ne or two impressions
worked with it. If the gold fails to stick, the heat may be slightly
increased.

If the leather is slightly damp from the preparation the tools will
usually work better, and less heat is required than if it has been
prepared for some time and has got dry.

Before using, the faces of all tools must be rubbed bright on the
flesh side of a piece of leather. It is impossible to tool brightly
with dirty tools. A tool should be held in the right hand, with the
thumb on the top of the handle, and steadied with the thumb or first
finger of the left hand. The shoulder should be brought well over the
tool, and the upper part of the body used as a press. If the weight of
the body is used in finishing, the tools can be worked with far
greater firmness and certainty, and with less fatigue, than if the
whole work is done with the muscles of the arms.

Large and solid tools will require all the weight that can be put on
them, and even then the gold will often fail to stick with one
impression. Tools with small surfaces, such as gouges and dots, must
not be worked too heavily, or the surface of the leather may be cut.

To strike a large or solid tool, it should first be put down flat, and
then slightly rocked from side to side and from top to bottom, but
must not be twisted on the gold.

A tool may be struck from whichever side the best "sight" can be got,
and press and book turned round to the most convenient position.

It is difficult to impress some tools, such as circular flower tools,
twice in exactly the same place. Such tools should have a mark on one
side as a guide. This should always be kept in the same position when
blinding-in and tooling, and so make it possible to impress a second
time without "doubling." An impression is said to be "doubled" when
the tool has been twisted in striking, or one impression does not fall
exactly over the other.

The hot tool should not be held hovering over the impression long, or
the preparation will be dried up before the tool is struck. Tooling
will generally be brighter if the tools are struck fairly sharply, and
at once removed from the leather, than if they are kept down a long
time.

To "strike" dots, the book should be turned with the head to the
worker, and the tool held with the handle inclining slightly towards
him. This will make them appear bright when the book is held the right
way up.

Gouges must be "sighted" from the inside of the curve, and