Let the young finisher but feel a love for his art, make himself familiar with the best specimens, and determine to excel; and eventually his productions will be esteemed, his ability command the best situations, and he will be recognised as an artist.
For cutting paper, pamphlets, and books "out of boards," a number of machines have been invented, and are used in many binderies, especially in those where large quantities of "cloth-work" are bound. They have been found to answer for this class of work very well. Some of them operate with sufficient nicety to cut books for case-work that are intended for gilt edges, when they are not to be scraped. For first-class work, cut "in boards," nothing has been discovered to supersede the old-fashioned mode of cutting with the plough and press.
[Illustration: PATENT PAPER AND BOOK TRIMMER.]
The above cut of one of these machines, from the manufactory of I. Adams & Co., Boston, will serve to convey a general idea of its appearance; and the names of the makers are a sufficient guarantee of the mechanical perfection of its details.
Many old books have their dates printed in a manner which puzzles the finisher, should he be required to date any so printed, which are too thin to admit of its being done as on the title-page. The following key is here given, as it may be found useful in such cases:--c. 100; I[c], or D, 500; cI[c] or M, 1000; I[cc], 5000; ccI[cc], 10,000; I[ccc], 50,000, cccI[ccc], 100,000. Thus, cI[c], I[c], CLXXXV111--1688. While on this subject, it may not be inappropriate to notice the dating of some books printed in France during the republic in that country. Thus, "An. XIII."--1805, that being the thirteenth year of the republic, which commenced in 1792.
Old bindings often look badly on account of the leather becoming dry and cracked, or the surface of the skin having been rubbed off in places. To obviate this, take a small quantity of paste and rub it carefully with the finger upon the portions that require it; after it is dry, wash the volume carefully over with a thin solution of glue size. When dry, the volume may be varnished, and afterwards rubbed over with a cloth in which a few drops of sweet oil have been dropped.