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by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf
3rd Edition Published in London 1897
sides a little away from the joint with a folder and straight
edge. Put on lettering piece. When dry, paste and paste-
wash the back. When again dry, take some of Young’s
patent size, melt it in a pipkin with a little water and apply
it with a sponge. Lay this on very evenly with a very soft
sponge, and be particular that it is perfectly clean, so that
no stains be left. When the size is done with, put it on
one side for future use. This size should not be taken its
full strength, and when warmed again some more water
should be added to make up for evaporation. When the
coat of size has dried, apply two coats of glaire. The first
must be dry before the second is applied, and great care
must be taken that the sponge is not passed over the
same place twice, or the previous preparation will be
taken off. It is now ready for finishing. Cut the gold to
proper size; rub a little lard over the whole of the back
with a little cotton wool. This requires great attention.
Very little must be put on light or green calf, as these
colours are stained and very readily. Take the gold up on
a cotton pad; lay it
they must be mended. Now take a two-line fillet; heat it so that it hisses when placed in the cooling pan or the saucer with
the wet rag in it, and run it the whole length of the back on the line made before paste-washing. Do this on both sides, and
rub the gold off with the gold-rag up to the line on the outside. Take a two-line pallet, and work it on each side of the
bands. Work the morocco lettering piece last, as it requires less heat. The centre piece of each panel must now be
worked. Impress the tools firmly but quickly. The corner tools next; work them from the centre or side, using the right hand
corners as a guide, and judging the distance by the left ones. The press must be turned when it is required to bring the lef
side to the right hand in working the corners. The requisite pallets may now be worked to finish the book head and tail. As
a rule these are worked when the two line pallet is imprinted.
Mitred back must be prepared the same was for “run-up back,” and the mitering is to be done as explained in working
morocco. As before stated, this is superior work and requires more skill; takes longer, but looks much better: each panel
should be an exact facsimile of the rest. If the tools do not occupy precisely similar places in each panel, the result will be
very unsatisfactory, and an evidence of a want of skill. When the backs are finished, rub the gold off with the gold-rag, and
clear off any residue with the India-rubber. Be very careful that every particle of the surplus gold be cleaned off, or the
delicate lines of the ornaments will be obscure and ragged in appearance.
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