Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 4).djvu/596

 to be one of Tit-Bits, with no illustrations. This is not dealt with by electrotyping—it is stereotyped. First the "forme" of type is placed upon a flat plate, appertaining to a roller-press, and covered with a moist sheet of papier-maché. This is then passed under the press, so that the papier-maché, being pressed into the interstices of the type, comes away a perfect mould, or "matrix," as it is called, of the page as set up. This matrix is dried, and, if found to be perfect, is inserted in the "casting block," having first been dusted with French chalk. The "casting block" is a sort of massive cylindrical frame of iron, opening on a hinge—as shown by the illustration wherein are two "blocks," one shut and one open. The interior of this "casting block" is so made that the matrix on being set in is proper place is curved inwards to a certain desired degree; the block is shut, and the workman, turning to the small furnace, takes a dip of molten lead in a peculiarly-shaped ladle, and pours it into the casting block. When set, this metal comes out in the form of a segment of a cylinder, having upon it raised letters in exact facsimile of the original type. This is carefully examined and touched up, the blank spaces being gouged deeper, the curve finally corrected on a saddle, and the back and edges planed true. It then travels down to the machine-room to be fitted upon the cylinder in the printing machine.

In the case of a page of the the procedure is different. First the type is carefully cleaned and dusted over with black-lead. Next a sheet of wax is obtained by pouring the substance, in a liquid state, into metal trays. This sheet, when firm, is shaved down to an exact thickness by a machine, the large wheel of which, with its projecting handles, may be seen in the illustration. Then it is placed upon the set-up type, and the two together are inserted in a special press—this one is, in fact, the only specimen in Europe—which is tested to a pressure of 280 tons. When withdrawn from this press the wax sheet readily leaves the type, the black-lead preventing any adhesion.

It is then seen to be an exact counterpart, sunk and in reverse, of the type and illustration-blocks upon which it has been pressed. Having been carefully examined for the detection of any faults and "loaded up" with additional wax in blank spaces, it is given a complete but thin powdering of black-lead in a powdering machine, wherein a rotary brush drives the lead well into the surface of the wax. This is because the black-lead is a conductor of electricity, and is, as such, necessary in the subsequent