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    A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding
    A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding
    A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding
    Ebook270 pages2 hours

    A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding

    By John Mason

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    About this ebook

    John Mason who was the teacher of bookcrafts and bookbinding at the Leicester College of Arts and Crafts and at Vacation Schools for Teachers brings you 'A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding'.
    Giving the reader all the information needed to learn about the beautiful skill of bookbinding, the practical knowledge gained should enable the reader to make their own variations.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateMay 31, 2013
    ISBN9781473386549
    A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding
    Author

    John Mason

    John Mason es un ministro y orador internacional. Es fundador y presidente de Insight Internacional, una fundación dedicada a ayudar a las personas para que usen todos sus dones y talentos mientras cumplen el plan de Dios para sus vidas.

    Read more from John Mason

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      A Practical Course in Bookcrafts and Bookbinding - John Mason

      HINTS

      CLASS INSTRUCTION

      ALL the exercises in this book are regularly and successfully carried out in my classes by boys from the Gateway School, Leicester, aged from ten to fifteen years. My method of instruction is as follows. A suitable boy is chosen as Captain and he is responsible for giving out the work and collecting it at the end of class and of keeping a rota to ensure that each boy in turn cleans the paste bowls, makes the paste, changes the water in the glue tank, replenishes the glue pots and so on.

      The first part of each lesson consists of a short talk followed by a demonstration and the dictation of notes. This usually takes about one quarter of the lesson. The remainder of the time is spent in the practical work of carrying out the exercise.

      The short talks are about the History of Bookbinding, the Manufacture of Leather and Paper, Tool Sharpening and similar matters. I have included information on these subjects at the end of the book.

      A few rules are made clear at the beginning of the first lesson: tools must be returned to their correct places as soon as they are finished with; pasted paper and cuttings placed in the waste boxes and not allowed to accumulate on the bench top. The boys are then warned not to waste material and they are shown, by means of drawings on the blackboard, how to cut out economically. I then demonstrate the correct use of the tools and show them how to avoid cutting their fingers.

      Each boy is given eight sheets of ruled paper and shown how to fold each sheet in half and insert all the sheets to form a single section. At the top of the first page, he writes his name, form number and the title BOOKCRAFT NOTES. I then proceed to demonstrate the single section binding described on page 19 and at the same time I dictate working notes similar to the instruction given in this book. The demonstration is not always completed in one lesson, but as much is shown as the majority will be able to do in the time. When the boys have finished binding their single section books, they keep them as class note books. I require these notes to be kept carefully and I do not expect to help in deciphering them. Also I encourage the drawing of good diagrams.

      After the demonstration, questions are invited and then the class proceeds with the practical work. I give a minimum of individual assistance, though I encourage the boys to help each other. Left to their own resources, they eventually do much better work than when the instructor is always at hand. Besides, with the large classes which many teachers have to take, individual instruction is impossible.

      PLATE 1. SHAKE FLOUR ON TO WATER.

      PLATE 2. STIR BRISKLY.

      TOOLS AND MATERIALS

      It is necessary to understand the nature and use of the various tools and materials.

      GLUE AND PASTE are the two adhesives used in Bookcrafts. The following is the best method of making boiled paste: place two or three tablespoonfuls of plain flour in a saucepan together with a teaspoonful of powdered alum and gradually adding cold water, mix to a thin cream; place over a low gas flame and bring to the boil, stirring all the time; when cold stir in a few drops of oil of cloves as a preservative. This paste can afterwards be thinned out if required by adding cold water but it cannot be thickened.

      A makeshift paste can be made more quickly by mixing the flour to a thick cream and then adding boiling water. This method should be used only in an emergency, as it is an inferior paste and will not keep.

      I use cold water paste in my Bookcraft classes as it is more convenient and is quite satisfactory. Take a bowl and run into it as much cold water as you require paste. Gradually shake the flour on to the water and stir briskly all the time until a good paste of blanc-mange consistency is obtained. Plates 1 and 2. Subsequently the paste can be thinned out or thickened by stirring into it a little more cold water or flour.

      The glue which I recommend is the powder variety, as it can be placed immediately into the glue pot, whereas the cake glue needs to be broken up and soaked for some hours before boiling. One part of powder glue to two parts of water gives a good strength for general work and it can be thickened by adding more glue and thinned by adding hot water. Glue should be used hot but it does not need to be at boiling point and it will lose its adhesive properties if left stewing on the gas for any length of time. The water in the glue well or tank must be changed daily or it will become unpleasant and unhealthy. Glue is required in different consistencies for different processes. Where one pot only is available, the glue should be kept fairly thick and when required thinner, the brush can be dipped in the water in the well. Brushes specially made for hot glue should be used and at the end of class they should be placed in a jar of water.

      Where it is not convenient or not advisable to use hot glue as in a class of young children, one of the non-moist patent dextrine pastes may be used instead. There are several makes of these pastes on the market, which are obtainable in small tins complete with brush. The cold water paste should be used for most of the work and glue or patent paste for only those operations where quick drying is essential.

      PLATE 3. CARD CUTTER.

      BOARDS. Strawboard is the cheapest bookbinder’s board and should be used for all but very heavy work, as it is very much easier to cut and work than the harder millboards. Straw-board is made from pulped straw and is yellow. It is obtainable in various thicknesses from 4 oz. to 4 lb.; these being the weights of the full size 22 in. by 32 in. boards. The following table shows six of the most useful thicknesses. A stock should be kept of 12 oz., 1 lb. and 1 1/2 lb. sizes, then the thicker boards may be made by sticking two or more pieces together. In this way a piece of 1 lb, may be stuck to a piece of 1 1/2 lb. to make a 2 1/2 lb. board. It is advisable to memorize the thickness of a 1 lb. board and it is then a comparatively simple matter to estimate the weight of any other board. Thus a 2 lb. is twice the thickness, and a 12 oz. is three-quarters of the thickness of a 1 lb. board. When ordering boards, always state the exact weight required. It is not sufficient to say thick, medium or thin.

      The teacher should have a good card cutter for cutting boards. Plate 3. Thin board may be cut with large scissors or shears and thick board with a sharp knife against a safety ruler. Plate 4. When cutting a piece from a full sized board, allow a little extra for a final trim all round. For instance, if you require a piece ten inches by eight inches, cut a piece from the large board ten and a half inches by eight and a half inches. Make sure that one long edge has a straight clean cut and then, by means of a set square, mark off one short edge at right angles to it and cut this also. The length and width can then be marked from these two squared edges and the board cut to size. For accurate work, it is essential that all material should be cut out squarely by making sure that all angles are right angles.

      PLATE 4. CUTTING BOARD WITH KNIFE.

      DECORATIVE PAPERS with a large variety of marbled or printed patterns can be obtained cheaply. As the main object of a Bookcraft course is to develop the æsthetic and craft sense of the student, it is not advisable to use the leaves from wallpaper pattern books unless no other paper is obtainable. All papers which imitate other materials such as metal, leather and linen should be avoided. Marbled, stick printed and coloured paste papers can be made by the students themselves and directions for making them are included at the end of this book.

      PLAIN PAPERS. Coloured cover papers are obtainable in various sizes and thicknesses. These and the various pastel papers are suitable for covering and for the leaves of albums, but it should be borne in mind that the thickness of all materials should be relative to the size of the work and thin paper should be used for small models. Kraft brown paper, obtainable in various weights, has remarkable strength and wearing qualities.

      CARTRIDGE PAPER for endpapers, booklets, sketch books, etc., can be purchased in various sizes and weights. A medium weight in Imperial size (22 in. × 30 in.) will fold and cut to the usual sizes needed.

      CLOTH. The smooth varieties of bookbinder’s covering cloth are better than the grained varieties. They can be had in many colours and shades and may be worked with paste or with thin glue. Buckram and art canvas are stouter qualities for heavy work

      MULL is an inexpensive fabric which should be used for lining and strengthening the backs of books before covering.

      THREAD is obtainable in various thicknesses specially made for bookbinding. Here again the thickness

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