Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/317



HIS article presents a simple method of binding magazines and the like into book form and illustrates novel and easily made tools for use in the work. The tools and the method can also be used for re-binding old books.

The principal tool required is the press, which is shown in plan view Fig. 1, and end elevation Fig. 2.

Two jaws of surfaced wood 2 x 3 x 24 inches are united by two bolts ½ x 13 inches. These bolts are common iron bolts, but the threads must be cut down to about 3½ inches from their heads. The heads of the bolts may be counter-sunk into the jaw and a strip of wood ½ X 2 X 24 inches nailed over them.

Strips of wood ¾x1½x6 inches are nailed to the under side of the jaws, close to their ends. These strips slide in contact with the outside of the wooden box upon which the press is placed and serve to keep the press in position over the box. Two press boards 1x6x16 inches, having beveled edges, are used with the press. The drawings show the assembled sections of a book in the press, ready for making the saw cuts into the back as described later on.

Fig. 3, represents the sewing frame. This is made by nailing a board upon two strips of wood 2x2x12 inches. The board may be about 10 inches wide. An iron rod ⅜ inch in diameter is bent to the form shown and its ends are inserted into holes drilled into the projecting strips, about ¼ inch from the edge of the board. These holes are not drilled entirely through the wood. Horizontal holes are drilled to meet the vertical ones and the ends of the lower horizontal rod are inserted therein before the top board is nailed upon the strips.

Arrange the numbers of the magazine which are to constitute the volume in their proper order. Carefully separate and remove from the magazine or old book, one at a time, the sections of which it is composed and stack them in order in a pile. Take four sheets of strong white paper, about ¼ inch larger all around than an open sheet of the magazine and fold them the same way the magazine sheets are folded, to be used for end papers. The folds or joints of two of these sheets should be strengthened by pasting upon them strips of thin white cloth 1 inch wide, using white paste. When the paste is dry, re-fold the sheets and press the folds down flat.

Arrange the four end sheets in order with a plain folded sheet and a sheet having a cloth joint, for each side of the book. Gather the sections of the volume, with the end papers in place, between the thumbs and fingers and rap them into line along the back and ton edges. Place a press board upon each side of the book as shown in Fig. 2. The boards should be placed parallel with the book and about ⅛ inch from it. Hold the book between the press boards with