he slips hammered down, the
book should be pressed. Before pressing, a tin is put on each side of
both boards, one being pushed right up into the joint on the inside,
and the other up to the joint, or a little over it, on the outside.
While in the press, the back should be covered with paste and left to
soak for a few minutes. When the glue is soft the surplus on the
surface can be scraped off with a piece of wood shaped as shown in
fig. 53. For important books it is best to do this in the lying press,
but some binders prefer first to build up the books in the standing
press, and then to paste the backs and clean them off there. This has
the advantage of being a quicker method, and will, in many cases,
answer quite well. But for books that require nice adjustment it will
be found better to clean off each volume separately in the lying
press, and afterwards to build up the books and boards in the
standing press, putting the larger books at the bottom. It must be
seen that the entire pile is exactly in the centre under the screw, or
the pressure will be uneven. To ascertain if the books are built up
truly, the pile must be examined from both the front and side of the
press. Each volume must also be looked at carefully to see that it
lies evenly, and that the back is not twisted or out of shape. This is
important, as any form given to the book when it is pressed at this
stage will be permanent.

Any coloured or newly printed plates will need tissues, as in the
former pressing; and any folded plates or diagrams or inserted letters
will need a thin tin on each side of them to prevent them from marking
the book.

Again, the pressure on hand-printed books must not be excessive.

The books should be left in the press at least a night. When taken out
they will be ready for headbanding, unless the edges are to be cut in
boards.

CHAPTER X

Cutting in Boards--Gilding and Colouring Edges

CUTTING IN BOARDS

The knife for cutting edges may be ground more acutely than for
cutting boards, and should be very sharp, or the paper may be torn.
The plough knife should never be ground on the under side, as if the
under side is not quite flat, it will tend to run up instead of
cutting straight across. Before beginning to cut edges, the position
of the knife should be tested carefully by screwing the plough up,
with the press a little open, and noting where