struck
evenly, or the points may cut into the leather. Short straight lines
may be put in with pieces of line, and longer ones with a fillet.

A one line fillet is shown at fig. 88; the space filed out of the
circumference is to enable lines to be joined neatly at the corners.
That the lines may be clearly visible through the gold, the book
should be placed so that the light comes from the left hand of the
worker and across the line. It is well to have a basin of water in
which to cool fillets, as there is so much metal in them, that the
damp sponge or cotton used for cooling tools would very rapidly be
dried up. When the fillet has been cooled, the edge should be rubbed
on the cleaning pad, and the point exactly adjusted to the corner of
the line to be run (see fig. 88). The fillet is then run along the
line with even pressure.

[Illustration: FIG. 88.]

For slightly curved lines, a very small fillet may be used.

When all the prepared part of a pattern has been tooled, it is well
rubbed to remove the loose gold with a slightly greasy rag, or with a
piece of bottle indiarubber which has been softened in paraffin. After
a time the rubber or rag may be sold to the gold-beater, who recovers
the gold. To prepare indiarubber for cleaning off gold, a piece of
bottle rubber is cut into small pieces and soaked in paraffin for some
hours. This should cause the pieces to reunite into a soft lump. This
can be used until it is yellow with gold throughout.

When all free gold is rubbed off, the finisher can see where the
tooling is imperfect. Impressions which are not "solid" must be
reglaired, have fresh gold laid on, and be retooled. But if, as will
sometimes happen with the best finishers, the gold has failed to stick
properly anywhere, it is best to wash the whole with water or vinegar,
and prepare afresh.

As an excess of grease is apt to dull the gold and soil the leather,
it is better to use it very sparingly when laying on fresh gold for
mending. For patching, benzine may be used instead of grease. When the
gold is picked up on the cotton-wool pad, rapidly go over the leather
with wool soaked in benzine, and at once lay down the gold. Benzine
will not hold the gold long enough for much tooling, but it will
answer for about half-an-hour, and give plenty of time for patching.

Imperfect tooling arises from a variety of causes. If an impression is
clear, but the gold not solid, it is probably because the tool was n