International studio (33.1907/1908(1908))

Practical Bookbinding

verted into a kind of gold cement which it is im-
possible to remove from the impression without
hard scraping with a metal point. Any gold that
can be rubbed off with cotton or rubber has not
been successfully treated.
Each time a tool is taken from the stove for use
it should be rubbed clean on a pad covered with
skiver.
“Striking” the tool: If the “blinding-in” has
been done carefully, it will be found that the edges
of each impression are quite firm and act as a guide
for the tools, so that in a very short time the oper-
ator works as much by the “feel” of the leather
as by his eyesight.
After all that part of the pattern to which gold
has been applied ha's been worked over with the
tools, the surplus gold should be removed with
prepared rubber or with an oiled rag. After this
has been done, the pattern should be rubbed over
very thoroughly with a pad of fresh, loose, ab-
sorbent cotton. This penetrates into the depres-
sions enough to remove all the ragged edges of
gold which may still be present. It will then be
seen whether the operation has been a success or
not. It may be that some portion of it has been
slightly burned, or at least the tool has been some-
what too hot to give a bright impression, which is
shown by the frosted appearance which gold has
under such circumstances. Other spots may show
that the tool was not hot enough, in which case the
gold will not stick and may disappear partly or
completely when the rubber is used. The whole
surface should be reglaired and retooled, and this
should be repeated until it is satisfactory. If the
design here and there is scorched, or if, after sev-
eral attempts, the work is not satisfactory, it should
be washed out entirely with vinegar; sponge it out
first and clean out the depressions more carefully,
say with the pointed end of a soft wooden match,

wet in vinegar. After washing out, it may be
glaired again while still moist, but should be left
until next day to dry out, and then before tooling
glaired again with very thin glaire.
If, however, the finishing already done seems to
be satisfactory, it should be glaired again carefully.
While the glaire is drying another small portion
which has already been glaired-in and is dry should
be now tooled in the same manner.
Tooling a second small portion of the design in
this way takes up some time, so that the part first
worked (and which has been glaired-in again) is
now dry enough to be retooled. As a rule, it is
unnecessary to do the tooling more than twice, but
leather is of such different degrees of firmness and
quality that it is sometimes necessary to go over
the same spot three or four times. In this con-
nection it may be said that the beauty of the work
done by the French binders is due not so much to
the quality of the materials used as to the fact that
almost all their work is gone over time after time,
until the tooling is absolutely “solid.”
I advise the beginner not to cover too great a
surface at a time, but to work very slowly in small
sections, and to complete each section before be-
ginning a new one. Tooling a large surface and
leaving it in an imperfect and unfinished condition
results in one’s losing interest in the work and not
finishing it in proper manner. “Make haste
slowly” is of more importance in this branch of
procedure than anywhere else.
When the tooling of any one day is finished it
should be thoroughly sponged with a pledget of ab-
sorbent cotton soaked in benzine. This is particu-
larly necessary in leathers of delicate shades in
order to remove the stains of the oil. This wash-
ing with benzine has no effect on the tooling itself
(providing it is properly done).
{To be concluded)


BOOK IN FINISHING PRESS. TYPE HOLDER, FINISHING STOVE AND TOOLS

CLVIII