screw should be turned very little each time.
If press and plough are in proper order, that part of the board which
projects above the cheek of the press should be cut off, leaving the
edges perfectly square and straight. If the edge of the press has been
damaged, or is out of "truth," a cutting board may be used between
the cheek of the press and the board to be cut, making a true edge for
the knife to run on.

[Illustration: FIG. 46.--Lying or Cutting Press]

The position of the plough on the press is shown at fig. 46. The side
of the press with runners should be reserved for cutting, the other
side used for all other work.

[Illustration: FIG. 47.]

The plough knife for mill-boards should not be ground at too acute an
angle, or the edge will most likely break away at the first cut. The
shape shown at fig. 47 is suitable. The knife should be very
frequently ground, as it soon gets blunt, which adds greatly to the
labour of cutting.

After an edge has been cut, each side should be well rubbed with a
folder to smooth down any burr left by the plough knife. Then a piece
of common paper with one edge cut straight is pasted on to one side of
the board, with the straight edge exactly up to the cut edge of the
board. Then a piece of paper large enough to cover both sides of the
board is pasted round it, and well rubbed down at the cut edge. After
having been lined, the boards are nipped in the press to ensure that
the lining paper shall stick. They are stood up to dry, with the
doubly lined side outwards. The double paper is intended to warp the
board slightly to that side, to compensate for the pull of the leather
when the book is covered. If the board is a double one, a single
lining paper will be sufficient, the thinner board helping to draw the
thicker. The paste for lining boards must be fairly thin, and very
well beaten up so as to be free from lumps. It is of the utmost
importance that the lining papers should stick properly, for unless
they stick, no subsequent covering of leather or paper can be made to
lie flat.

When the lined boards are quite dry, they should be paired with the
doubly lined sides together, and the top back corner marked to
correspond with the marks on the top back corners of the book. Then
near the top edge, with the aid of a carpenter's square, two points
are marked in a line at right angles to the cut edge. The pair of
boards is then knocked up to the back and lowered into the p