For gold blocking cards, proceed in the following manner. Light the gas jets and allow the press to become heated, in the meantime preparing the cards. If they are white, coat or wash them over with glaire, using a soft sponge; spread them out and while they are drying prepare and set up the block. If this is of several pieces it is mounted on brown paper or thin strawboard, and fastened in position on the blocking plate of the press with glue.

Then set the gauges on the bed of the press so that the block will come in the desired position on the cards. The gold leaf may next be laid on. Rub the card with an oily rag and lift the gold from the cushion with a piece of carded cotton or a tip arid press it gently on the card. Put this on the bed of the press up to the gauges and pull the lever. If the impression on the card is clear and bright, rub off the superfluous gold and clean with rubber. If the cards are coloured, blocking powder must be used instead of glaire. In this case the blocking plate must be taken out of the press and the gold laid thereon, then replaced in the press, and the card, with the powder dusted on, is put in and the lever drawn down as before. The gold will adhere in the same way, but will not be quite so clear as when glaire is used.

Gold blocking on velvet is usually done, as has been mentioned, by first blinding in the impression with a very hot tool or stamp. This must be done thoroughly until the impression shows clear and sharp, and every particle of the pile is well laid down. The impression is carefully painted over with hot isinglass, applied with a small camel-hair pencil. When dry, the impression is painted with glaire, and when this is dry the gold is cut into pieces and taken up on the hot tool and pressed into the impression already made. The gold will adhere and should look clear and bright; any superfluous gold must be carefully brushed away.

For gold blocking the material known as "Kerotol," the varnish sold by the manufacturers of the material should be used unthinned; but there does not seem to be any preparation entirely satisfactory, and Kerotol is a very difficult material to deal with. Perhaps the following mixtures might suit. Take about 1 oz. of Russian glue, break it into small pieces, place it in ½ pint of water, and dissolve slowly. When thoroughly dissolved, carefully drop into it about a tablespoonful of benzine, stirring well. Use this in the ordinary way. The benzine helps to destroy the oil in the material. Or make a saturated solution of sal-ammoniac, and wash up about a dozen articles at a time. Allow them to become surface dry, but no more. Powder may also be used. Be careful with the heat. The salammoniac is worth trying, as it produces good work. It is useless to attempt to work with glaire, as this will chip off when dry.

When book covers are blocked in white metal, aluminum, not silver, is used. It is much thicker than the old fashioned silver leaf, and consequently is more difficult to work, requiring more heat and a stronger size. A size made from Russian glue, similar to the one recommended in the previous paragraph, has been found to work with cloth of all grains and with leather of all kinds. As a basis, break a cake of Russian glue in small pieces, put them into a jam pot or other suitable vessel, pour on about t pint of water, and set it on the stove to melt slowly. In a few minutes, when all the glue has melted, wash up the cases with this, using a sponge in the same manner as if glaire were being used. Try one or two cases, and if the size is too weak, add more glue.

Owing to its thickness, aluminum must be treated in a similar manner to Dutch metal, that is, laid on and worked off immediately. Rubbing the case with a greasy rag will not cause the metal to adhere, and the use of more oil or grease simply results in staining the cloth. Therefore the only method is to spread it over the space to be blocked and work off at once. As the metal is very cheap, it is not worth while cutting it exactly to the size of the block. After blocking, the superfluous metal is brushed off, cleaned with a piece of hard india rubber, and finally rubbed with a clean duster.

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