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by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf
3rd Edition Published in London 1897
with the cheek of the press and the cut-against just the same
distance above the press as the runner is below the holes. The
trundles must be taken out from the book when the cutting boards
are in their proper place, and the millboards will then fall down. The
book and cutting boards must be held very tightly or they will slip and
if the book has been lowered into the press accurately, everything will
be quite square. The press must now be screwed up tightly, and the
foredge ploughed; when the book is taken out of the press it will
resume its original rounding, the foredge will have the same curve as
the back, and if cut truly there will be a proper square all round and
edges. This method is known as “cutting in boards.” If the amateur or
workman has a set of some good work which he wishes to bind
uniformly, but which has already been cut to different sizes, and he
does not wish to cut the large ones down to the smaller size, he must
not draw the small ones in, as he may possibly not be able to pull the
boards down the required depth to cut the book, but e must leave the
boards loose, cut the head and tail, then draw the boards in, and turn
up the cut and foredge.
“Cutting out of boards” is by a different method. The foredge is cut
before gluing up, if for casing, taking e size from the case, from the
back to the edge of the board in the foredge. The book is then glued
to see it. The size is again taken from the case, allowing
for squares head and tail. The book having been marked
is cut, and then backed. Cloth cases are made for most
periodicals, and may be procured from their publishers at
a trifling cost, which varies according to the size of the
book and the amount of blocking that is upon them. This
method of cutting out of boards is adopted in many of the
cheap shops (even leather shops). It is a method,
however, not to be commended. To test if the book be cut
true it is only necessary to turn the top leaf back level to
the back of the book and even at the head; if it be the
slightest bit untrue it will at once bee seen.
in the market. Each maker professes his machine the
best. In some the knife moves with a diagonal motion, in
others with a horizontal motion
The principle of all these machines is the same: the
books are placed to a gauge, the top is lowered and
clamps the book, and, on the machine being started, the
knife descends and cuts through the paper.
Another machine by Harrild and Son, called a registered
cutting machine, is here illustrated. It operation is on the
same principle as a lying press, the
be placed against it for accuracy, the top beam is then screwed down and the paper ploughed. A great amount of
work may be accomplished with this machine, and to anyone that cannot afford an ordinary cutting machine this will
be found invaluable.
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