COLLATED,
to see that the whole of the sheets belong to the same work and volume, as also that none are wanting. This is done by taking the book in the right hand by the upper corner of the fore-edge, and with the left opening the sheets on the back and letting them fall successively one after the other. The signatures will be thus seen in alphabetical or arithmetical order, as a, b, c, &c., or 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., to the last, which should always be examined to ascertain that it is the completion of the book. By these means any sheet incorrectly folded is also detected. Books in folio and quarto are generally collated with a needle or pricker, by raising the sheets singly from the table; but this practice should be resorted to as little as possible, as the work is liable to be damaged. If any sheet is wanting, or belongs to another volume, or is a duplicate, the further progress of the work must be suspended till the imperfection is procured or exchanged. Those that have been wrong folded must be corrected, and any cancels occurring in the work cut out and replaced by the reprints, which will generally be found in the last sheet of the book. It is usual also with some binders to place any plates belonging to the volume, at this period; but as the liability of damage to them is great in the process of beating, or rolling, it will be much better to perform that operation after the book is brought from the stone, for which directions will be given. The book, being found correct, will be ready for the beating-stone, which, although it has been almost entirely superseded by the introduction of machinery, will always be invaluable to a binder of limited means; and the amateur will find it to be an essential process to secure the first great requisite of good binding,—solidity
BEATING, PRESSING, ETC.
The first operation is commenced by shaking the volume upon the stone by the back and head, so as to make the whole even and facilitate the division of it into as many equal parts, which are called sections or beatings, as may be judged necessary according to the thickness and other circumstances. A section is then taken and well beaten over, drawing it with the hand towards the body so as to bring the various parts successively under the hammer, and carefully avoiding striking more blows in one part than the other, except giving the edges a slight extra tap round. The section is then turned, and the like proceeding gone through; as also on each side after it has been separated and the bottom part placed on the top, the middle of the section being thereby brought under the action of the hammer. This being done, the sheets are replaced in their proper order, and two or three taps of the hammer given to make them lie even. In beating those books with which, from their value, greater care is required, it is usual to place a guard or waste leaf of paper on each side of the section, to avoid any stains or marks which the stone or hammer might be liable to make.
It requires more skill than actual strength in beating, the weight of the hammer being nearly sufficient for many works. Attention must be paid to the hammer descending parallel to the surface of the stone, to avoid marking or cutting the sheets with the edge.
Before beating a book, care should be taken to observe if it has been recently printed, for if so it would set off by being beaten too much. This will be easily ascertained by referring to the date at the foot of the title, or by smelling the ink it has been printed with, which, being composed partly of oil, will not have got perfectly dry. This will particularly be the case with machine-printed works. As, however, it is frequently necessary to bind a volume immediately after being printed, it will be requisite to take every precaution against its setting off, which would destroy the beauty of the work. It is the practice of some to put the book into an oven after the bread has been taken out, or into a stove heated sufficiently to dry the ink and make it search into the paper; but, as these means are not without danger of getting the paper blackened or soiled, it is a better plan to interleave the sheets with white paper, which will receive all the ink set off. Should the sheets have been hotpressed, which is readily distinguished, this precaution will not be necessary.
When employed at the beating-stone, the workman should keep his legs close together, to avoid hernia, to which he is much exposed if, with the intention of being more at ease, he contracts the habit of placing them apart.
A rolling-machine has been invented as a substitute for the beating which books require previous to being bound. The book is divided into parts, according to the thickness of the book; each part is then placed between tins, or pieces of sole-leather; the rollers are then put in motion, and the part passed through. This is repeated until the requisite degree of solidity is obtained. The great objections to the rolling-machine are the liabilities to cause a set-off, or transfer of the printing-ink, upon the opposite page, by the friction which is produced by passing between the rollers, and the bow-like appearance which they give the book, and which is to the forwarder a serious cause of annoyance, and sometimes all his skill and care are insufficient to remedy the evil caused by the rollers.
A powerful embossing press, technically called a smasher, has lately been employed with great advantage. A book is placed between tins, the platen is adjusted to a proper height, and the large fly-wheels set in motion. The platen descends in a perpendicular manner; then, upon its ascending, by means of a small handle the distance between the platens is decreased; the wheels still continuing in motion, the book, upon the descent of the platen, is compressed more forcibly than at first. The operation is repeated until the book has experienced the whole power of the press. It has been calculated that by this process a single volume will, if necessary, undergo a pressure equal to a weight of from fifty to eighty tons.