Part 6

For the production of nonpareil marble, the comb is employed, made in the following way; take two strips of heavy pasteboard, 12 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide, divide one of these exactly where the needles are to be inserted, draw grooves so that the needles can be laid in; glue the part in which the needles are to be laid, insert the needles in the grooves as aforesaid, and, after drying, the second strip of pasteboard, is glued upon the first.

The needles best adapted to comb making for use in comb marbling are fine pearl needles of steel; they are preferable to the common pins because they do not bend and do not offer any resistance to the size while drawing the colors, and also because they cut the colors easily without forming furrows.

The comb is so prepared that the pasteboard protrudes slightly at both ends, by this the movement of the comb is defined by the rim of the trough. It is advisable to prepare about three such combs with the needles separated from each other about 3/32, 3/16 and 1/4 inch respectively.

THE PEACOCK COMB.

The peacock comb consists of two common combs having strong needles separated from one another by 1/2 inch. These two combs are put together by means of a pasteboard frame in such a way that they can be moved 1/4 inch to the side.

Moved sideways the needles of one comb move to the centre between the needles of the other comb, they cover each other as soon as both combs are moved 1/4 inch in the opposite direction.

THE BRUSH.

To distribute the colors equally for drawn edges it is necessary to divide the color around on the size as explained in the chapter on nonpareil marble. This is almost impossible if a common brush is employed as the drops cannot be voluntarily directed by it, I have had, therefore, brushes made with bent bristles which make the distribution of the drops easier.

THE BROOM-CORN WHISK.

This whisk is made of soft broom-corn about 1 to 2 inches thick. The upper end is tightly bound with string or wire so that about 5 inches of straw protrude. These whisks are used in producing marble-edges.

THE BRISTLE BRUSH.

A bristle brush 3 inches long and from 2 to 2-1/2 inches thick is bound by a well waxed packing-thread about 1-1/4 inches from the top so that the bristles are open for a length of 1-3/4 inches. This brush is very well adapted for distributing the drops.

In marbling large lots of books, large broom-corn whisks are profitably used for throwing on the body color or sprinkling water. Being possessed of the above mentioned utensils which only are expensive at first, nothing is further necessary for the production of beautiful edges.

THE BOOK CLAMP.

The clamp is used to hold several books together which are to be immersed at the same time into the marbling trough. They are of iron entirely, are eccentrical in their movement and make a very quick handling and an easier holding of the books possible.

APPARATUS FOR THROWING ON COLORS.

For the purpose of producing nonpareil marble an equal distribution of color is desirable.

It consists of four small color receptacles and apparatus from which protrude needles equi-distant from each other in the form of a rake.

The throwing of marble-colors at equal distances and in equally large drops on the size is made possible by it in a very certain and easy way and is even a good help to the inexperienced marbler in the production of even and exemplary edges. For the production of comb-marble on a large scale this apparatus is especially profitable as by using it much time is saved.

Table I. TRYING OF COLORS.

Table II. TRYING OF COLORS.

Table III. THROWING ON OF COLORS.

Table IV. THROWING ON OF COLORS.

Table V. DRAWING WITH THE STYLUS.

Table VI. NONPAREIL MARBLE.

Table VII. PEACOCK AND BOUQUET MARBLES.

Table VIII. HAIR-VEIN MARBLE.

Table IX. TURKISH MARBLE.

Table X. TURKISH MARBLE.

APPENDIX.

Colored AND Decorated Edges.

ACCORDING TO THE

NEWEST DISCOVERIES

BY

Eminent Specialists.

STARCHED EDGES.

STARCHED EDGES.

A great similarity to marble edges have the so called starched edges.

To produce this kind of an edge no especial practice and no important preparations are necessary, but it permits of many varieties.

For this purpose, books already cut are placed into the hand press, and in such a way, that the edge is horizontal.

Dissolve a small quantity of pure rice starch in water until it has the consistency of a paste, add the different colors, which must be soluble in water in order to color properly, such as carmine or vermilion, cinnabar, Turkey, burnt umber, Prussian-blue, ultramarine, etc.

When the color added has been carefully united by stirring with the solution of starch, throw, by the aid of a small whisk, the solution so colored in drops that are not too small on the edge placed horizontally, so that the edge is covered as uniformly as possible.

As soon as the starch thrown on is dried, sprinkle on by the aid of a sprinkling brush and sieve, a darker color over the whole surface and allow the whole edge to dry again, then brush off the superfluous starch, and the colored and spotted edge will appear with veins interspersed.

The edge will be more effective and more similar to marble, if, for example, bluish-gray colored starch and then other starch mixed with red, the former in small the latter in larger drops, are thrown on so that the edge is quite well covered. Finally, a dark-brown color is sprinkled over the whole surface.

Such edges have the effect of bluish-gray marbling imitations which are interspersed by dark veins. If you sprinkle on fluid gold bronze i. e. bronze finely ground in gum-arabic, instead of the dark-brown color, you obtain the celebrated gold veined edge in connection with the starched edge.

Unsized paper is the best for producing starch edges because it quickly absorbs the moisture of the starch and color.

To sized paper the color does not stick so readily and for that reason often runs together. To prevent this, moisten the edge before applying the starch color, with some ox-gall, and allow the first color to dry thoroughly before applying the second.

The Production of Colored Edges.

THE PRODUCTION OF COLORED EDGES.

The beautiful marbled edges have nearly driven every other kind of edges entirely out of the market.

Aside from marbled edges, colored edges are mostly used. They will keep their place on account of the simplicity of their production and their bright coloring effects.

Red-edges, especially when prettily made, give a dignified aspect to a book, so to speak, and they are therefore frequently and properly employed.

Our highly developed color industry offers to us a very great number of red colors, especially the carmine, vermilions and cinnabars, all of great value in our trade. These colors will not fade, the former carmine possesses great intensity, and cinnabar has the power to obliterate colors underlying it.

When cheap colored edges are to be produced even aniline colors can be taken into consideration. For instance, eosine is a red color, which used by itself or in combination with carmine and other red colors makes a beautiful color for edges but it will fade on exposure to the sun.

The preparation of these colors is of importance. Genuine carmine should, after the different pieces have been crushed, be ground for a short time with a little spirits of ammonia and then allowed to stand until completely dissolved. To dilute it, a thin solution of gum or water (the best is rain water) may be used. If too much spirits of ammonia has been employed the color will assume a bluish hue.

The heavy cinnabar makes a more powerful binding medium necessary, the best being a paste of starch or a solution of gum-arabic. Careful crushing and a thorough grinding of the color are essential.

Genuine carmine has a red color with a slight bluish cast whereas cinnabar approaches yellowish-red. A pleasing, pure red can be produced by using Turkish red. A bright lustrous shade is obtained by adding some red aniline color.

If edges have to be colored blue, use ultramarine blue for dark, or cobalt blue for light.

Both colors must be mixed with gum-arabic or paste by grinding, and, if necessary, be diluted with water.

To produce yellow edges, chrome yellow is mostly used. It is for sale in all different shades from the brightest greenish-yellow, to the darkest orange-yellow.

In using it, like any other mineral or earth colors, it is finely ground and mixed, for use, with paste.

Green edges are often produced by using Schweinfurt's green or silk-green. By mixing light chrome-yellow with cobalt-blue, a beautiful rich green results.

For brown and black the well known colors umber, sepia, vegetable lamp-black, drop ivory-black and others are employed.

The color for producing violet edges can be best obtained by mixing cobalt-blue with Turkish-red or carmine.

It is always the most essential part of the process to grind the color uniformly with the paste, if it is desirable to obtain an edge of the same intensity of color.

A peeling off of the color while the edges are being burnished is due to a lack of paste, or of a too great consistency or too insufficient fineness of the color.

Recently our industry has taken this article in hand and furnishes a large number of beautiful, cheap and well prepared colors for producing edges which can be bought more profitably than they can be laboriously made.

As all colored edges, to give a beautiful effect, must be burnished after coloring, it is advisable to execute the coloring while the books are in the press, place the books after their front edges have been cut, by the aid of gilding boards into the hand-press and with a soft brush apply the color thinly. If the color does not thoroughly cover on one application, the operation must be repeated after the first coat has completely dried. When a uniform color is obtained allow the edge to dry in the press and then burnish it well with a broad burnisher.

By using a little wax you will render the burnishing more successful.

The color will sometimes enter into unsized or wood paper notwithstanding heavy pressure.

To avoid this the edges must be moistened with a thin paste to which some alum is added. It is still better to use the grounding substance manufactured by William Leo, of Stuttgart.

If beautiful edges are to be produced, then, in cutting the book it is necessary to see that the knife of the machine is free from nicks, so that the cut is clean and smooth.

At the fore-edge of the book there will always appear some small parts of the different sheets protruding slightly. If this is to be overcome, these edges are to be treated as hollow edges which means that they must be scraped hollow before coloring and must be burnished with the round-burnisher.

The use of colored edges is always left to individual taste. The following rule may be of some advantage; colored edges must have a binding of an opposite color. A red edge will appear to most advantage with a white, gray, dull-green, dark-brown or antique binding.

Bindings of a reddish-brown color would lose in their general aspect by the employment of a red edge.

If books with red edges are to be covered with red, it is then essential that the colors of both are corresponding.

GILT EDGES.

GILT EDGES.

In the production of gilt edges, there have not been any essential improvements noticed.

If the gilt-edge is to-day produced more beautifully and perfectly than formerly, it is due in part to a more extensive experience and practice, and also to the excellent quality of gold-leaf now on the market.

No edges contribute so greatly to the generally elegant appearance of a book as gilt-edges; they are lustrous and rich and are more pleasing to the eyes of most men than the plain and unseemly colored edges, though a great deal of trouble and industry is necessary to the production of these beautiful effects.

A principal condition in the production of gilt-edges is the utmost cleanliness and skill in executing the necessary manipulations.

In cutting the book, great care must be taken that the cuts are entirely smooth and clean, without any blemish. Sharp knifes are therefore indispensable in this kind of work.

Gilt-edges demand an entirely smooth surface which is only produced by carefully scraping the surface with a steel scraper. The edge must be scraped perfectly smooth so as not to show the marks of the knife in cutting or those of the scraper. To this end the books, the edges of which have already been cut, are placed between gilding-boards in hand presses in such a way that the fore-edge protrudes but slightly over the cheeks of the press. After the press has been tightly drawn down and has been fastened firmly, the scraping of the edges can be begun. When this tiresome work has been finished, and an entirely smooth surface has been obtained, the surface is moistened with a paste-water and rubbed dry with clean paper-shavings. By this grinding and rubbing off, the edge becomes shiny and dry, and gains in the power of resistance, which is of great importance for the burnishing that occurs in the later stage of gilt-edging.

The smooth, hard ground of paste is not sufficient for the production of gilt-edges that are perfectly beautiful.

They must be colored lightly with bolus or chalk, (the most adapted to this work is the finely washed Armenian bole.)

The book-binders supply establishment of Wm. Leo, of Stuttgart, provides an excellent article.

This bole after it has been finely ground and scraped, must be mixed with a solution of albumen (the white of the egg) such as is used for laying on gold leaf, and must be spread lightly and evenly over the edge by a fine broad hair brush or with a fine sponge, to prohibit the scaling off of the gold.

This process must be repeated. The ground of bole gives the gilt-edge a dark shade and a high lustre and glow.

When the grounding of bole is entirely dry, and all the parts clinging to the edge have been carefully brushed off, we begin the most difficult part in the production of gilt-edges, the laying on of the gold.

As binding medium between the gold-leaf and the edge of the book, a solution of the white of the egg is used. Carefully separate the white of the egg from the yolk and dilute the same with 1 pint of water and stir until a perfect mixture of the two results. After this fluid has stood for several hours, it becomes perfectly clear, the froth of the egg floating upon the surface is removed and the solution is ready for use.

Paper containing lime makes a stronger size necessary.

To transfer the gold-leaf, which has been cut on the gold cushion to the size required, on to the edge, a rectangular light wooden frame of wood or paste board is used, across which two horse hairs or silk threads are stretched parallel to the long sides of the rectangle in such a way that they can be moved at will nearer to or farther from one another.

LAYING-ON APPARATUS.

THE LAYING-ON APPARATUS.

Much more practical than this frame is the laying-on apparatus. It can be more easily and securely handled, and the laying on strings can be more easily set.

By means of this simple instrument the sheets of gold-leaf which are laying ready on the cushion and which must be so wide that they not only cover the edge entirely but also protrude about 1/8 inch beyond the gilding boards are transferred on to the sized edge. The sizing must be done with a soft camels hair brush, not too thin and it is essential that the gilding boards also become moistened.

The strings of this laying on apparatus or of the frame must be so far distant from each other that they reach from gilding board to gilding board.

The sheets of gold leaf that have been cut before must then be carefully transferred, one by one, on the sized edge.

To make the gold-leaf adhere to the strings of the frame, the strings are rubbed slightly upon the hair of the head by which means they absorb sufficient fatty substance to hold the light sheets of gold.

If after the gold is laid on it should contain any imperfections or breaks, other portions must be applied to these abrasions. The press is then placed aside until the edge is entirely dry. In treating the upper and lower edges i. e. after the book has been rounded, care must always be taken that in sizing, not too much moisture impregnates the back part of the edges as there is no pressure to prevent the size from running in.

If the gilt-edge is to have lustre and glow by burnishing, great care must be taken to dry the edge well.

An edge, which is not sufficiently dried, will exhibit breaks in the gold on burnishing, and an edge which is too dry will never have the desired lustre.

It is impossible to name the time within which gilt-edges become dry. This depends upon the temperature of the room, the quality of the paper in the book and on the quantity of albumen solution which has been put on the edge.

The safest way to find out whether the edge is dry or not is to blow upon it. If the lustre of the gold is dimmed for several seconds, the edge is still too moist, but if the cloud vanishes immediately the edge is sufficiently dry.

We can also determine by a careful easy burnishing whether the edge is dry enough to be worked further.

The burnishing should always be executed with a flat agate burnisher, and afterwards followed by a flat blood stone. The burnishing should be commenced by covering the edge with a piece of thin smooth paper that has been rubbed with wax.

First burnish the gold laid on slightly, afterwards continue with greater force.

By this the edge acquires a uniformly dull aspect but a strong union of gold and paper is thereby established.

Before beginning the real burnishing rub the edge with a soft rag upon which a small quantity of pure white wax has been rubbed. This thin film of wax renders the burnishing much easier because the burnisher is made to glide more readily and securely over the edge.

The burnishing must first be executed lightly and then with greater force.

The repairing of gilt-edges should be avoided as much as possible. Should it become, nevertheless, unavoidable, then moisten the spots to be repaired with the solution of albumen described above, lay on gold leaf, allow the spots which you wish to repair to become dry, rub off and burnish as usual.

In place of albumen solution, sulphuric ether can be used for repairing. The latter has the advantage of causing the spots so repaired to become dry immediately, but it causes a lighter spot to appear in the gilt-edge. Alcohol, lightly applied, can also be used for this purpose and with more security. The gilding of the hollow edge is produced in the same way as that of the level edge. In scraping, curved scrapers are used. To lay on the gold use the frame. Transfer the gold leaf from the gold cushion to the strings of the frame, then carefully bring these strings closer to each other, so that the gold leaf is no longer straight, but somewhat hanging down. Then transfer it to the sized edge.

To burnish give the hand press an oblique position, making the front of the press lay lower than the rear so that one half of the hollow edge has a more horizontal position, and burnish it with a flat burnisher in the same manner as the level edge. This being done, the remainder of the hollow edge is likewise treated at the same time, giving the press a different position. Only after the edge has been burnished on both sides with a flat burnisher, is the round burnisher (tooth) used to finish the hollow edge on its length.

Gilding on a colored, especially a red edge is very effective. These gilt-edges with an underlying red-edge are of English origin and are used generally for Bibles and prayer books. The fore edge of such books is colored in an oblique position of the edge, and they therefore have not a golden, but a red effect, when opened.

The production of such edges demands a certain experience, if the coloring of the fore-edge shall have a correct effect, and the leaves of the book are to be as little as possible impregnated by the color.

This color must be mixed like any other edge colors with gum-arabic, starch paste or the white of an egg.

All etching substances, such as spirits of ammonia, must be avoided as they often cause the color to soak too deeply into the paper.

In manipulating the fore edge, open the book slightly, fasten the edge in this oblique position and then lightly apply the color.

When this has thoroughly dried, open the edge towards the other side and continue with the same procedure.

The different leaves are thus not only colored at the edges proper, but the color has also been slightly imparted to the upper and lower sides of the leaves at the same time, and for this reason the edge of the book, after it is gilded, appears reddish when the book is opened out.

The upper and lower edges must be treated as all other colored edges.

In producing the gilt-edge in the way above mentioned, rubbing off with paste and grounding with bole must of course not be employed.

The production of edges with metal leaf or aluminium, is under the same rules as for gilt edges.

To produce silver edges, a sizing material of a solution of gelatine (one half of a gelatine cake to one cup of water) is used as a surrogate to the albumen. This can also be employed in the laying on of aluminium.

For base metal leaf care should be taken that a soft, thin article is used, the one of a light hue is more pliable on account of the larger quantity of tin contained in it than is in the darker copper one.

The more pliable French aluminium is preferable to the brittle German article.

If gilt-edges are to be produced upon unsized paper, the edges must be sized with a solution of gelatine.

Colored Edges with Front and End Gilding.

COLORED EDGES WITH FRONT AND END GILDING.