the lead plate, then the board is
from the back about half an inch from the
first. If the grooves of the back are shallower
than the thickness of the board, the top back
edge of the board should be beveled off with
a file. This will not be necessary if the groove
is the exact depth. When the holes have been
punched, it is well to cut a series of V-shaped
depressions from the first series of holes to
the back to receive the slips, or they may be
too prominent when the book is bound. It
will now be necessary to considerably reduce
the slips that were frayed out after sewing,
and to remove all glue or any other matter
the desire to ensure absolute neatness in the covering, modern binders often reduce the slips to
almost nothing. On the other hand, some go to the other extreme, and leave the cord entire,
making great ridges on the sides of the book where it is laced in. It should be possible with the
aid of the depressions, cut as described, to use slips with sufficient margin of strength, and yet
to have no undue projection on the cover. A slight projection is not unsightly, as it gives an
assurance of sound construction and strength, and, moreover, makes an excellent starting-point
for any pattern that may be used. When the slips have been scraped and reduced, the portion
left should consist of long straight silky fibers. These must be well pasted, and the ends very
slightly twisted. The pointed ends are then threaded through the first series of holes in the
front of the board, and back again through the second (fig. 50).
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