Part 6

The _Press-Stone_ should be Marble, though sometimes Master _Printers_ make shift with Purbeck, either because they can buy them cheaper, or else because they can neither distinguish them by their appearance, or know their different worths.

Its thickness must be all the way throughout equal, and ought to be within one half quarter of an Inch the depth of the inside of the _Coffin_; because the matter it is _Bedded_ in will raise it high enough. Its length and breadth must be about half an Inch less than the length and breadth of the inside of the _Coffin_: Because _Justifiers_ of Wood, the length of every side, and almost the depth of the _Stone_, must be thrust between the insides of the _Coffin_ and the outsides of the _Stone_, to Wedge it tight and steddy in its place, after the _Press-man_ has _Bedded_ it. Its upper-side, or Face must be exactly straight and smooth.

I have given you this description of the _Press-Stone_, because they are thus generally used in all _Printing-Houses_: But I have had so much trouble, charge and vexation with the often breaking of _Stones_, either through the carelesness or unskilfulness (or both) of _Press-men_, that necessity compell’d me to consider how I might leave them off; and now by long experience I have found, that a piece of _Lignum-vitæ_ of the same size, and truly wrought, performs the office of a _Stone_ in all respects as well as a _Stone_, and eases my mind, of the trouble, charge and vexation aforesaid, though the first cost of it be greater.

¶. 18. _Of the_ Plattin _marked_ d _in Plate_ 9.

The _Plattin_ is commonly made of Beechen-Planck, two Inches and an half thick, its length about fourteen Inches, and its breadth about nine Inches. Its sides are Tryed Square, and the Face or under-side of the _Plattin_ Plained exactly straight and smooth. Near the four Corners on the upper-side, it hath four Iron _Hooks_ as at _a a a a_, whose Shanks are Wormed in.

In the middle of the upper-side is let in and fastned an Iron Plate called the _Plattin-Plate_, as _b b b b_, a quarter of an Inch thick, six Inches long, and four Inches broad; in the middle of this Plate is made a square Iron Frame about half an Inch high, and half an Inch broad, as at _c_. Into this square Frame is fitted the _Stud_ of the _Plattin Pan_, so as it may stand steddy, and yet to be taken out and put in as occasion may require.

The _Stud_ marked _d_, is about an Inch thick, and then spreads wider and wider to the top (at _e e e e_) of it, till it becomes about two Inches and an half wide; and the sides of this spreading being but about half a quarter of an Inch thick makes the _Pan_. In the middle of the bottom of this _Pan_ is a small Center hole Punch’d for the _Toe_ of the _Spindle_ to work in.

¶. 19. _Of the_ Points _and_ Point-Screws.

The Points are made of Iron Plates about the thickness of a Queen _Elizabeth_ Shilling: It is delineated at e in Plate 9. which is sufficient to shew the shape of it, at the end of this Plate, as at _a_, stands upright the Point. This _Point_ is made of a piece of small Wyer about a quarter and half quarter of an Inch high, and hath its lower end Filed away to a small Shank about twice the length of the thickness of the Plate; so that a Sholder may remain. This small Shank is fitted into a small Hole made near the end of the Plate, and Revetted on the other side, as was taught _Numb._ 2. _Fol._ 24. At the other end of the Plate is filed a long square notch in the Plate as at _b c_ quarter and half quarter Inch wide, to receive the square shank of the _Point-Screws_.

The _Point-Screw_ marked f is made of Iron; It hath a thin Head about an Inch square, And a square Shank just under the Head, an Inch deep, and almost quarter and half quarter Inch square, that the square Notch in the hinder end of the Plate may slide on it from end to end of the Notch; Under this square Shank is a round Pin filed with a Male-Screw upon it, to which is fitted a _Nut_ with a Female-Screw in it, and Ears on its outside to twist about, and draw the Head of the Shank close down to the _Tympan_, and so hold the _Point-Plate_ fast in its Place.

¶. 20. _Of the_ Hammer, _described at_ h, _and_ Sheeps-Foot _described at_ i _in Plate_ 9.

The _Hammer_ is a common _Hammer_ about a quarter of a Pound weight; It hath no _Claws_ but a _Pen_, which stands the _Press-man_ instead when the _Chase_ proves so big, that he is forced to use small _Quoins_.

The Figure of the _Sheeps-Foot_ is description sufficient. Its use is to nail and un-nail the _Balls_.

The _Sheeps-Foot_ is all made of Iron, with an Hammer-head at one end, to drive the _Ball-Nails_ into the _Ball-Stocks_, and a Claw at the other end, to draw the _Ball-Nails_ out of the _Ball-Stocks_.

¶. 21. _Of the_ Foot-step, Girts, Stay _of the_ Carriage, Stay _of the_ Frisket, Ball-Stocks, Paper-Bench, Lye-Trough, Lye-Brush, Lye-Kettle, Tray _to_ wet Paper _in_, Weights to Press Paper, Pelts, _or_ Leather, Wool _or_ Hair, Ball-Nails _or_ Pumping-Nails.

The _Foot-Step_ is an Inch-Board about a Foot broad, and sixteen Inches long. This Board is nailed upon a piece of Timber about seven or eight Inches high, and is Bevil’d away on its upper-side, as is also the Board on its under-side at its hither end, that the Board may stand aslope upon the Floor. It is placed fast on the Floor under the Carriage of the Press. Its Office shall be shewed when we come to treat of Exercise of the _Press-man_.

_Girts_ are Thongs of Leather, cut out of the Back of an Horse-hide, or a Bulls hide, sometimes an Hogs-hide. They are about an Inch and an half, or an Inch and three quarters broad. Two of them are used to carry the _Carriage_ out and in. These two have each of them one of their ends nailed to the _Barrel_ on the _Spindle_ of the _Rounce_, and the other ends nailed to the _Barrel_ behind the _Carriage_ in the _Planck_ of the _Coffin_, and to the _Barrel_ on the fore-end of the Frame of the _Coffin_.

The _Stay_ of the _Carriage_ is sometimes a piece of the same _Girt_ fastned to the outside of the further _Cheek_, and to the further hinder side of the Frame of the _Carriage_. It is fastned at such a length by the _Press-man_, that the _Carriage_ may ride so far out, as that the Irons of the _Tympan_ may just rise free and clear off the fore-side of the _Plattin_.

Another way to stay the _Carriage_ is to let an Iron Pin into the upper-side of the further Rail of the Frame of the _Ribs_, just in the place where the further hinder Rail of the _Carriage_ stands projecting over the _Rib-Rail_, when the Iron of the _Tympan_ may just rise free from the Fore-side of the _Plattin_; for then that projecting will stop against the Iron Pin.

The _Stay_ of the _Frisket_ is made by fastning a Batten upon the middle of the Top-side of the _Cap_, and by fastning a Batten to the former Batten perpendicularly downwards, just at such a distance, that the upper-side of the _Frisket_ may stop against it when it is turned up just a little beyond a Perpendicular. When a _Press_ stands at a convenient distance from a Wall, that Wall performs the office of the aforesaid _Stay_.

_Ball-Stocks_ are Turn’d of _Alder_ or _Maple_. Their Shape is delineated in Plate 9. at g: They are about seven Inches in Diameter, and have their under-side Turned hollow, to contain the greater quantity of _Wool_ or _Hair_, to keep the _Ball-Leathers_ plump the longer.

The _Lye-Trough_ (delineated in Plate 9. at k) is a Square Trough made of Inch-Boards, about four Inches deep, two Foot four Inches long, and one Foot nine Inches broad, and flat in the Bottom. Its inside is Leaded with Sheet-Lead, which reaches up over the upper Edges of the _Trough_. In the middle of the two ends (for so I call the shortest sides) on the outer-sides as _a a_, is fastned a round Iron Pin, which moves in a round hole made in an Iron Stud with a square Sprig under it, to be drove and fastned into a _Wooden Horse_, which _Horse_ I need not describe, because in Plate aforesaid I have given you the Figure of it.

The _Paper-Bench_ is only a common Bench about three Foot eight Inches long, one Foot eight Inches broad, and three Foot four Inches high.

The _Lye-Brush_ is made of _Hogs-Bristles_ fastned into a Board with Brass-Wyer, for durance sake: Its Board is commonly about nine Inches long, and four and an half Inches broad; and the length of the Bristles about three Inches.

To perform the Office of a _Lye-Kettle_ (which commonly holds about three Gallons) the old-fashion’d _Chafers_ are most commodious, as well because they are more handy and manageable than _Kettles_ with Bails, as also because they keep _Lye_ longer hot.

The _Tray_ to _Wet Paper_ in is only a common Butchers Tray, large enough to _Wet_ the largest _Paper_ in.

The _Weight_ to _Press Paper_ with, is either Mettal, or Stone, flat on the Bottom, to ly steddy on the _Paper-Board_: It must be about 50 or 60 pound weight.

For _Pelts_ or _Leather_, _Ball-Nails_ or _Pumping-Nails_, _Wool_ or _Hair_, _Vellom_ or _Parchment_ or _Forrel_, the _Press-man_

generally eases the _Master-Printer_ of the trouble of choosing, though not the charge of paying for them: And for _Paste_, _Sallad Oyl_, and such accidental Requisites as the _Press-man_ in his work may want, the _Devil_ commonly fetches for him.

¶. 22. _Of_ Racks _to Hang_ Paper _on, and of the_ Peel.

Our Master-_Printer_ must provide _Racks_ to hang _Paper_ on to _Dry_. They are made of Deal-board Battens, square, an Inch thick, and an Inch and an half deep, and the length the whole length of the Deal, which is commonly about ten or eleven Foot long, or else so long as the convenience of the Room will allow: The two upper corners of these _Rails_ are rounded off that they may not mark the _Paper_.

These _Racks_ are Hung over Head, either in the _Printing-House_, or _Ware-house_, or both, or any other Room that is most convenient to _Dry Paper_ in; they are hung athwart two _Rails_ an Inch thick, and about three or four Inches deep, which _Rails_ are fastned to some Joysts or other Timber in the Ceiling by Stiles perpendicular to the Ceiling; These _Rails_ stand so wide assunder, that each end of the _Racks_ may hang beyond them about the distance of two Foot, and have on their upper edge at ten Inches distance from one another, so many square Notches cut into them as the whole length of the _Rail_ will bear; Into these square notches the _Racks_ are laid parallel to each other with the flat side downwards, and the Rounded off side upwards.

The _Peel_ is described in Plate 9. at l, which Figure sufficiently shews what it is; And therefore I shall need say no more to it, only its Handle may be longer or shorter according as the height of the Room it is to be used in may require.

¶. 23. _Of_ Inck.

The providing of good _Inck_, or rather good _Varnish_ for _Inck_, is none of the least incumbent cares upon our _Master-Printer_, though Custom has almost made it so here in _England_; for the process of making _Inck_ being as well laborious to the Body, as noysom and ungrateful to the Sence, and by several odd accidents dangerous of Firing the Place it is made in, Our _English Master-Printers_ do generally discharge themselves of that trouble; and instead of having good _Inck_, content themselves that they pay an _Inck-maker_ for good _Inck_, which may yet be better or worse according to the Conscience of the _Inck-maker_.

That our Neighbours the _Hollanders_ who exhibit Patterns of good _Printing_ to all the World, are careful and industrious in all the circumstances of good _Printing_, is very notorious to all Book-men; yet should they content themselves with such _Inck_ as we do, their Work would appear notwithstanding the other circumstances they observe, far less graceful than it does, as well as ours would appear more beautiful if we used such _Inck_ as they do: for there is many Reasons, considering how the _Inck_ is made with us and with them, why their _Inck_ must needs be better than ours. As _First_, They make theirs all of good old _Linseed-Oyl_ alone, and perhaps a little _Rosin_ in it sometimes, when as our _Inck-makers_ to save charges mingle many times _Trane-Oyl_ among theirs, and a great deal of _Rosin_; which _Trane-Oyl_ by its grossness, Furs and Choaks up a _Form_, and by its fatness hinders the _Inck_ from drying; so that when the Work comes to the _Binders_, it _Sets off_; and besides is dull, smeary and unpleasant to the Eye. And the _Rosin_ if too great a quantity be put in, and the _Form_ be not very _Lean Beaten_, makes the _Inck_ turn yellow: And the same does New _Linseed-Oyl_.

_Secondly_, They seldom _Boyl_ or _Burn_ it to that consistence the _Hollanders_ do, because they not only save labour and Fewel, but have a greater weight of _Inck_ out of the same quantity of _Oyl_ when less _Burnt_ away than when more _Burnt_ away; which want of Burning makes the _Inck_ also, though made of good old _Linseed-Oyl_ Fat and Smeary, and hinders its _Drying_; so that when it comes to the _Binders_ it also _Sets off_.

_Thirdly_, They do not use that way of clearing their _Inck_ the _Hollanders_ do, or indeed any other way than meer Burning it, whereby the _Inck_ remains more _Oyly_ and _Greasie_ than if it were well clarified.

_Fourthly_, They to save the _Press-man_ the labour of _Rubbing_ the _Blacking_ into _Varnish_ on the _Inck-Block_, _Boyl_ the _Blacking_ in the _Varnish_, or at least put the _Blacking_ in whilst the _Varnish_ is yet _Boyling-hot_, which so _Burns_ and _Rubifies_ the _Blacking_, that it loses much of its brisk and vivid black complexion.

_Fifthly_, Because _Blacking_ is dear, and adds little to the weight of _Inck_, they stint themselves to a quantity which they exceed not; so that sometimes the _Inck_ proves so unsufferable _Pale_, that the _Press-man_ is forc’d to _Rub_ in more _Blacking_ upon the _Block_; yet this he is often so loth to do, that he will rather hazard the content the Colour shall give, than take the pains to amend it: satisfying himself that he can lay the blame upon the _Inck-maker_.

Having thus hinted at the difference between the _Dutch_ and _English Inck_, I shall now give you the Receipt and manner of making the _Dutch-Varnish_.

They provide a _Kettle_ or a _Caldron_, but a _Caldron_ is more proper, such an one as is described in Plate 9. at m. This Vessel should hold twice so much _Oyl_ as they intend to _Boyl_, that the _Scum_ may be some considerable time a _Rising_ from the top of the _Oyl_ to the top of the Vessel to prevent danger. This _Caldron_ hath a Copper Cover to fit the Mouth of it, and this Cover hath an Handle at the top of it to take it off and put it on by. This _Caldron_ is set upon a good strong Iron _Trevet_, and fill’d half full of old _Linseed-Oyl_, the older the better, and hath a good Fire made under it of solid matter, either _Sea Coal_, _Charcoal_ or pretty big Chumps of Wood that will burn well without much Flame; for should the Flame rise too high, and the _Oyl_ be very hot at the taking off the Cover of the _Caldron_, the fume of the _Oyl_ might be apt to take Fire at the Flame, and endanger the loss of the _Oyl_ and Firing the House: Thus they let _Oyl_ heat in the _Caldron_ till they think it is Boyling-hot; which to know, they peel the outer Films of an _Oynion_ off it, and prick the _Oynion_ fast upon the end of a small long Stick, and so put it into the heating _Oyl_: If it be Boyling-hot, or almost Boyling-hot, the _Oynion_ will put the _Oyl_ into a Fermentation, so that a Scum will gather on the top of the _Oyl_, and rise by degrees, and that more or less according as it is more or less Hot: But if it be so very Hot that the Scum rises apace, they quickly take the _Oynion_ out, and by degrees the Scum will fall. But if the _Oyl_ be Hot enough, and they intend to put any _Rosin_ in, the quantity is to every Gallon of _Oyl_ half a Pound, or rarely a whole Pound. The _Rosin_ they beat small in a _Mortar_, and with an Iron Ladle, or else by an Handful at a time strew it in gently into the _Oyl_ lest it make the Scum rise too fast; but every Ladle-full or Handful they put in so leasurely after one another, that the first must be wholly dissolv’d before they put any more in; for else the Scum will Rise too fast, as aforesaid: So that you may perceive a great care is to keep the Scum down: For if it Boyl over into the Fire never so little, the whole Body of _Oyl_ will take Fire immediately.

If the _Oyl_ be Hot enough to _Burn_, they _Burn_ it, and that so often till it be _Hard_ enough, which sometimes is six, seven, eight times, or more.

To _Burn_ it they take a long small Stick, or double up half a Sheet of Paper, and light one end to set Fire to the _Oyl_; It will presently Take if the _Oyl_ be Hot enough, if not, they Boyl it longer, till it be.

To try if it be _Hard_ enough, they put the end of a Stick into the _Oyl_, which will lick up about three or four drops, which they put upon an Oyster-shell, or some such thing, and set it by to cool, and when it is cold they touch it with their Fore or Middle-Finger and Thumb, and try its consistence by sticking together of their Finger and Thumb; for if it draw stiff like strong _Turpentine_ it is Hard enough, if not, they Boyl it longer, or _Burn_ it again till it be so consolidated.

When it is well Boyled they throw in an Ounce of Letharge of Silver to every four Gallons of _Oyl_ to Clarifie it, and Boyl it gently once again, and then take it off the Fire to stand and cool, and when it is cool enough to put their Hand in, they Strain it through a Linnen Cloath, and with their Hands wring all the _Varnish_ out into a Leaded Stone Pot or Pan, and keeping it covered, set it by for their use; The longer it stands by the better, because it is less subject to turn Yellow on the Paper that is Printed with it.

This is the _Dutch_ way of making _Varnish_, and the way the English _Inck-makers_ ought to use.

_Note_, _First_, That the _Varnish_ may be made without _Burning_ the _Oyl_, _viz._ only with well and long Boyling it; for _Burning_ is but a violent way of Boyling, to consolidate it the sooner.

_Secondly_, That an _Apple_ or a _Crust_ of _Bread_, _&c._ stuck upon the end of a Stick instead of an _Oynion_ will also make the Scum of the _Oyl_ rise: For it is only the Air contained in the Pores of the _Apple_, _Crust_ or _Oynion_, &c. pressed or forced out by the violent heat of the _Oyl_, that raises the many Bubbles on the top of the _Oyl_: And the connection of those Bubbles are vulgarly called _Scum_.

_Thirdly_, The English _Inck-makers_ that often make _Inck_, and that in great quantities, because one Man may serve all _England_, instead of setting a _Caldron_ on a _Trevet_, build a _Furnace_ under a great _Caldron_, and Trim it about so with Brick, that it Boyls far sooner and more securely than on a _Trevet_; because if the _Oyl_ should chance to Boyl over, yet can it not run into the Fire, being Fenced round about with Brick as aforesaid, and the _Stoking-hole_ lying far under the _Caldron_.

_Fourthly_, When for want of a _Caldron_ the _Master-Printer_ makes _Varnish_ in a _Kettle_, He provides a great piece of thick _Canvass_, big enough when three or four double to cover the _Kettle_, and also to hang half round the sides of the _Kettle_: This _Canvass_ (to make it more soluble) is wet in Water, and the Water well wrung out again, so that the _Canvass_ remains only moist: Its use is to throw flat over the Mouth of the _Kettle_ when the _Oyl_ is _Burning_, to keep the smoak in, that it may stifle the Flame when they see cause to put it out. But the Water as was said before, must be very well wrung out of the _Canvass_, for should but a drop or two fall from the sides of it into the _Oyl_ when it is Burning, it will so enrage the _Oyl_, and raise the Scum, that it might endanger the working over the top of the _Kettle_.

* * * * *

Having shewn you the _Master-Printers_ Office, I account it suitable to proper Method, to let you know how the _Letter-Founder_ Cuts the _Punches_, how the _Molds_ are made, the _Matrices_ Sunck, and the _Letter Cast_ and _Drest_, for all these Operations precede the _Compositers_ Trade, as the _Compositers_ does the _Press-mans_; wherefore the next _Exercises_ shall be (God willing) upon _Cutting_ of the _Steel-Punches_.

_MECHANICK EXERCISES:_ Or, the Doctrine of =Handy-works.= Applied to the Art of =Letter-Cutting.=

_PREFACE._

LEtter-Cutting _is a Handy-Work hitherto kept so conceal’d among the Artificers of it, that I cannot learn any one hath taught it any other; But every one that has used it, Learnt it of his own Genuine Inclination. Therefore, though I cannot (as in other Trades) describe the general Practice of Work-men, yet the Rules I follow I shall shew here, and have as good an Opinion of these Rules, as those have that are shyest of discovering theirs. For, indeed, by the appearance of some Work done, a judicious Eye may doubt whether they go by any Rule at all, though Geometrick Rules, in no Practice whatever, ought to be more nicely or exactly observed than in this._

§. 12. ¶. 1. _Of Letter-Cutters Tools._

The making of _Steel-Punches_ is a Branch of the _Smith_’s Trade: For, as I told you in the Preface to _Numb._ 1. The _Black-Smith_’s Trade comprehends all Trades that use either Forge or File, from the _Anchor-Smith_, to the _Watch-maker_: They all working by the same Rules, though not with equal exactness; and all using the same Tools, though of different Sizes from those the Common _Black-Smith_ uses; and that according to the various purposes they are applied, _&c._ Therefore, indeed, a _Letter-Cutter_ should have a Forge set up, as by _Numb._ 1. But some _Letter-Cutters_ may seem to scorn to use a Forge, as accounting it too hard Labour, and Ungenteel for themselves to officiate at. Yet they all well know, that though they may have a common _Black-Smith_ perform their much and heavy Work, that many times a Forge of their own at Hand would be very commodious for them in several accidental little and light Jobs, which (in a Train of Work) they must meet withal.

But if our _Letter-Cutter_ will have no Forge, yet he must of necessity accommodate himself with a _Vice_, _Hand-Vice_, _Hammers_, _Files_, _Small_ and _Fine Files_ (commonly called _Watch-makers Files_) of these he saves all, as they wear out, to smooth and burnish the Sides and Face of his Letter with, as shall be shewed; _Gravers_, and _Sculpters_ of all sorts, an _Anvil_, or a _Stake_, an _Oyl-stone_, _&c._ And of these, such as are suitable and sizable to the several Letters he is to Cut. These, or many of these Tools, being described in _Numb._ 1. I refer my Reader thither, and proceed to give an account of some Tools peculiar to the _Letter-Cutter_, though not of particular use to the Common _Black-Smith_.

¶. 2. _Of the_ Using-File.

This _File_ is about nine or ten Inches long, and three or four Inches broad, and three quarters of an Inch thick: The two broad sides must be exactly flat and straight: And the one side is commonly cut with a _Bastard-Cut_, the other with a _Fine_ or _Smooth Cut_. (See _Numb._ 1. _Fol._ 14, 15.) Its use is to _Rub_ a piece of Steel, Iron, or Brass, _&c._ flat and straight upon, as shall be shewed hereafter.

In chusing it, you must see it be exactly Flat and Straight all its Length and Breadth: For if it in any part Belly out, or be Hollow inwards, what is Rubbed upon it will be Hollow, Rubbing on the Bellying part; and Bellying, Rubbing on the Hollow part. You must also see that it be very Hard; and therefore the thickest _Using-Files_ are likeliest to prove best, because the thin commonly Warp in Hardning.

¶. 3. _Of the_ Flat-Gage.