- About Bookbinding -
Bookbinding
With numerous engravings and diagrams
by Paul N. Hasluck 1903
Marbling Trough
The trough is generally of well seasoned oak; the size is immaterial, but must be larger than the work to be done. Useful dimensions are about 30 in. by 18 in. or 20 in. by 2 ½ in. It should be made of stuff sufficiently thick to prevent warping, and about 3 in. of its length should be cut off by a sloping partition, which should be about 1/8 in. below the sides. In the right-hand corner of this part a waste hole should be bored and stopped by a cork (see Fig. 52). The joints must be well made and stopped with marine glue or other water proof material. Fig. 53 shows a marbling trough partitioned off to hold colour bottles.
Gum tragacanth or gum dragon is the binding gum used, and it should be large, white, and flaky; dark brown lumps must be rejected. To prepare the gum in a large earthen pan, glazed inside and capable of containing, say, 12 gal. of water, put 1 Ib. of gum dragon, and on this pour 2 gal. of soft water (rain water if possible). Stir it every few hours with a clean birch broom (bunch of birch rods) kept for this purpose, breaking the lumps and adding water as the gum thickens. The gum requires from two to four days to dissolve properly, and must then be strained through a fine hair sieve before use. Other materials from which marbling size may be made are linseed, flea seed, and carrageen, or Irish moss, but gum dragon cannot be excelled for everyday work.
Generally, the marbling colors are the same as those used for painting, both in oil and distemper. They should be procured in the dry state and ground by the marbler himself, although colors are to be had ground and ready for use and put up in air-tight jars. Following is a list of colors: Reds drop lake, peach wood lake, vermilion, rose pink, and burnt Oxford ochre. Yellows lemon chrome, Dutch pink and raw Oxford ochre. Brown Turkey (burnt) umber. Blues-indigo, Chinese blue, ultramarine, and Prussian blue. Blacks-vegetable lampblack and drop ivory black. Orange orange lead and orange chrome. White China clay, pipe clay, flake white, and Paris white.
