7Vb.
This certifies that four hundred and fifty copies only, all on hand-made Holland paper and printed from types, of this edition of Moxon’s u Mechanick Exercises,” in two volumes, were com¬ pleted in August, 1896, and that the types have been distributed.
Joseph J. Little.
S. P. Avery.
Walter Gilliss.
Douglas Taylor.
Theo. L. DeVinne.
David Williams.
W. W. Pasho.
Committee of the Typothetce.
MOXON’S
MECHANICK EXERCISES
I
<£fjri<jLes of laurcnz Ians. Ivc > ftcr . Deli n eat eel /its IMonurnentali Stone, < Da ticc, £t cctccL a t
Harlem.
MEMORIZE
SACRVM
IAVRENTIO C0 5TIEO, HARXEMENSI, ALTERI CADMO, TT ARTIS TYPO GRAPHICS CIRCA ATT. 1*031. M.GCCC.IXX •INVENTORY mine;
RENE DE UTERIS] AC To To ORBE MERE NTX,H ANC !
e-x.c.^ j
S TAlYAM,QyiA ARE A A VT MAR MOREADE TYIX IRo AfoNW E N
To POSVITCIVIS GRATIS SIM VS
The true . effigies oj - Iolm GuttemLerg Teluieatedjrajrh the Original Tainting atr ^Mexitz i re Germnnic .
MlotfO F)
h
X ifif. ■
my
V',
Rd
M ft?
£
d h
MOXON’S MECHANICK EXERCISES,
OR THE DOCTRINE OF HANDY-WORKS APPLIED TO THE ART OF
PRINTING
A LITERAL REPRINT IN TWO VOLUMES OF THE FIRST EDITION PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 1683
WITH PREFACE AND NOTES BY THEO. L. DE VINNE
VOLUME I
NEW-YORK
THE TYPOTHETE OF THE CITY OF NEW-YORK
MDCCCLXXXXVI
PREFACE
JOSEPH MOXON was born at Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, August 8, 1627. There is no published record of his parentage or his early education. His first business was that of a maker and vender of mathematical instruments, in which industry he earned a memorable reputation between the years 1659 and 1683. He was not content with this work, for he had leanings to other branches of the mechanic arts, and especially to¬ ward the designing of letters and the making of printing-types.
In 1669 he published a sheet in folio under the heading of “ Prooves of the Several Sorts of Letters Cast by Joseph Moxon.” The imprint is “West¬ minster, Printed by Joseph Moxon, in Russell street, at the Sign of the Atlas, 1669.” This speci¬ men of types seems to have been printed, not to show his dexterity as a type-founder, but to adver¬ tise himself as a dealer in mathematical and scien-
ix
X
Preface
tific instruments. The reading matter of the sheet describes “ Globes Celestial and Terrestrial, Large Maps of the World, A Tutor to Astronomie and to Geographie” — all of his own production. Eeed flouts the typography of this sheet : “ It is a sorry performance. Only one fount, the Pica, has any pretensions to elegance or regularity. The others are so clumsily cut or badly cast, and so wretch¬ edly printed, as here and there to be almost unde¬ cipherable.” 1 The rude workmanship of these early types proves, as he afterward admitted, that he had never been properly taught the art of type-found¬ ing ; that he had learned it, as he said others had, “of his own genuine inclination.”
It was then a difficult task to learn any valuable trade. The Star Chamber decree of 1637 ordained that there should be hut four type-founders for the kingdom of Great Britain, and the number of their apprentices was restricted. When the Long Parlia¬ ment met in 1640, the decrees of the Star Chamber were practically dead letters, and for a few years there was free trade in typography. In 1644 the Star Chamber regulations were reimposed; in 1662 they were made more rigorous than ever. The im¬ portation of types from abroad without the consent of the Stationers’ Company was prohibited. British
1 “A History of the Old English Letter Foundries, with Notes Historical and Biographical on the Bise and Progress of English Typography.” By Talbot Baines Beed, London, 1887, p. 181.
Preface
xi
printers were compelled to buy the inferior types of English founders, who, secure in their monopoly, did but little for the improvement of printing.1
It is probable that the attention of Moxon was first drawn to type-founding by the founders them¬ selves, who had to employ mechanics of skill for the making of their molds and other implements of type-casting. In this manner he could have ob¬ tained an insight into the mysteries of the art that had been carefully concealed. He did not learn type-making or printing in the usual routine. The records of the Company of Stationers do not show that he was ever made a freeman of that guild, yet he openly carried on the two distinct businesses of type-founding and printing after 1669. It is prob¬ able that he had a special permit from a higher authority, for in 1665 he had been appointed hy- drographer to the king, and a good salary was given with the office. He was then devoted to the prac¬ tical side of scientific pursuits, and was deferred to as a man of ability.
He published several mathematical treatises be¬ tween the years 1658 and 1687; one, called “Com¬ pendium Euclidis Curiosi,” was translated by him
1 The four founders appointed by the Star Chamber did not thrive. One of them, Arthur Nicholls, said of himself : “ Of so small benifitt hath his Art bine that for 4 yeares worke and prac¬ tice he hath not taken above 48 £, and had it not bine for other imploymente he might have perrisht.” Eeed, p. 168.
Xll
Preface
from Dutch into English, and printed in London in 1677. Mores supposes that he had acquired a knowledge of Dutch by residence in Holland, but intimates that he was not proficient in its grammar.1
In 1676 he published a book on the shapes of letters, with this formidable title: “ Regulee Trium Ordinum Literarum Typographicarum; or the Rules of the Three Orders of Print Letters, viz : the Ro¬ man, Italick, English — Capitals and Small; show¬ ing how they are Compounded of Geometrick Fig¬ ures, and mostly made by Rule and Compass. Useful for Writing Masters, Painters, Carvers, Ma¬ sons and others that are Lovers of Curiosity. By Joseph Moxon, Hydrographer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. Printed for Joseph Moxon on Ludgate Hill, at the Sign of Atlas, 1676.” He then dedicated the hook to Sir Christopher Wren, “ as a lover of rule and proportion,” or to one who might he pleased with this attempt to make alphabetical letters conform to geometric rules.
There is no intimation that the book was intended for punch-cutters. It contains specific directions about the shapes of letters, covering fifty-two pages, as proper introduction to the thirty-eight pages of model letters that follow, rudely drawn and printed from copper plates. Moxon says that these model
1 “A Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders and Founderies ” By Edward Rowe Mores, A. M. & A. S. S. [London], 1778. 8 vo, p. 43.
Preface
xiii
letters are his copies of the letters of Christopher Van Dijk, the famous punch-cutter of Holland. He advises that each letter should be plotted upon a framework of small squares — forty-two squares in height and of a proportionate width, as is distinctly shown in the plates of letters in this hook.1 Upon these squares the draftsman should draw circles, angles, and straight lines, as are fully set forth in the instructions.
These diagrams, with their accompanying instruc¬ tion, have afforded much amusement to type-founders. All of them unite in saying that the forming of let¬ ters by geometrical rule is absurd and impracticable. This proposition must be conceded without debate, but the general disparagement of all the letters, in which even Reed joins, may be safely controverted. It is admitted that the characters are rudely drawn, and many have faults of disproportion ; but it must not be forgotten that they were designed to meet the most important requirement of a reader — to be read, and read easily. Here are the broad hair-line, the stubby serif on the lower-case and the brack¬ eted serif on the capitals, the thick stem, the strong and low crown on letters like m and n, with other peculiarities now commended in old-style faces and often erroneously regarded as the original devices of the first Caslon. The black-letter has more merit
1 See plates Nos. 11 to 17.
XIV
Preface
than the roman or italic. Some of the capitals are really uncouth ; hut with all their faults the general effect of a composition in these letters will be found more satisfactory to the bibliophile as a text-type than any form of pointed black that has been de¬ vised in this century as an improvement.
Moxon confesses no obligation to any one for his geometrical system, but earlier writers had pro¬ pounded a similar theory. Books on the true pro¬ portions of letters had been written by Fra Luca Paccioli, Venice, 1509; Albert Diirer, Nuremberg, 1525; Geofroy Tory, Paris, 1529; and Yciar, Sara¬ gossa, 1548. Nor did the attempt to make letters conform to geometrical rules end with Moxon. In 1694, M. Jaugeon, chief of the commission ap¬ pointed by the Academy of Sciences of Paris, for¬ mulated a system that required a plot of 2304 little squares for the accurate construction of every full- bodied capital letter. The manuscript and dia¬ grams of the author were never put in print, but are still preserved in the papers of the Academy.
This essay on the forms of letters seems to have been sent out as the forerunner of a larger work on the theory and practice of mechanical arts. Under the general title of “Mechanick Exercises,” in 1677, he began the publication, in fourteen monthly num¬ bers, of treatises on the trades of the smith, the joiner, the carpenter, and the turner. These consti¬ tute the first volume of the “Mechanick Exercises.”
Preface
xv
The book did not find as many buyers as bad been expected. Moxon attributed its slow sale to political excitement, for the Oates plot put the buying and study of trade books away from the minds of read¬ ers. He had to wait until 1683 before he began the publication of the second volume, which con¬ sists of twenty-four numbers, and treats of the art of printing only. It is this second volume that is here reprinted, for the first volume is of slight inter¬ est to the printer or man of letters.
Moxon’s book has the distinction of being not only the first, hut the most complete of the few early manuals of typography. Fournier’s “ Manuel Typographique ” of 1764 is the only book that can be compared with it in minuteness of detail con¬ cerning type-making, hut he treats of type-making only. Eeed says: “Any one acquainted with the modern practice of punch-cutting cannot but be struck, on reading the directions laid down in the ‘ Mechanick Exercises,’ with the slightness of the changes which the manual processes of that art have undergone during the last two centuries. In¬ deed, allowing for improvements in tools, and the greater variety of gauges, we might almost assert that the punch-cutter of Moxon’s day knew scarcely less than the punch-cutter of our day, with the ac¬ cumulated experience of two hundred years, could teach him. . . . For almost a century it remained the only authority on the subject ; subsequently it
XVI
Preface
formed the basis of numerous other treatises both at home and abroad ; and to this day it is quoted and referred to, not only by the antiquary, who desires to learn what the art once was, hut by the practical printer, who may still on many subjects gather from it much advice and information as to what it should still he.”1
During his business life, Moxon stood at the head of the trade in England. He was selected to cut a font of type for an edition of the New Testament in the Irish language, which font was afterward used for many other hooks. He cut also the char¬ acters designed by Bishop John Wilkins for his “ Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosoph¬ ical Language,” and many mathematical and astro¬ nomical symbols. Rowe Mores, who describes him as an excellent artist and an admirable mechanic, says that he was elected a Fellow of the Royal So¬ ciety in 1678. 2 There is no known record of the date of his death. Mores gives the year 1683 as the date of his relinquishment of the business of type-making, but he was active as a writer and a publisher for some years after.
The first volume of the “Mechanick Exercises,” concerning carpentry, etc., went to its third edition in 1703, but the second volume, about printing, has been neglected for two centuries. During this long
1 Reed, “Old English Letter Foundries,” pp. 185, 186.
2 Mores, “ English Founders,” p. 42.
Preface
XVII
interval many copies of the first small edition of five hundred copies have been destroyed. A perfect copy is rare, and commands a high price, for no early book on technical printing is in greater request.1
The instruction directly given is of value, hut hits of information indirectly furnished are of greater interest. From no other book can one glean so many evidences of the poverty of the old printing- house. Its scant supply of types, its shackly hand- presses, its mean printing-inks, its paper windows and awkward methods, when not specifically con¬ fessed, are plainly indicated. The high standard of proof-reading here exacted may he profitably con¬ trasted with its sorry performance upon the follow¬ ing pages. The garments worn by the workmen are shown in the illustrations. Some of the quainter usages of the trade are told in the “Customs of the Chappel,” and those of the masters, in the ceremonies of the Stationers’ Company, and in the festivals in which masters and workmen joined. To the student of printing a reading of the book is really necessary for a clear understanding of the mechanical side of the art as practised in the seventeenth century.
1 Hansard says (“Typographic” p. vii) : “ I have never been able to meet with more than two copies of this work — one in the Library of the British Museum — the other in the Library of the Society of Arts.” The writer knows of but three copies in Amer¬ ica: one in the Library Company of Philadelphia; one in the Library of the Typothetse of Hew- York ; one in his own collection.
NOTE BY THE PRINTER
This edition of the “ Mechanick Exercises” is a line-for-line and page-for-page reprint of the original text. The only suppression is that of the repetition of the words “Volume II” in the running title and the sub-titles, which would unnecessarily mislead the reader, and of the old signature marks that would confuse the bookbinder. Typographic peculiarities have been followed, even to the copying of gross faults, like doublets, that will be readily corrected by the reader. The object of the reprint is not merely to present the thought of the author, but to illustrate the typo¬ graphic style of his time with its usual defects. A few devia¬ tions from copy that seemed to be needed for a clearer under¬ standing of the meaning of the author have been specified at the end of the second volume. The irregular spelling and punc¬ tuation of the copy, its capricious use of capitals and italic, its headings of different sizes of type, have been repeated. At this point imitation has stopped. Turned and broken letters, wrong- font characters, broken space-lines, and bent rules have not been servilely reproduced. These blemishes, as well as the frequent “monks” and “friars” in the presswork, were serious enough to prevent an attempt at a photographic facsimile of the pages.
The two copies of Moxon that have served as “ copy ” for this reprint show occasional differences in spelling and punctuation. Changes, possibly made in the correction of batters, or after the tardy discovery of faults, must have been done while the form was on press and partly printed. The position of the plates differs seriously in the two copies ; they do not follow each other in the numerical order specified. In this reprint the plates that describe types and tools have been placed near their verbal descriptions.
The type selected for this work was cast from matrices struck with the punches (made about 1740) of the first Caslon. It is of the same large English body as that of the original, but a trifle smaller as to face, and not as compressed as the type used by Moxon; but it repeats many of his peculiarities, and fairly reproduces the more important mannerisms of the printing of the seventeenth century.
The portraits have been reproduced by the artotype process of Bierstadt ; the descriptive illustrations are from the etched plates of the Hagopian Photo-Engraving Company.
xyiii
I! G&OGRA. PH LA M j ■I Vcl USTT.S \ GLOBI
\Cxlcfiis cjuam Terre fb' is \ inLUi'is Jcoc .
| tAJiron-icCicogr: Riid.\ I \Affrcn ic-CrcagrS E I Nauhea . j I V^\Afb'oic^ica . ' j
I I Crncmonica . j
I I SpheiacIi'isinsA J
JywJofepJiuni Atoxou
JofepHMoxojii.
jS crr?t at rWh IsieFe ll d oiuaust d
T 7*^-0 c47UIO 1 6 2 7 .
MECHANIC EXERCISES:
Or, the Doitrme of
^antip.to<i?fes.
Applied to the Art of
By Jofeph Moxon , Member of the Royal Society, and Hydrographer to the King’s Moft Excellent Majefty.
LONDON.
Printed for Jojeph Moxon on the W eft- fideof Fleet-ditch , at the Sign of Atlas. 1683.
To the Right Reverend Father in GOD, JOHN Lord Bifhop of Oxford , and Dean of Chrift-Church ; And to the Right Honourable Sir LEO LINE JENKINS Knight, and Principal Secretary of State ; And to the Right Honourable Six JOSEPH WILLIAM¬ SON Knight; and one of His Majefties molt Honourable Privy-Council.
Right Honourable.
YOur ardent ajfeElions to promote Typographic has eminently ap¬ peared in the great Charge you have been at to make it famous here in England ; whereby this Royal If and fands particularly obliged to your Generous and Publick Spirits , and the whole Common- W ialth of Book-men throughout the W or Id, to your Candid Zeal for the promulgation of good Learning .
Wherefore I humbly Dedicate this Piece of Typographic to your Honours ; and
•snriii
as
as it is f I think J the first of this na¬ ture^ fo I hope you will favourably excufe fmall Faults in this Undertakings for great ones I hope there are none , unlefs it be in this prefumptuous Dedication; for which I hum¬ bly beg your Honours pardon : Subfcribing my self My Lord and Gentlemen ,
Your Honours mofl Humble and Obedient Servant.
Jofeph Moxon.
MECHANIC K
xxiv
Numb. I.
i
MECHANICK EXERCISES:
Or, the Doftrine of
atfljp*uiKfe8.
Applied to the Art of
Minting.
PR E FA C E.
BEfore I begin with Typographic, I Jhall fay fome-what of its Original Invention ; I mean here in Europe, not of theirs in China and other Eaflern Countries , who [by general affent\ have had it for many hundreds of years, though their Invention is very different from ours ; they Cutting their Letters upon Blocks in whole Pages or Forms , as among us our Wooden Pictures are Cut ; But Printing with Jingle Letters Cafl in Mettal , as with us here in Europe, is an Invention fcarce above Two hundred and fifteen years old; and yet an undecidable Controverfe about the original Contriver or Contrivers remains on foot ,
between
1
2
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. I.
between the Harlemers Holland, and thofe of Mentz in Germany : But becaufe the difference cannot be deter¬ min'd for want of undeniable Authority , I Jhall only deli¬ ver both their Pleas to this Scientifick Invention.
The Harlemers plead that Lawrenfz Janfz Kofter of Harlem was the firfl Inventer 6^ Printing, in the year of our Lord 1430. but that in the Infancy of this Inventi¬ on he ufed only Wooden Blocks ( as in China, &c. aforefaid ) but after fome time he left off Wood \ and Cut fingle Letters in Steel, which he funck into Copper Matrices, and fitting them to Iron Molds , Caf fingle Letters of Mettal in thofe Matrices. They fay alfo , that his Companion , John Gutenberg, yfoZ? his Tools away while he was at Church , and with them went to Mentz in Germany, and there fet his Tools to work , and promoted His claim to the firfl Invention of this Art , before Kofter did His .
To prove this , they fay that Rabbi Jofeph (a few ) in his Chronicle , mentions a Printed Book that he faw in Venice, in the year 5188. according to the fiewifh Ac¬ count , and by ours the year 1428. as may be read in Pet. Scriverius.
They fay ?nuch of a Book intituled De Spiegel, Printed at Harlem in Dutch and Latin ; which Book is yet there to be feen : and they alledge that Book the firfl that ever was Printed : But yet fay not when this Book was Printed.
Notwit hfianding this Plea , I do not find ( perhaps be¬ caufe of their imp erf ell Proofs ) but that Gutenberg of Mentz is more generally accepted for the firfl Inventer of Printing, than Kofter of Harlem.
The Learned Dr. Wallis of Oxford, hath made an Inquiry into the original of this Invention , and hath in brief fum'd up the matter in thefe words.
About
Numb. I.
printing
3
About the year of our Lord 1460. The Art of Printing began to be invented and pradtifed in Ger¬ many, whether firft at Mentz or firft at Harlem it is not agreed: But it feems that thofe who had it in con- lideration before it was brought to perfection, difa- greeing among themfelves, did part Company; and fome of them at Harlem , others at Mentz perfued the defign at the fame time.
The Book which is commpnly reputed to have been firft Printed is, Tullies Offices, of which there be Copies extant [as a Rarity ) in many Libraries; which in the clofie of it is fiaid to be Printed at Mentz, in the year of our Lord 1465. [fo fays that Copy in the Bodleyan Li¬ brary ) or 1466. (ffo that in the Library of Corpus Chrifti.) The words in the clofie of that in Corpus Chri- fti Colledge Oxon are thefe,
Praefens Marcij Tullij Clariffimum opus, fohanes Huf, Moguntinus Civis, non Atrimento, plumali canna, neq; asrea, fed Arte quadam perpulchra , Petri manu Pe¬ tri de Geurfhem pueri mei, feliciter effeci, finitum An¬ no M CCCC LX VI quarto die Menfis Februarij .
The like in the Bodleyan Library; fave there the Date is only thus, Finitum Anno M CCCC LX V. In the fame Book there are thefe written Notes fubjoyned : Hie eft i\\e Johannes Faufius, coadj utor Johannes Guten- bergij primi Typographic inventaris, Alter coadj uto e- rat Petrus Schaefer , i. Opilio. Quovix.
Caelando promptior alter erat, inquit Johan . Arnol- dus in Libello de Chalcographias inventione, Scheffer primas finxit quas vocant Matrices. Hi tres exer cue- runt artem primo in communi. mox rupto foedere feorfim fibi quifq; privatim.
And
4
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sedt. I.
And again [in a later hand ) Inventionem artis Typo¬ graphic re ad Annum 1453. aut exerciter referunt Sabil- licus En. 1 o. lib. 6. bcMonferus. Alij adAnnum 1460. Vi¬ de Polid. VirgAib. 2. de Invent. Rerum, Theod . Bibland. de Ratione communis linguarum . cap. de Chalcographia .
Harlem other places in Holland, they
pretend to have Books Printed fome what ancienter than this ; but they are moft of them [if not all ) done by way of Carving whole Pages in Wood, not by fngle Letters Cafl in Mettal, to be Compofed and Diftributed as occafon ferves, as is now the manner.
The chief Inventer at Harlem is faid to be Laurens Janfz Kofter.
After thefe two places (Mentz and Harlem) it feems next of all to have been praBifed at Oxford: For by the care , and at the charge of King Henry the 6th , and of Thomas Bourchier then Arch-Bijhop of Canter¬ bury [and Chancellour of the XJniverfty of Oxford) Robert Turner Mafer of the Robe , and William Cax- ton a Merchant of London were for that purpofe fent to Harlem, at the charges partly of the King , partly of the Arch-Bifhop , who then ( becaufe thefe of Harlem were very chary of this fecret^ prevailed privately with one Frederick Corfeles an under-Workman, for a fum of Money, to come over hither ; who thereupon did at Oxford fet up the Art of Printing, before it was exercifed any where elfe in England, or in France, Italy, Venice, Germany, or any other place, except only Mentz and Harlem ( aforementioned ) : And there be fever al Copies yet extant [as one in the Archives of the Univerfty of Oxford, another in the Library of Dr. Tho. Barlow, now Bifhop of Lincoln) of a Treatife
Numb. I.
printing
5
of St. Jerome (as it is there called ( becaufe found a- mong St. Jerom’r Works ) or rather Ruffinus upon the Creed , in a broad Octavo) Printed at Oxford in the year 1468. as appears by the words in the clofe of it.
Explicit expolitio Sancti Jeronimi in fembolo Apo- ftolorum ad papam Laurentium Impreffi Oxonie & finita Anno Domini M CCCC LX VIII. xvij die De- cembris.
Which is but three years later than that of Tullies Offices at Mentz, in 1465. and was perhaps one of the firft Books Printed on Paper ; ( that fl/'Tully being on Vellom. ) And there the excercife of Printing hath continued fuccefively to this day.
Soon after William Caxton ( the fame I fuppofe who firfl brought it to Oxford) promoted it to London al- fo , which Baker in his Chronicle ( and fome others ) fay to have been about the year 1471. but we have fcarce a- ny Copies of Books there Printed remaining (that I have feen ) earlier than the year 1480. And by that time , or foon after , it began to be received in Venice, Italy, Germany, and other places , as appears by Books yet ex¬ tant , Printed at divers places in thofe Times. Thus far Dr. Wallis.
But whoever were the Inventers of this Art , or (as fome Authors will have it) Science ; nay. Science of Sci¬ ences (fay they) certain it is , that in all its Branches it can be deemed little lefs than a Science : And I hope I fay not to much of Typographic : For Dr. Dee, in his Mathematical Preface to Euclids Elements of Geome¬ tric, hath worthily taken pains to make Architecture a Mathematical Science ; and as a vertual Proof of his own Learned Plea , quotes two Authentique Authors , viz.
Vitruvius
6
Mechanick Exercifes .
SeCt. I.
Vitruvius and Leo Baptifla, who both give their de¬ fer iptions and applaufe of Architecture : His Arguments are fomewhat copious, and the Original eafily procurable in the Englifh Tongue ; therefore inf e ad of tranferibing it, I Jhall refer my Reader to the Text it felf
Upon the conf deration of what he has faid in behalf of Architecture, I find that a Typographer ought to be equally qualified with all the Sciences that be¬ comes an Architect, and then I think no doubt re¬ mains that Typographic is not alfo a Mathematical Science.
For my own part , I weighed it well in my thoughts , and find all the accomplifhments , and fome more of an Archi¬ tect neceffary in a Typographer : and though my bufinefs be not Argumentation , yet my Reader , by perufing the following difeourfe , may perhaps fatisfie himfelf, that a Typographer ought to be a man of Sciences .
By a Typographer, I do not mean a Printer, as he is Vulgarly accounted , any more than Dr. Dee means a Car¬ penter or Mafon to be an Architect: But by a Typo¬ grapher, I mean fuch a one , who by his own Judgement , from folid reafoning with himfelf can either perform, or direct others to perform from the beginning to the end, all the Handy-works and Phyfical Operations relating to Typographic.
Such a Scientifick man was doubtlefs he who was the firfl Inventer of Typographic; but I think few have fucceeded him in Science, though the number of Founders and Printers be grown very many. Infomuch that for the more eafie managing of Typographic, the Operators have found it neceffary to devide it into fever al Trades, each of which (in the fir iB eft fence ) ft and no
nearer
Numb. I.
pv toting*
nearer related to Typographic, than Carpentry or Ma- fonry, &c. are to Architecture. The feveral devijions that are made , are.
Fir ft The Mafter Printer, who is as the Soul ^Print¬ ing ; and all the Work-men as members of the Body govern¬ ed by that Soul fubferveient to him ; for the Letter- Cutter would Cut no Letters , the Founder not f nek the Matrices, or Cajl and Drefs the Letters , the Smith and Joyner not make the Prefs and other Utenfils for Printing, the Com- politer not Compofe the Letters , the Corredter not read Proves , the Prefs-man not work the Forms off at the Prefs, or the Inck-maker make I nek to work them with , but by Orders from the Mafter- Printer.
Secondly , The Letter-Cutter, 1 Thirdly , The Letter-Carter, l Founders. Fourthly , The Letter-Dreffer. J But very few F ounders exercife , or indeed can perform all thefe fever al Trades ; though each of thefe are indif¬ ferently called Letter-Founders.
Fifthly , The Compofiter,
Sixthly , The Corredter, l Printers.
Seventhly , The Prefs-man,
Eighthly , The Inck-maker.
Bef des fever al other Trades they take in to their Af- fjlance\ as the Smith, the Joyner, &c.
ADVER-
ADVERTISEMENT.
HE continuation of my fetting forth Mechanick Exerczfes
having been obftrufted by the breaking out of the Plot, which took off the minds of my few Cuftomers from buy¬ ing them, as formerly; And being of late much importun’d by many worthy Perfons to continue them ; I have promi- fed to go on again, upon Condition, That a competent num¬ ber of them may be taken off my hand by Subfcribers, foon after the publication of them in the Gazet , or polling up Titles, or by the Mercurius Librarius , &c.
Therefore fuch Gentlemen or others as are willing to promote the coming forth of thefe Exerczfes , are delired to Subfcribe their Names and place of abode: That fo fuch Perfons as live about this City may have themfent fo foon as they come forth : Quick Sale being the bell encouragement.
Some Gentlemen (to whom they are very acceptable) tell me they will take them when all 'Trades are fin ilh’t, which cannot reasonably be expeded from me (my Years confi- dered) in my life-time; which implies they will be Cufto¬ mers when Pme dead, or perhaps by that time fome of themfelves.
The price of thefe Books will be 2 d. for each Printed Sheet. And *ld . for every Print taken off of Copper Cuts.
There are three reafons why this price cannot be thought dear.
1. The Writing is all new matter, not Colleded, or Tran- flated from any other Authors: and the drafts of the Cuts all drawn from the Tools and Machines ufed in each re- fpeftive Trade.
2. I Print but 500 on each Sheet, And thofe upon good Paper: which makes the charge of Printing dear, propor¬ tionable to great numbers.
3. Some Trades are particularly affeded by fome Cufto¬ mers, (who defire not the reft,) and confequently fooner fold off, which renders the remainder of the un-fold Exerci¬ fes unperfeft, and therefore not acceptable to fuch as defire all: fo that they will remain as wafte-Paper on my hands.
JOSEPH MOXON.
Numb. II.
9
MECHANICK EXERCISES:
Or, the Dodlrine of
anfcptootfts.
Applied to the Art of
Itetntuiff.
§ 2. Of the Office of a Mafter- Printer.
I Shall begin with the Office of a Mafter -Printer , becaufe (as aforefaid) he is the Diredter of all the Work men, he is the Bafe (as the Dutchmen pro¬ perly call him) on which the Workmen ftand, both for providing Materials to Work withal, and fucceffive variety of Diredtions how and in what manner and order to perform that Work.
His Office is therefore to. provide a Houfe, or Room or Rooms in which he is to fet his Printing - Houfe . This expreffion may feem ftrange, but it is Printers Language: For a Printing-Houfe may admit of a twofold meaning; one the Vulgar acceptance,
and
IO
Mechanick Exercifes .
Se£t. II.
and is relative to the Houfe or Place wherein Print¬ ing is ufed ; the other a more peculiar Phrafe Printers ufe among themfelves, viz. only the Printing Tools, which they frequently call a Printing-Houfe : Thus they fay, Such a One has fet up a Printing-Houfe , when as thereby they mean he has furnilh’d a Houfe with Printing Tools. Or fuch a one has remov’d his Printing-Houfe , when thereby they only mean he has remov’d the Tools us’d in his former Houfe. Thefe expreffions have been ufed Time out of mind, and are continued by them to this day.
But to proceed, Having confider’d what number of Prejfes and Cafes he fhall ufe, he makes it his buli- nefs to furnifh himfelf with a Room or Rooms well- lighted, and of convenient capacity for his number of Prejfes and Cafes , allowing for each Prefs about Seven Foot fquare upon the Floor, and for every Frame of Cafes which holds Two pair of Cafes , viz . one pair Romain and one pair Itallica , Five Foot and an half in length (for fo much they contain) and Four Foot and an half in breadth, though they con¬ tain but Two Foot and Nine Inches: But then room will be left to pafs freely between two Frames .
We will fuppofe he refolves to have his Prejfes and Cafes Hand in the fame Room (though in England it is not very cuftomary) He places the Cafes on that lide the Room where they will molt conveniently Hand, fo, as when the Compofter is at work the Light may come in on his Left-hand ; for elfe his Right-hand plying between the Window-light and his Eye might lhadow the Letter he would pick up : And the Prejfes he places fo, as the Light may fall from a Window
right
Numb. II.
^tinting.
I I
right before the Form and Tinpan : And if fcituation will allow it, on the North-fide the Room, that the Prefs-men , when at their hard labour in Summer time, may be the lefs uncommoded with the heat of the Sun : And alfo that they may the better fee by the conftancy of that Light, to keep the whole Heap of an equal Colour.
He is alfo to take care that his Prejfes have a folid and firm Foundation, and an even Horizontal Floor to ftand on, That when the Prejfes are fet up their Feet fhall need no Underlays, which both damage a Prefs , are often apt to work out, and confequently fubjedl it to an unftable and loofe pofition, as fhall further be fhewn when we come to the Setting up of the Prefs.
And as the Foundation ought to be very firm, fo ought alfo the Roof and Sides of the Prefs Room to be, that the Prefs may be faftned with Braces over¬ head and on its Sides, as well and fteddy as under foot.
He is alfo to take care that the Room have a clear, free and pretty lofty Light, not impeded with the fhadow of other Houfes, or with Trees; nor fo low that the Sky-light will not reach into every part of the Room : But yet not too high, left the violence of Winter ( Printers ufing generally but Paper- windows) gain too great advantage of Freefing the Paper and Letter, and fo both Work and Workman ftand ftill. Therefore he ought to Philofophize with himfelf, for the making the height of his Lights to bear a ra¬ tional proportion to the capacity .of the Room.
Here being but two fides of the Room yet ufed,
he
I 2
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sea. II.
he places the Correcting Jione againft a good Light, and as near as he can towards the middle of the Room, that the Compojiters belonging to each end of the Room may enjoy an equal accefs to it. But fome- times there are feveral CorreCiing-ftones plac’d in feve- ral parts of the Room.
The Lye-Trough and Rincing- Trough he places to¬ wards fome corner of the Room, yet fo as they may have a good Light ; and under thefe he caufes a a Sink to be made to convey the Water out of the Room : But if he have other conveniencies for the placing thefe Troughs, he will rather fet them out of the Room to avoid the flabbering they caufe in.
About the middle of the Room he places the De- Jlributing-Frame (viz. the Frame on which the Forms are fet that are to be Lejlributed ) which may ftand light enough, though it ftand at fome confiderable diftance from the Window.
In fome other empty place of the Room (leaft frequented) he caufes fo many N eft -Frames to be made as he thinks convenient to hold the Cafes that may lye out of prefent ufe ; and the Letter-boards with Forms fet by on them, that both the Cafes and the Forms may be the better fecured from running to Pye.
Having thus contrived the feveral Offices of the Room, He furnifhes it with Letter s, Preffes , Cafes , Chafes , Furniture , &c. Of each of which in Order.
1- 2- Of
Numb. II.
printing*
*3
2. Of Letter.
He provides a Fount (properly a Fund ) of Letter of all Bodies; for moft; Printing-Houfes have all except the two firft, viz. Pearl , Nomparel , Brevier , Long- Primmer, Pica , Englijh , Great -Primmer, F)ouble-Pica , Tw o- Lin d- Englijh, Great-Cannon.
Thefe are the Bodies moft of ufe in England ; But the Dutch have feveral other Bodies : which becaufe there is little and almoft no perceivable difference from fome of thefe mentioned, I think they are not worth naming. Yet we have one Body more which is fometimes ufed in England ; that is a Small Pica , but I account it no great difcretion in a M after -Printer to provide it ; becaufe it differs fo little from the Pica , that unlefs the Workmen be carefuller than they fometimes are, it may be mingled with the Pica , and fo the Beauty of both Founts may be fpoifd.
Thefe aforefaid Bodies are commonly Caji with a Romain , Italic a, and fometimes an Englijh Face. He alfo provides fome Bodies with the Mufck , the Greek , the Hebrew , and the Syriack Face : But thefe, or fome of thefe, as he reckons his oppertunities may be to ufe them.
And that the Reader may the better underftand the fizes of thefe feveral Bodies , I fhall give him this Table following; wherein is fet down the number of each Body that is contained in one Foot.
Pearl ,
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sett. II.
14
|
Pearl, |
184 |
|
Nomparel, |
*5° |
|
Brevier , |
I I 2 |
|
Long - Primmer , |
92 |
|
Pica, |
75 |
|
Englifh, |
66 |
|
Great-Primmer, |
5° |
|
Double-Pica, |
38 |
|
Two Lin'd Englijh, |
33 |
|
Great-Cannon . |
>- contained in one Foot.
His care in the choice of thefe Letters are,
Firjl, That the Letter have a true fhape : Which he may know, as by the §. of Letter-Cutting .
I confefs this piece of Judgement, viz. knowing of true Shape, may admit of fome controverfy, be- caufe neither the Ancients whom we received the knowledge of thefe Letters from, nor any other au- thentick Authority have delivered us Rules, either to make or know true fhape by : And therefore it may be objected that every one that makes Letters but tolerably like Romain , Italick , &c . may pretend his to be true fhap’d.
To this I anfwer, that though we can plead no Ancient Authority for the fhape of Letters , yet doubtlefs (if we judge rationally) we mull conclude that the Romain Letters were Originally invented and contrived to be made and confift of Circles, Arches of Circles, and ftraight Lines; and therefore thofe Letters that have thefe Figures, either entire, or elfe properly mixt, fo as the Courfe and Progrefs of the
Pen
Numb. II.
printing
!5
Pen may belt admit, may deferve the name of true Shape, rather than thofe that have not.
Befides, Since the late made Dutch-Letters are fo ge¬ nerally, and indeed mod: defervedly accounted the belt, as for their Shape, conlifting fo exactly of Ma¬ thematical Regular Figures as aforefaid, And for the commodious Fatnefs they have beyond other Let¬ ters , which eafing the Eyes in Reading, renders them more Legible; As alfo the true placing their Fats and their Leans, with the fweet driving them into one another, and indeed all the accomplifhments that can render Letter regular and beautiful, do more vifibly appear in them than in any Letters Cut by any other People: And therefore I think we may account the Rules they were made by, to be the Rules of true fhap’d Letters.
For my own part, I liked their Letters fo well, e- fpecially thofe that were Cut by Chrijtophel Van Dijck of Amfterdam , that I fet my felf to examine the Proportions of all and every the parts and Members of every Letter , and was fo well pleafed with the Harmony and Decorum of their Symetrie, and found fo much Regularity in every part, and fo good reafon for his Order and Method, that I examined the biggeft of his Letters with Glades, which fo magnified the whole Letter , that I could eafily di- ftinguifh, and with fmall Deviders meafure off the fize, fcituation and form of every part, and the pro¬ portion every part bore to the whole; and for my own future fatisfadtion colledted my Obfervations in¬ to a Book, which I have inferted in my Exercifes on Letter-Cutting. For therein I have exhibited to
the
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. II.
1 6
the World the true Shape of Chrijlophel Van Dijcks aforefaid Letters, largely Engraven in Copper Plates.
Whence I conclude, That fince common confent of Book-men affign the Garland to the Dutch-Letters as of late Cut, and that now thofe Letters are redu¬ ced unto a Rule, I think the Objection is Anfwered; And our M after- Printers care in the choice of good and true fhap’d Letters is no difficult Task: For if it be a large Bodied Letter, as Englijh, Great-Primmer and upwards, it will fhew it felf; and if it be fmall, as Pearl, Nomparel, See. though it may be difficult to judge the exadt Symetry with the naked Eye, yet by the help of a Magnify ing-Glafs or two if occafion be, even thofe fmall Letters will appear as large as the biggeft Bodied Letters ffiall to the naked Eye: And then it will be no difficult Task to judge of the Order and Decorum even of the fmalleft Bodied Let¬ ters, For indeed, to my wonder and aftonifhment, I have obferv’d V. Dijcks Pearl Dutch Letters in Glaf- fes that have Magnified them to great Letters, and found the whole Shape bear fuch true proportion to his great Letters, both for the Thicknefs, Shape, Fats and Leans, as if with Compaffes he could have mea- fur’d and fet off in that fmall compafs every particu¬ lar Member, and the true breadth of every Fat and Lean Stroak in each Letter, not to exceed or want (when magnified) of Letter Cut to the Body it was Magnified to.
His fecond care in the choice of Letters is, That they be deep Cut ; for then they will Print clear the longer, and be lefs fubjedt to entertain Picks.
His third care, That they be deep funck in the
Matrices,
Numb. II.
printing
l7
Matrices lea ft the bottom line of a Page Beard. Yet though they be deep funk, His care ought to be to fee the Beard alfo well cut off by the Founder .
And a Fourth Care in the choice of Letter is, That his Letter be Caft upon good Mettal, that it may laft the longer.
Of each Body he provides a Fount fuitable to fuch forts of Work as he defigns to do; But he provides not an equal weight of every Fount ; Be- caufe all thefe Bodies are not in equal ufe: For the Long-Primmer , Pica and Englifh are the Bodies that are generally moft ufed; And therefore he pro¬ vides very large Founts of thefe, viz . of the Long- Primmer in a fmall Printing-Houfe , Five hundred Pounds weight Romain and Italica , whereof One hundred and fifty Pounds may be Italica. Of the Pica and Englifh, Roman and Italica , Eight, Nine hundred, or a Thoufand Pounds weight: when as of other Founts Three or Four hundred Pounds weight is accounted a good Fount : And of the Can¬ non and Great-Cannon , One hundred Pounds or fomewhat lefs may ferve his turn ; Becaufe the com¬ mon ufe of them is to fet Titles with.
Befides Letters he Provides Characters of Aftro- nomical Signs ,Planets,AfpeBs, Algebraical Characters, Phyfical and Chimical Characters, &c. And thefe of feveral of the moft ufed Bodies.
He Provides alfo Flowers to fet over the Head of a Page at the beginning of a Book: But they are now accounted old-fafhion, and therefore much out of ufe. Yet Wooden-Borders , if well Drawn, and neat¬ ly Cut, may be Printed in a Creditable Book, As
alfo. Wooden -
2
1 8
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. II.
Wooden-Letters well Drawn and neatly Cut may be ufed at the beginning of a Dedication , Preface , Section, &c. Yet inftead of Wooden Letters , Capitals Caft in Mettal generally now ferves; becaufe but few or good Cutters in Wood appear.
He alfo provides Brafs Pules of about Sixteen Inches long, that the Compofiter may cut them into fuch Lengths as his Work requires.
In the choice of his Brafs Rules , he examines that they be exactly Letter high ; for if they be much too high, they may cut through Paper , Tinpan and Blan¬ kets too; And if they be but a little too high, not only the Sholder, or Beard, on either lide them will Print black; but they will bear the Plattin off the Letters that ftand near them, fo that thofe Letters will not Print at all : And if they be too low, then the Rules themfelves will not Print.
It fometimes happens through the unskilfulnefs of the Joyner , (for they commonly, but unproperly, im- ploy Joyners to make them) that a Length fhall be hollow in the middle both on the Face and Foot, and fhall run driving higher and higher towards both ends: Hence it comes to pafs, that when the Com- pofter cuts a piece of Rule to his intended Length, the Rule fhall Print hard at one end, and the other fhall not Print at all; So that he fhall be forced to knock up the foot of the low end, as fhall be fhewn in its proper place.
But the careful Mafler-Printer having found that his Brafs Rules is Letter high all the whole Length, will alfo examine whether it be ftraight all the whole Length, which he does by applying both the
Face
J
r Jf T7cf
Numb. II.
printing.
l9
Face and Foot to the furface of the CorreBing-fone ; And if the Face and Foot comply fo clofely with the CorreBing-fone , that light cannot be feen between them, he concludes the Brafs-Rule is ftraight.
Then he examines the Face or Edge of the Rule, whether it have an Edge of an equal breadth all the whole Length, and that the Edge be neither too thick nor too fine for his porpofe.
He fhould alfo take care that the Brafs, before it be cut out, be well and skilfully Planifh’t, nor would that charge be ill beftowd; for it would be faved out of the thicknefs of the Brafs that is commonly ufed: For the Joyners being unskilful in Planifhing, buy Neal’d thick Brafs that the Rule may be ftrong enough, and fo cut it into flips without Hammering, which makes the Rule eafily bow any way and ftand fo, and will never come to fo good and fmooth an Edge as Planifh’ t Brafs will. Befides, Brafs well Plan¬ ifh’t will be ftiffer and ftronger at half the thicknefs than unplanifh’t Brafs will at the whole: As I fhall further fhew when I come to Exercife upon Mathe¬ matical Inftrument-making.
§. 3. Of Cafes.
Next he provides Cafes . A Pair of Cafes is an Upper- Cafe and a Lower Cafe .
The Upper Cafe and the Lower-Cafe are of an equal length, breadth and depth, viz. Two Foot nine Inches long, One Foot four Inches and an half broad, and about an Inch and a quarter deep, befides the bottom Board ; But for fmall Bodied Letters they are made fomewhat fhallower, and for great Bodies deeper.
Long-
20
Mechanick Fxercifes.
Sedt. III.
Long-Primmer and downwards are accounted fmall Bodies; Fnglijh and upwards are accounted great Bodies.
The conveniencies of a fhallow Cafe is, that the Letters in each Box lye more vifible to the laft, as being lefs fhadowed by the fides of the Boxes.
The conveniencies of a deep Cafe is, that it will hold a great many Letters , fo that a Compofter needs not fo often Lefribute . 2dly. It is not fo foon Low , (as Compofter s fay when the Cafe grows towards em¬ pty) and a Low Cafe is unconvenient for a Compofter to work at, partly becaufe the Cafe Handing fhelving downwards towards them, the Letters that are in the Cafe tend towards the hither fide of the Cafe, and are fhadowed by the hither fide of that Box they lye in, fo that they are not fo eafily feen by the Eye, or fo ready to come at with the Fingers, as if they lay in the middle of the Box.
Thefe Cafes are encompafied about with a Frame about Three quarters of an Inch broad, that the ends of the feveral partitions may be let into the fub- ftance of the Frame : But the hithermoft fide of the Frame is about half an Inch higher than the other fides, that when either the Galley or another pair of Cafes are fet upon them, the bottom edge of the Gal¬ ley , or of thofe Cafes may flop againft that higher Frame , and not Aide off.
Both the Upper and the Lower Cafe have a thick Partition about three quarters of an Inch broad, Duff-taird into the middle of the upper and under Rail of the Frame. This Partition is made thus broad, that Grooves may be made on either fide of it to re¬ ceive
Numb. II.
printing.
21
ceive the ends of thofe Partitions that devide the breadth of the Cafe , and alfo to ftrengthen the whole Frame ; for the bottom Board is as well nailed to this thick Partition as to the outer Frame of the Cafe.
But the devifions for the feveral Boxes of the Up¬ per and Lower Cafes are not alike : for each half of the whole length of the Upper-Cafe is devided into feven equal parts, as you may fee in Plate i. at A, and its breadth into feven equal parts, fo that the whole Upper-Cafe is divided into Ninety eight fquare Boxes , whofe fides are all equal to one another.
But the Two halfs of the length of the Lower- Cafe are not thus devided ; for each half of the length of the Lower-Cafe is devided into Eight equal parts, and its breadth into Seven ; but it is not throughout thus devided neither ; for then the Boxes would be all of equal fize : But the Lower-Cafe is devided into four feveral lizes of Boxes , as you may fee in Plate i. B.
The reafon of thefe different lizes of Boxes is, That the biggeft Boxes may be difpofed neareft the Compofters hand, becaufe the Englilh Language, and consequently all Englilh Coppy runs mo ft upon fuch and fuch Sorts ; fo that the Boxes that holds thofe Sorts ought to be mo ft capacious.
His care in the choice of thefe Cafes is, That the Wood they are made of be well-feafoffd Stuff.
That the Partitions be ftrong, and true let into one another, and that the ends fill up and ftand firm in the Grooves of the Frame and middle Bail of the Cafe.
There is an inconvenience that often happens, thefe thin Partitions, efpecially if they be made of unfea- foffd Stuff, viz. as the Stuff dries it Ihrinks in the
Grooves
2*
22
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. III.
Grooves of the Frame , and fo not only grows loofe, but fometimes ftarts out above the top of the Frame . To prevent this inconvenience, I have of late caufed the ends of thefe thin partitions to be made Male- Duf-tails, broadeft on the under fide, and have them fitted into Female-Duf- tails in the Frame of the Cafe , and middle Railbefore the bottom Boards are nailedon.
That the Partitions be full an Fnglijh Body thick.
That the Partitions lye clofe to the bottom of the Cafe , that fo the Letters Aide not through an upper into an under Box , when the Papers of the Boxes may be worn.
§. 4. Of Frames to fet the Cafes on.
Frames are in mo ft Printing-Houfes made of thick Deal-board Battens , having their feveral Rails Tennant- ed into the Stiles : but thefe forts of Frames are, in refpedt of their matter [viz. Fir ) fo weak, and in refpedl of their fubftance [viz. little above an Inch thick) fo flight, that experience teaches us, when they are even new made, they tremble and totter, and having lafted a little while, the thinnefs of their Tennants being a little above a quarter of an Inch thick, according to the Rules of Joynery , as I have fhewn in Numb. 5. §. 1 7. They Craze, their Tennants break, or Mortejfes fplit, and put the Mafer-Printer to a frefh Charge.
It is rationally to be imagined that the Frames fhould be defigned to laft as long as the Printing houfe ; and therefore our Mafer-Printer ought to take care that they be made of matter ftrong enough, and of fub¬ ftance big enough to do the Service they are intended
for;
Numb. II.
punting
23
for ; that they ftand fubftantial and firm in their place, fo as a fmall Joftle againft them fhake them not, which often reiterated weakens the Frame-work , and at that prefent is fubjedt to fhake the Letter in the Galley down.
I fhall not offer to impofe Rules upon any here, efpecially fince I have no Authority from Prefcript or Cuftom ; yet I fhall fet down the Scantlings that I my felf thought fit to ufe on this occafion. A De¬ lineation of the Frames are in Plate 1. at C.
a a a a The Fore-Rails, b b b b The Hind-Rails, c The Top Fore-Rail, d The Bottom-Fore-Rail, e The Top Hind-Rail, f The Bottom Hind-Rail, g g g g The End-Rail, h hhh Crofs-Bearers.
I made the Rails and Stiles of well-feafoned fine Oak, clean, (that is free from Knots and Shakes) the Stiles and Rails two Inches and an half fquare, the Top and Bottom Fore-Rails and the Bottom Hind- Rail four Foot three Inches long, befides their Ten¬ nants ; And the Top Hind Rail five Foot three Inches long. The two Fore-Rails and Bottom Hind-Rail had Iron Female Screws let into them, which, through an hole made in the Stiles, received a Male-Screw with a long fhank, and a Sholder at the end of it to fcrew them tight and firm together, even as the Rails of a Bedjled are fcrewed into the Mortejfes of a Bed-Pojl. Each
24
Mechanick Exercifes .
Se£t. IV.
Each Back Stile was four Foot one Inch and an half high belides their Tennants , and each Fore-Stile three Foot three Inches high, each Fore and Back-Stile had two Rails one Foot feven Inches long, belides their Tennant j-Tennanted and Pin’d into them, becaufe not intended to be taken alfunder.
It mult be conlidered, that the Fore Jliles be of a convenient height for the pitch of an ordinary Man to Hand and work at, which the heighth aforefaid is; And that the Hind Jliles be fo much higher than the Fore-files, that when the Crofs-Bearers are laid upon the upper Fore and Hind-Rail , and the Cafes laid on them, the Cafes may have a convenient declivity from the upper fide the Upper-Cafe , to the lower fide the Lower-Cafe.
The Reafon of this declivity is, becaufe the Cafes Handing thus before the Workman, the farther Boxes of the Upper-Cafe are more ready and eafie to come at, than if they lay flat; they being in this pofition fomewhat nearer the hand, and the Letters in thofe Boxes fomewhat eafier feen.
If the Workman prove taller than Ordinary, he lays another or two pair of Cafes under the Cafes he ufes, to mount them: If the Workman be Ihort, as Lads, &c. He lays a Paper-board (or fometimes two) on the floor by the Fore-fide of the Frame , and Hand¬ ing to work on it, mounts himfelf.
Th ^Bearers are made of S lit- Deal, about two Inches broad, and fo long as to reach from the Fore-Rail through the Upper-Rail, and are let in, fo as to lye even with the fuperficies of the Fore and Hind-Rail, and at fuch a diflance on both the Rails, as you may fee in the Figure. On
Numb. II.
pvtntixx#.
25
On the Superficies of the Fore-Rail , even with its Fore-Edge is nailed a fmall Riglet about half an Inch high, and a quarter and half quarter of an Inch thick, that the Cafes fet on the Frame having the aforefaid declivity, may by it be ftop’t from off.
Aiding
§. 5. Of the Galley.
Our Mafer-Printer is alfo to provide Galleys of dif¬ ferent fizes, That the Compofiter may be fuited with fmall ones when he Compofes fmall Pages , and with great ones for great Pages.
The Galley is marked A in Plate 2.
a b c The Sides or Frame of the Galley.
d The Slice.
Thefe Galleys are commonly made of two flat Wainfcot Boards , each about a quarter and half quar¬ ter of an Inch thick, the uppermoft to Aide in Grooves of the Frame, clofe down to the undermoft, though for fmall Pages a Angle Board with two fides for the Frame may ferve well enough: Thofe Wain¬ fcot Boards are an Oblong Square, having its length longer than its breadth, even as the form of a Page hath. The three Sides of the Frame are fixed faft and fquare down on the upper Plain of the under¬ mofl: Board, to ftand about three fifth parts of the height of the Letter above the fuperficies of the Slice. The Sides of the Frame muft be broad enough to ad¬ mit of a pretty many good ftrong Oaken Pins along
the
26
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sea. V.
the Sides, to be drove hard into the Bottom Board, and almoft quite through the Sides of the Frame, that the Frame may be firmly fixed to it: But by no means muft they be Glewed on to the Bottom Board, becaufe the Compofter may fometimes have occafion to wet the Page in the Galley, and then (the Galley ftanding aflope upon the Cafe) the Water will foak between the fides of the Frame, and under Board, and quickly loofen it.
§. 6. Of the Corredting-ftone.
The Correcting- Stone marked B in Plate 2. is made of Marble , Purbeck, or any other Stone that may be made flat and fmooth : But yet the harder the Stone is the better; wherefore Marble is more preferable than Purbeck . Firft, Becaufe it is a more compaft Stone, having fewer and fmaller Pores in it than Pur¬ beck. And Secondly, becaufe it is harder, and there¬ fore lefs fubjedt to be prick’d with the corners of a Chafe , if through carelefnefs (as it fometimes hap¬ pens) it be pitch’d on the Face of the Stone.
It is neceflary to have it capacious, viz. large e- nough to hold two Chafes and more, that the Compo- fter may fometimes for his convenience, fet fome Pages by on it ready to Impofe , though two Chafes lye on the Stone: Therefore a Stone of about Four Foot and an half long, and Two Foot broad is a conveni¬ ent fize for the generality of Work.
This Stone is to be laid upon a ftrong Oaken- wood Frame, made like the Frame of a common Table, fo high, that the Face of the Stone may lye about three
Foot
Numb. II.
printing
27
Foot and an Inch above the Floor: And under the upper Rail of the Frame may be fitted a Row or two of Draw-Boxes, as at a a a a a a and b b b on each of its longeft Sides to hold Flowers , Brafs-Rules , Braces , Quotations , fmall Scabbords , &c.
§. 7. O/" Letter-Boards, ^^/Paper-Boards.
Letter-Boards are Oblong Squares, about two Foot long, eighteen Inches broad, and an Inch and a quarter thick. They ought to be made of clean and well-feafon’d Stuff, and all of one piece : Their upper- fide is to be Plained very flat and fmooth, and their under-fide is Clamped with pieces about two Inches fquare, and within about four Inches of either end, as well to keep them from Warping, as to bear them off the Ground or any other Flat they ftand on, that the Fingers of the Compojiter may come at the bot¬ tom of the Board to remove it whither he will: They are commonly made of Fir, though not fo thick as I have mentioned, or all of one Piece : Deal- Boards of this breadth may ferve to make them of; but Joyners commonly put Majler- Printers off with ordinary Deal-Boards , which not being broad enough, they joy n two together; for which caufe they fre¬ quently fhrink, fo as the joynt comes aflunder, and the Board becomes ufelefs, unlefs it be to ferve for a Paper-Board afterwards: For fmall and thin Letters will, when the Form is open, drop through, fo as the Compojiter cannot ufe the Board.
I us’d to make them of Sugar -C he ji \ That Stuff be¬ ing commonly well-feafon’d, by the long lying of the
Sugar
28
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedl. VII.
Sugar in it, and is befides a fine hard Wood, and therefore lefs fubjedt to be injured by the end of the Shooting-Stick when a Form is Unlocking.
Paper-Boards are made juft like the Letter-Boards , though feldom fo large, unlefs for great Work: Nor need fuch ftridt care be taken in making them fo ex¬ actly fmooth : their Office being only to fet Heaps of Paper on, and to Prefs the Paper with.
§. 8. O/^Furniture, Quoyns, Scabbord, &c.
By Furniture is meant the Head-flicks, Foot-flicks , Side-flicks , Gutter-flicks , Piglets , Sc abhor ds and Quoyns.
Head flicks and all other Furniture , except Scabbord , are made of dry Wainfcot , that they may not fhrink when the Form ftands by; They are Quadrat high, ftraight, and of an equal thicknefs all the length: They are made of feveral thickneffes for feveral Works, viz. from a Brevier which ferves for fome Quarto s to fix or eight Pica thick, which is many times us’d to Folio s : And many of the Head-flicks may alfo ferve to make Inner Side-flicks of; for the MaflerPrinter provides them of lengths long enough for the Compoflter to cut to convenient Scantlins or Lengths, they being commonly about a Yard long when they come from the Joyners . And Note, that the Head and Side-flicks are called Piglets , if they exceed not an Englifh thick.
Outer Side-flicks and Foot-flicks marked C in Plate 2. are of the fame heighth of the Head-flicks, viz. Quadrat high, and are by the Joyner cut to the given length, and to the breadth of the particular Pages
that
Numb. III.
printing
29
that are to be Impofed : The Side-Jiicks are placed a- gainft the outer fide of the Page, and the Foot-Jlicks againfl: the foot or bottom of the Page : The outer fides of thefe Side and Foot-Jlicks are bevil’d or doped from the further to the hither end.
Gutter-Jlicks marked D in Plate 2. are as the for¬ mer, Quadrat high, and are ufed to fet between Pa¬ ges on either fide the CroJJes , as in Odlavo s, Twelves, Sixteens, and Forms upwards; They are made of an equal thicknefs their whole length, like Head- Jlicks ; but they have a Groove, or Gutter laid on the upper fide of them, as well that the Water may drain away when the Form is Wafhed or Rinced, as that they fhould not Print, when through the ten- dernefs of the T inpan, the Plat tin preffes it and the Paper lower than ordinary.
Scabbord is that fort of Scale commonly fold by fome Iron-mongers in Bundles; And of which, the Scahbords for Swords are made : The Compojiter cuts it Quadrat high, and to his Length.
The Majler-Printer is to provide both Thick and Thin Scabbord, that the Compojiter may ufe either when different Bodied Letter happens in a Page, to juftifie the Page to a true length ; And alfo that the Prefs- man may chufe Thick or Thin to make truer Regijler, as fhall be fhewed in proper place.
Quoyns are alfo Quadrat high, and have one of their fides Bevil’ d away to comply with the Bevil of the Side and Foot-Jlicks; they are of different Lengths, and different Breadths: The great Quoyns about three Inches fquare, except the Bevil on one fide as aforefaid ; and thefe fizes deminifh downwards
to
3°
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sec a. IX.
to an Inch and an half in length, and half an Inch in breadth.
Of thefe §>uoyns our M after -Printer provides feve- ral hundreds, and fhould provide them of at the lead: ten different Breadths between the aforefaid fizes, that the Compofter may chufe fuch as will bed fit the Chafe and Furniture .
The Office of thefe §>uoyns are to Lock up the Form , viz. to wedge it up (by force of a Mallet and Shooting-fick ) fo clofe together, both on the fides and between Head and Foot of the Page , that every Letter bearing hard againd every next Letter , the whole Form may Rife ; as fhall be fhewed here¬ after.
Their farther Office is to make Regifler at the Prefs .
§. 9. ^[. i. Of the Mallet, Shooting- ftick and Dreffing-Block, Compolmg-fticks, Bodkin, and Chafe. &fc.
Printers Mallets have a Cilindrick Head, and a round Handle; The Headfomewhat bigger, and the Handle fomewhat longer than thofe Joyners com¬ monly ufe; Yet neither fhape or fize different for any reafon to be given: But only a Cudom always ufed to have them fo. The Head is commonly made of Beech .
Numb. III.
printing
31
^[. 2. 0/* />$£ Shooting-ftick.
The Shooting-Jlick muft be made of Box , which Wood being very hard, and withal tough, will beft and longed: endure the knocking againft the §>uoyns . Its fhape is a perfedl Wedge about fix Inches long, and its thicker end two Inches broad, and an Inch and an half thick; and its thin end about an Inch and an half broad, and half an Inch thick.
^[. 3. Of the Dreffing-Block.
The DreJJing-Block fhould be made of Pear-tree , Becaufe it is a foft wood, and therefore lefs fubjedt to injure the Face of the Letter ; it is commonly a- bout three Inches fquare, and an Inch high. Its Of¬ fice is to run over the Face of the Form , and whilft it is thus running over, to be gently knock’ t upon with the Head of the Shooting Jiick , that fuch Letters as may chance to Hand up higher than the reft may be prefled down.
Our Majier-Printer muft alfo provide a pair of Sheers , fuch as Taylors ufe, for the cutting of Brafs- Rules , Scabbords , &c.
A large Spunge or two, or more, he muft alfo provide, one for the Compojiters ufe, and for every Prefs one.
Pretty fine Packthread to tye up Pages with ; But this is often chofen (or at leaft diredted) by the Com- pojiter , either finer or courfer, according to the great or fmall Letter he works upon.
f • 4- Of
32
Mechanick Exercifes.
Seft. IX.
^[. 4. 0/* the Compofmg-ftick.
Though every Compojiter by Cuftom is to provide himfelf a Compofng-ftick , yet our M after- Printer ought to furnifh his Houfe with thefe Tools alfo, and fuch a number of them as is fuitable to the lize of his Houfe ; Becaufe we will fuppofe our M after -Printer intends to keep fome Apprentices, and they, unlefs by contract or courtefie, are not ufed to provide themfelves Compo - Jing-fticks : And befides, when feveral Compofters work upon the fame Book, their Meafures are all fet alike, and their Titles by reafon of Notes or Quotations broader than their common Meafure, So that a Com- pofng-ftick is kept on purpofe for the Titles , which muft therefore be common to all the Compojiter s that work upon that Work; And no one of them is obli¬ ged to provide a Compofng-Jiick in common for them all : Therefore it becomes our Majler-Printers task to provide them.
It is delineated in Plate 2. at E.
a The Head. . b b The Bottom . c c The Back .
d The lower Sliding- Me afure, or Cheek . e The upper Sliding- Meafure, or Cheek, f f The Male-Screw, g The Female-Screw.
Thefe C ompojing-jiicks are made of Iron Plate a - bout the thicknefs of a thin Scabbord , and about ten
Inches
Numb. III.
printing.
33
Inches long doubled up fquare; fo as the Bottom may be half an Inch and half a quarter broad, and the Back about an whole Inch broad. On the further end of this Iron Plate thus doubled up, as at a is Soldered on an Iron Head about a Long- Primmer thick; But hath all its outer edges Balird and Fil’d away into a Molding: This Iron Head mull; be fo let into the Plate, and Soldered on to it, that it may Hand truly fquare with the bottom, and alfo truly fquare with the Back, which may be known by applying the outer lides of a fquare to the Back and Bottom; as I Ihewed, Numb. 3. Fol. 38, 39. About two Inches from the Head, in the Bottom, is begun a row of round holes about an Inch alfunder, to receive the lhank of the Male-Screw that fcrews the Sliding Meafures fall down to the Bottom ; fo that the Sliding- Meafures may be fet nearer or further from the Head, as the Meafure of a Page may re¬ quire.
The lower Sliding- Meafure marked d is an Iron Plate a thick Scabbord thick, and of the Breadth of the inlide of the Bottom; It is about four Inches long, and in its middle hath a Groove through it within half an Inch of the Fore-end, and three quar¬ ters of an Inch of the hinder end. This Groove is fo wide all the way, that it may receive the Shank of the Screw. On the F ore-end of this Plate Hands fquare up¬ right another Iron Head about a Brevier thick, and reaches fo high as the top of the Back.
The upper Sliding-Meafure is made juft like the lower, only it is about three quarters of an Inch Ihorter.
3
Between
34
Mechanick Fxercifes.
Sea. IX.
Between thefe two Sliding- Meafures, Marginal Notes are Compofed to any Width.
Compojiters commonly examine the Truth of their Stick by applying the head of the Sliding-Meafure to the infide of the Head of the Stick ; and if they comply, they think they are fquare and true made : But this Rule only holds when the Head it felf is fquare. But if it be not, Jtis eafy to file the Sliding- Me afures to com¬ ply with them: Therefore, as aforefaid, the fquare is the only way to examine them by.
^[. 5. Of the Bodkin.
The Bodkin is delineated in Plate 2. at F Its Blade is made of Steel, and well tempered, its fhape is round, and ftands about two Inches without the Shank of the Handle . The Handle is turned of foft wood as Alder , Maple, &c. that when Compojiters knock the Head of the Bodkin upon the Face of a Single Letter when it ftands too high, it may not batter the Face.
5f. 6. Of Chafes, marked G on the Corredt- ing-Stone, Plate 2.
A Chafe is an Iron Frame about two and twenty Inches long, eighteen Inches broad, and half Inch half quarter thick ; and the breadth of Iron on every fide is three quarters of an Inch : But an whole Inch is much better, becaufe ftronger. All its fides muft ftand exadtly fquare to each other; And when it is laid on the Correcting- Stone it muft lye exadlly flat,
viz .
Numb. III.
punting.
35
viz. equally bearing on all its tides and Angles : The outfide and infide mu ft be Filed ftraight and tinooth. It hath two Crojfes belonging to it, viz. A Short-Crofs marked a a and a Long-Crofs marked b b: Thefe two Crojfes have on each end a Male Duftail Filed Bevil away from the under to the upper fide of the Crofs , fo that the under fide of the Duftail is narrow¬ er than the upper fide of the Duftail. Thefe Male- Duftails are fitted into Female-Duftails, Filed in the infide of the Chafe , which are alfo wider on the up¬ per fide of the Chafe than on the under fide ; becaufe the upper fide of the Crofs fhould not fall through the lower fide. Thefe Crojfes are called the Short and the Long Crofs.
The Short-Crofs is Duftail’d in as aforefaid, juft in the middle of the Chafe as at c c , and the Long-Crofs in the middle of the other fides the Chafe , as at d d. The Short-Crofs is alfo Duftail’ d into F emale-Duftails, made as aforefaid, about three Inches and an half from the middle, as at e e: So that the Short Crofs may be put into either of the Female-Duftails as occafion ferves. The middle of thefe two Crojfes are Filed or notched half way through, one on its upper, the other on its under fide to let into one another, viz. the Short-Crofs is Filed from the upper towards the under fide half way, and the Long-Crofs is Filed from the lower towards the upper-fide half way: The Crojfes are alfo thus let into each other, where they meet at f when the Short-Crofs is laid into the other Female-Duftails fitted to it at e e.
In the middle, between the two edges of the up¬ per fide of the Short-Crofs , is made two Grooves pa¬ rallel
36
Mechanick Exercifes.
Se6t. IX.
rallel to the hdes of the Crofs , beginning at about two Inches from each end, and ending at about fe- ven Inches from each end: It is made about half an Inch deep all the way, and about a quarter of an Inch broad, that the Points may fall into them. The Short-Crofs is about three quarters of an Inch thick, and the Long Crofs about half that thicknefs. All their fides mu ft be Fil'd ftraight and fmooth, and they muft be all the way of an equal thicknefs.
Hitherto our Mafer-Printerh^thprovided Materials and Implements only for the Compofiters ufe; But he muft provide Machines and Tools for the Prefs- mans to ufe too: which (becaufe I am loath to dis¬ courage my Cuftomers with a fwelling price at the firft reviving of thefe Papers) I Shall (though againft my intereft) leave for the fubjedt of the next fuc- ceeding Exercifes.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE firft Volumne of Mechanick Exercifes, Treating of the Smiths, the Joyners, the Car¬ penters, and the Turners Trades , containing 3 fleets , and 1 8 Copper Cuts , are to he had by the Author. Jofeph Moxon. Price 9 s. 3 d. in Quires.
THe firft Volumne of the Monthly Collection of Letters for Improvement of Husbandry and Trade , containing Twenty four Sheets with an Index , is now finifhed , and the fecond is carrying on:
By John Haughton, Fellow of the Royal Society.
Numb. IV.
37
MECHANICK EXERCISES:
Or, the Do&rine of
auuy'umfts.
Applied to the Art of
Minting;.
§. io. Of the Prefs.
THere are two forts of Prejfes in ufe, viz.
the old fafhion and the new fafhion ; The old fafhion is generally ufed here in England ; but I think for no other reafon, than becaufe many Prefs-men have fcarce Reafon enough to diftinguiih between an excellently improved Invention, and a make-fhift flovenly contrivance, practiced in the minority of this Art.
The New-fafhion’d Prejfes are ufed generally throughout all the Low-Countries ; yet becaufe the
Old-
38
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. x.
Old-fafhion’d Prejfes are ufed here in England (and for no other Reafon) I have in Plate 3. given you a delineation of them; But though I give you a draft of them ; yet the demenfions of every particular Mem¬ ber I fhall omit, referring thofe that think it worth their while, to the Joyners and Smiths that work to Printers : But I fhall give a full defcription of the New-fafhion’d Prefs , becaufe it is not well known here in England ; and if poffible, I would for Pub- lick benefit introduce it.
But before I proceed, I think it not amifs to let you know who was the Inventer of this New-fa¬ fhion’d Prefs , accounting my felf fo much oblig’d to his Ingeniety for the curiofity of this contrivance, that fhould I pafs by this oppertunity without name- ing him, I fhould be injurious to his Memory.
It was Willem Janfen Blaew of Amfterdam : a Man as well famous for good and great Printing , as for his many Aftronomical and Geographical exhibitions to the World. In his Youth he was bred up to Joynery , and having learn’d his Trade, betook himfelf (ac¬ cording to the mode of Holland ) to Travel, and his fortune leading him to Denmark , when the noble Ty¬ cho Brahe was about fetting up his Aftronomical Ob- fervatory , was entertain’d into his fervice for the making his Mathematical-Inftruments to Obferve withal ; in which Inftrument-making he fliew’d him¬ felf fo intelligent and curious, that according to the general report of many of his perfonal acquaintance, all or moft of the Syderal Obfervations fet forth in Tycho s name, he was intrufted to make, as well as the Inftruments.
And
printing.
39
\
Numb. IV.
And before thefe Obfervations were publifh’d to the World, Tycho , to gratify Blaew , gave him the Copies of them, with which he came away to Am- Jlerdam^wA, betook himfelf to the making of Globes , ac¬ cording to thofe Obfervations. But as his Trade in- creafed, he found it necefiary to deal in Geographical Maps and Books alfo, and grew fo curious in Engra¬ ving, that many of his belt Globes and Maps were En¬ graved by his own Hands ; and by his converfation in Printing of Books at other Printing-houfes, got fuch in-light in this Art, that he fet up a Printing-houfe of his own. And now finding inconveniencies in the obfolete Invention of the Prefs, He contrived a re¬ medy to every inconvenience, and fabricated nine of thefe New-falhioned Prejfes, fet them all on a row in his Printing-houfe, and call’d each Prefs by the name of one of the Mufes,
This fhort Hiftory of this excellent Man is, I confefs forraign to my Title; But I hope my Reader will excufe the digreffion, confidering it tends only to the commemoration of a Perfon that hath defer- ved well of Pofterity, and whofe worth without this fmall Monument, might elfe perhaps have Hid into Oblivion.
The Prefs is a Machine confifting of many Mem¬ bers; it is delineated in Plate 4. a a The Feet, b b The Cheeks, c The Cap, d The Winter, e The Head, f The Till,
g g The
40
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. X.
g g The Hofe . In the Crofs-Iron of which, en- compaffing the Spindle, is the Garter.
hhhh The Hooks on the Hofe the Plattin hangs on. i k l m n The Spindle.
i Part of the Worm below the Head \ whofe up¬ per part lies in the Nut in the Head, k l The Eye of the Spindle, m The Shank of the Spindle, n The Toe of the Spindle.
oooo The Plattin tyed on the Hooks of the Hofe. p The Bar.
q The Handle of the Bar. r r The Hind-Pofts. s s The Hind-Rails, t t The Wedges of the Till.
u u The Mortefes of the Cheeks , in which the Ten¬ nants of the Head plays. x x x x y y The Carriage, x x x x The outer Frame of the Carriage, y y The Wooden-Ribs on which the Iron-Ribs are faftned.
2; The Stay of the Carriage , or the Stay.
1. The Cofin.
2. The Gutter.
3. The Planck.
4. The Gallows.
5. The T inpans.
6. The Frisket.
7. The Points.
8. The Point-Screws .
All thefe feveral Members, by their Matter, Form and Polition, do particularly contribute fuch an af-
fiftance
Numb. IV.
printing.
41
fiftance to the whole Machine, that it becomes an Engine managable and proper for its intended purpofe.
But becaufe the fmallnefs of this altogether-Draft may obfcure the plain appearance of many of thefe Parts; Therefore I fhall give you a more particular defcription, and large delineation of every Member in the Prefs : And firft of the Wooden work: Where, Note , that all the Fram’d Wooden-work of a Prefs is made of Good, Fine, Clean, Well-feafon’d Oak.
^[. i. Of the Feet.
The Feet (marked a a in Plate 5.) are two Foot nine Inches and an half long, five Inches deep ; and fix Inches broad, and have their out-fides Tryed to a true fquare, as was taught, Numb. 5. §. 15. It hath (for ornament fake) its two ends bevil’d away in a Mold¬ ing, from its upper-fide to its lower, about four Inch¬ es within the ends ; about four Inches and three quar¬ ters within each end of each Foot is made in the middle of the Breadth of the upper-fide of the Foot a Mortefs two Inches wide, to receive the Tennants of the lower-end of the Cheek , and the Tennant of the lower end of the Hind-Pof : The Mortefs for the Cheek is eight Inches long, viz. the Breadth of the Cheek : And the Mortefs for the Hind-Pofi: is four Inches long, viz. the fquare of the Hind-Pof.
^[. 2. Of the Cheeks.
The Cheeks (marked b b in Plate 5) are five Foot and ten Inches long (befides the Tennants of the top
and
42
Mechanick Exercifes.
Seft. X.
and bottom) eight Inches broad, and four Inches and an half thick. All its Sides are tryed fquare to one a- nother. It hath a Tennant at either end, its lower Tennant marked a to enter the Fore-end of the Foot, runs through the middle of the Breadth of the Cheek , which therefore is made to fit the Mortefs in the Foot, and is about four Inches long, and therefore reaches within an Inch of the bottom of the Foot; But the Tennant at the upper end of the Cheek marked a, is cut a-thwart the breadth of the Cheek , and therefore can have but four Inches and an half of Breadth, and its thicknefs is two Inches, Its length is four Inches; fo that it reaches into the Mortefs in the Cap , within half an Inch of the Top.
In the lower-end-Tennant is two holes bored, with¬ in an Inch and an half of either fide, and within an Inch and an half of the Sholder, with a three quarter Inch Augure , to be pin’d into the Feet with an Iron Pin.
In the middle of the upper Tennant , and within an Inch and an half of the Sholder, is bored another hole, to Pin the Tennant into the Cap , alfo with an I- ron Pin.
Between b c two Foot and half an Inch, and three Foot feven Inches of the Bottom Sholder of the Tennant, viz. from the top of the Winter to the un¬ der Sholder the TZZ/refts upon, is cut flat away into the thicknefs of the Cheek, three Inches in the Infide of the Cheek ; fo that in that place the Cheek remains but an Inch and an half thick : And the Cheeks are thus widened in this place, as well becaufe the Duftail Ten¬ nants of the Winter may go in between them, as al¬ fo
Numb. IV.
printing
43
fo that the Carriage and Coffin may be made the wider.
Even with the lower Sholder of this flat cutting- in, is made a Duftail Mortefs as at d \ to reach eight Inches and an half, viz. the depth of the Winter be¬ low the faid Sholder. This Mortefs is three Inches wide on the infide the Cheek , and three Inches deep ; But towards the infide the Cheek , the Mortefs widens in a ftraight line from the faid three Inches to five Inches, and fo becomes a Duftail Mortefs. Into this Duftail Mortefs is fitted a Duftail Tennant , made at each end of the Winter .
Two Inches above the aforefaid Cutting-in, is ano¬ ther cutting-in of the fame depth, from the Infide the Cheek as at e. This cutting-in is but one Inch broad at the farther fide the Cheek , and an Inch and a quarter on the hither fide the Cheek. The under fide of this Cutting-in, is ftraight through the Cheek , viz. Square to the fides of the Cheek: But the upper fide of this Cutting-in, is not fquare through the Cheeks , But (as aforefaid) is one quarter of an Inch higher on the fore-fide the Cheek than it is on the further fide; So that a Wedge of an Inch at one end, and an Inch and a quarter at the other end may fill this Cutting-in.
At an Inch within either fide the Cheek , and an Inch below this Cutting-in, as at f f is made a fmall Mortefs an Inch and an half wide, to which two Ten¬ nants muft be fitted at the ends of the Till , fo that the Tennants of the Till being Aid in through the Cutting-in aforefaid, may fall into thefe Mortefles, and a Wedge being made fit to the Cutting-in, may prefs upon the Tennants of the Till , and force it down to keep it fteddy in its place. Here
44
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. X.
Here we fee remains a fquare Sholder or fubftance of Wood between two Cuttings-in; But the under corner of this fquare Sholder is for Ornament-fake Bevil’d away and wrought into an Ogee.
At two Inches above the laft Cutting-in, is ano¬ ther Cutting-in, but this Cutting-in goes not quite through the breadth of the Cheek , but flops at an Inch and an half within the further fide the Cheek ; So that above the Till and its Wedge is another Shold¬ er or fubftance of Wood, whofe upper Corner is alfo Bevil’d away, and wrought to a Molding as the for¬ mer.
The laft Cutting-in is marked g, and is eight Inch¬ es and a quarter above the Sholder of the Till , that it may eafily contain the depth of the Head', The fubftance remaining is marked h. This Cutting-in is made as deep into the thicknefs of the Cheek as the former Cuttings-in are, viz . three Inches ; and the reafon the Cheek is cut-in here, is, that the Cheeks may be wide enough in this place to receive the Head, and its Tennants , without un-doing the Cap and Win¬ ter.
Juft above this Cutting-in is made a fquare Mor- tefs in the middle of the Cheek , as at i, it is eight Inch¬ es long, and two Inches and an half wide, for the Tennant of the Head to play in.
Upon the fore-fide of the Cheek is (for Ornament fake) laid a Molding through the whole length of the Cheek (a fquare at the Top and Bottom an Inch deep excepted) it is laid on the outer fide, and there¬ fore can be but an Inch broad; Becaufe the Cuttings- in on the infide leaves the fubftance of Stuff but an
Inch
Numb. IV.
pvintxn^
45
Inch and an half thick, and flhould the Moldings be made broader, it would be interrupted in the feve- ral Cuttings in, or elfe a fquare of a quarter of an Inch on either fide the Molding could not be allow¬ ed, which would be ungraceful.
^[. 3. Of the Cap marked c in Plate 5.
The Cap is three F oot and one Inch long, four Inch¬ es and an half deep, and nine Inches and an half broad ; But its fore-fide is cut away underneath to eight Inch¬ es, Viz. the breadth of the Cheeks. Three quarters of an Inch above the bottom of the Cap , is a fmall Facia , which ftands even with the thicknefs of the Cheeks ; Half an Inch above that a Bead-Molding, projecting half an Inch over the Facia. Two Inch¬ es above that a broad Facia , alfo even with the thick¬ nefs of the Cheeks ; and an Inch and a quarter above that is the upper Molding made projecting an Inch and an half over the two Facia' s aforefaid, and the thicknefs of the Cheeks .
Each end of the Cap projects three Inches quarter and half quarter over the Cheeks , partly for Orna¬ ment, but more efpecially that fubftance may be left on either end beyond the Mortefles in the Cap ; and thefe two ends have the fame Molding laid on them that the fore-fide of the Cap hath.
Within two Inches and half quarter of either end, on the under-fide the Cap is made a fquare Mortefs two Inches wide, and four Inches and an half long, viz. the thicknefs of the Cheek inwards, as at a ay to receive the Top Pennants of the Cheeks ; which Top
Pennants
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. X.
46
Tennants are with an Iron Pin (made tapering of about three quarters of an Inch thick) pin’d into the Mor- tefs of the Cap , to keep the Cheeks fteddy in their po- fition.
5f. 4. Of the Winter marked d in Plate 5.
The Length of the Winter befides the Tennants , is one Foot nine Inches and one quarter of an Inch; The Breadth of the Winter eight Inches, viz. the Breadth of the Cheek , and its depth nine Inches ; all its fides are tryed fquare ; But its two ends hath each a D uftail- T ennant made through the whole depth of the Winter , to fit and fall into the Duftail Mortef- fes made in the Cheeks : Thefe Duftail- Tennants are in¬ tended to do the Office of a Summer , Becaufe the fpreading of the ends of thefe two Tennants into the fpreading of the Mortefies in the Cheeks , keeps the two Cheeks in a due diftance, and hinders them from flying afliinder.
But yet I think it very convenient to have a Sum¬ mer alfo, the more firmly and furer to keep the Cheeks together; This Summer is only a Rail Tennanted , and let into Mortefies made in the infide of the Cheeks , and Screwed to them as the Rails defcribed, Numb. 15. §. 4. are Screwed into the Stiles of the Cafe- Frame ; Its depth four Inches and an half, and its breadth eight Inches, viz , the breadth of the Cheeks.
f- 5- Of
Numb. IV.
printing.
47
^[. 5. Of the Head marked e in Plate 5.
The length of the Head befides the Tennant at either end, is one Foot nine Inches and one quarter of an Inch; The breadth eight Inches and an half, and its depth eight Inches. The Top, Bottom and Hind-fides are tryed Square, but the forefide projects half an Inch over the Range of the fore-fides of the Cheeks ; in which Projedture is cut a Table with a hollow Molding about it, two Inches diftant from all the fides of the fore-fide of the Head : Its Tennants are three Inches Broad, and are cut down at either end, from the top to the bottom of the Head , and made fit to the Mortefles in the Cheeks , that they may Aide tight, and yet play in them.
In the under-fide of the Head is cut a fquare Hole, (as at ad) about four Inches fquare, and three Inches and an half deep, into which the Brafs-Nut is to be fitted : And to keep this Nut in its place (left the weight of it fhould make it fall out) is made on either fide the fquare hole, at about half an Inch diftance from it, (as at h h) a fquare Hole quite through the Top and Bottom of the Head about three quarters of an Inch wide ; and into this fquare Hole is fitted a fquare piece of Iron to reach quite through the Head , having at its under¬ end a Hook turned fquare to clafpe upon the under- fide of the Nut; and on its upper-end a Male-Screw reaching about an Inch above the upper-fide of the Head, which by the help of a Female-fcrew made in an Iron Nut, with Ears to it to turn it about draws the Clafp at the bottom of the Iron Shank
clofe
4*
48
Mechanick Exercifes.
S eft. X.
clofe againfl the Nut, and fo keeps it from falling out.
In the middle of the wide fquare Hole that the Nut is let into, is bored a round Hole through the top of the Head ', of about three quarters of an Inch wide, for the Prefs-man to pour Oyl in at fo oft as the Nut and Spindle fhall want Oyling.
At three Inches from either end of the Head (as at c c) is bored a Hole quite through the top and bot¬ tom of the Head, which holes have their under ends fquar’d about two Inches upwards, and thefe fquares are made fo wide as to receive a fquare Bar of Iron three quarters of an Inch fquare ; But the other part of thefe Holes remain round: Into thefe Holes two Irons are fitted called the Screws.
The Shanks of thefe Screws are made fo long as to reach through the Head and through the Cap : At the upper-end of thefe Shanks is made Male-fcrews, and to thefe Male-fcrews, Iron Female-fcrews are fit¬ ted with two Ears to twill them the eafier about.
So much of thefe Iron Shanks as are to lye in the fquare Hole of the Head aforefaid, are alfo fquared to fit thofe fquare Holes, that when they are fitted and put into the Holes in the Head; they may not twifl about.
To the lower-ends of thefe Iron-Shanks are made two Square, Flat Heads, which are let into and buried in the under-fide of the Head; And upon the Sholders of thofe two Flat Heads, refts the weight of the Head of the Prefs; And by the Screws at the Upper-end of the Shanks are hung upon the upper-fide of the Cap , and Screwed up or let down as occafion requires.
If. 6. Of
Numb. IV.
printing.
49
f. 6. Of the Till, marked f in Plate 5.
The Till is a Board about one Inch thick, and is as the Head and Winter, one Foot nine Inches and a quar¬ ter long, befides the Tennants at either end ; Its Breadth is the Breadth of the Cheeks , viz. eight Inches; It hath two Tennants at either end as at a a a a, each of them about an Inch and an half long, and an Inch and an half broad, and are made at an Inch diftance from the fore and Back-fide, fo that a fpace of two Inches is contained in the middle of the ends between the two Tennants ; thefe Tennants are to be laid in the Mortefles in the Cheeks delineated at f f in Plate 5. and defcribed in this §. 10. ^|. 2.
In its middle it hath a round Hole about two Inches and an half wide, as at b , for the Shank of the Spin¬ dle to pafs through.
At feven Inches and a quarter from either end, and in the middle between the Fore and Back-lide, is made two fquare Holes through the Till , as at c c , for the Iron Hofe to pafs through.
^f. 7. Of the Hind-Pofts marked a a in
Plate 6.
At one Foot diftance from the Hind-fides of the Cheeks are placed upright two Hind-Pojls , they are three Foot and four Inches long befides the Tennants , which Tennants are to be placed in the Mortefies in the hinder ends of the Feet ; Their thicknefs is four Inches on every fide, and every fide is tryed fquare;
But
5°
Mechanick Exercifes .
Seft. X.
But within eight Inches of the top is turned a round Ball with a Button on it, and a Neck under it, and under that Neck a ftraight Plinth or Bafe : This turn’d work on the top is only for Ornament fake.
There are fix Rails fitted into thefe Hind-Pojls , two behind marked a b , one of them ftanding with its upper fide at two Inches below the turned Work, the other having its upper-fide lying level with the up¬ per-fide of the Winter .
Thefe two Rails are each of them Tennanted at either end, and are made fo long, that the out-fides of the Hind-Pojls may ftand Range or even with the outer-fides of the Cheeks ; Thefe Tennants at either end are let into Mortefles made in the in-fides of the Hind-Pojls , and Pin’d up with half Inch wooden Pins, Glewedin,as wasfhewnVol. i. Numb. 5. §. 17. Becaufe the two Hind-Pojls need not be feparated for any alte¬ ration of the Prefs .
The two Side-Rails on either fide the Prefs are Tennanted at each end, and let into Mortefles made in the Cheeks and Hind-Pofis , fo as they may ftand Range with the outer-fides of the Cheeks and Hind- Pofs; But the Tennants that enter the Mortefles in the Cheeks are not pin’d in with Wooden Pins, and Glewed, becaufe they may be taken afliinder if need be; But are Pin’d in with Iron Pins, made a little ta¬ pering towards the entring end, fo as they may be driven back when occafion ferves to alter the Prefs : And the Tennants that enter the Mortefles in the Hind- Pojls are faftned in by a Female-fcrew, let in near the end of the Rail, which receives a Male-fcrew thruft through the Hind- P of s, even as I fhew’d in
§• 4-
Numb. iv. printing. 51
§. 4. the Fore and Back-Rails of the Cafe-Frames was.
^[. 8. Of the Ribs marked b in Plate 6.
The Ribs lye within a Frame of four Foot five Inches long, one Foot eleven Inches broad; its two End-Rails one Inch and an half thick, its Side-Rails two Inches and an half thick ; and the breadth of the Side and End-Rails two Inches and an half. But the Side-Rails are cut away in the in-fide an Inch and an half towards the outer fides of the Rails , and an Inch deep towards the Bottom fides of the Rails, fo that a fquare Cheek on either Side-Rail remains. This cutting down of the Outer-Rails of the Frame is made, becaufe the Planck of the Carriage being but one Foot eight Inches and an half broad, may eafily Aide, and yet be gaged between thefe Cheeks of the Rail, that the Cramp-Irons Nailed under the Carriage Planck joggle not on either fide off the Ribs, as fhall more fully be (hewn in the next §.
Between the two Side-Rails are framed into the two End-Rails the two Wooden-Ribs two Inches and an half broad, and an Inch and an half thick ; they are placed each at an equal diftance from each Side-Rail, and alfo at the fame diftance between themfelves. Up¬ on thefe two Ribs are faft Nailed down the Iron-Ribs , of which more shall be faid when I come to fpeak of the Iron-work.
IT- 9- Of
52
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. X.
^[. 9. Of the Carriage, Coffin and its Planck, marked a in Plate 7.
The Planck of the Carriage is an Elm-Planck an Inch and an half thick, four Foot long, and one Foot eight Inches and three quarters broad; upon this Planck at its fore-end is firmly Nailed down a fquare Frame two Foot four Inches long, one Foot ten Inches broad, and the thicknefs of its Sides two Inch¬ es and an half fquare; This Frame is called the Coffin , and in it the Stone is Bedded.
Upon each of the four Corners of this Coffin is let in and faftned down a fquare Iron Plate as at a a a a, with Return Sides about fix Inches long each fide, half a quarter of an Inch thick, and two Inches and a quarter broad; upon the upper outer-fides of each of thefe Plates is faftned down to them with two or three Rivets through each fide, another ftrong Iron half an Inch deep, and whofe outer Angles only are fquare, but the Inner Angles are obtufe, as being floped away from the Inner- Angle towards the far¬ ther-end of each inner-fide, fo as the Quoins may do the Office of a Wedge between each inner-fide and the Chafe.
The Plates of thefe Corners (as I faid) are let in on the outer- Angles of the upper-fide of the Frame of the Coffin , fo as the upper-fides of the Plates lye even with it, and are Nailed down, or indeed ra¬ ther Rivetted down through the bottom and top- fides of the Frame of the Coffin , becaufe then the up¬ per-fides of the Holes in the Iron Plates being fquare
Bored
Numb. V.
printing*
53
Bored (that is, made wider on the upper fide of the Plate, as I fhall fhew when I come to the making of Mathematical Injlruments ) the ends of the Shanks of the Iron Pins may be fo battered into the Square¬ boring, that the whole Superficies of the Plate when thus Rivetted fhall be fmooth, which elfe with the exturberancies of Nail-heads would hinder the free Hiding of the Quoins.
At the hinder end of the Frame of the Coffin are faftned either with ftrong Nails, Rivets, or rather Screws, two Iron Half-Joynts , as at b b , which ha¬ ving an Iron Pin of almoft half an Inch over put through them, and two Match-half-Joynts faftned on the Frame of the Fympan , thefe two Match-half-pfoynts moving upon the Iron Pin aforefaid, as on an Axis , keeps the F inpan fo truly gaged, that it always falls down upon the Form in the place, and fo keeps Re - gijier good, as fhall further be fhewed in proper place.
Behind the Coffin is Nailed on to its outfide, a Quarter, as at c c this Quarter is about three Inches longer than the breadth of the Coffin , it hath all its fides two Inches over, and three of them fquare; but its upper fide is hollowed round to a Groove or Gutter an Inch and an half over. This Gutter is fo Nailed on, that its hither end ftanding about an Inch higher than its further end, the Water that defcends from the Tympan falling into it is carried away on the farther fide the Coffin by the declivity of the farther end of the Gutter, and fo keeps the Planck of the Carriage neat and cleanly, and preferves it from rotting.
Parallel
54
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sedt. XI.
Parallel to the outer fides of the hind part of the Planck of the Carriage , at three Inches diftance from either fide, is Nailed down on the upper fide of the Planck two Female-Duftail Grooves, into which is fitted (fo as they may Hide) two Male-Duftails made on the two Feet of the Gallows (as at d d) that the Tinpan refts upon; and by the Aiding forward or backward of thefe Duftail Feet, the heighth of the Tinpan is raifed or deprefled according to the Reafon or Fancy of the Prefs-man.
At three Inches from the hinder Rail of the Coffin, in the middle, between both fides of the Planck, is cut an Hole four Inches fquare (as at e e) and up¬ on the hither and farther fide of this Hole is faft- ned down on each fide a Stud made of Wood (as at f f) and in the middle of thefe two Studs is made a round Hole about half an Inch over, to receive the two round ends of an Iron Pin; which Iron Pin, though its ends be round, is through the middle of the Shank fquare, and upon that fquare is fitted a round Wooden-Rowler or Barrel , with a Shoulder on either fide it, to contain fo much of the Girt as fhall be rowled upon it ; And to one end of the Rowler is faftned an Iron Circle or Wheel, having on its edge Teeth cut to flop againfl: a Clicker, when the Rowler with an Iron Pin is turned about to ftrain the Girt.
^f. io. Of the Tympan and Inner-Tympan, marked b in Plate 7.
The Tympan is a fquare Frame, three fides whereof are Wood, and the fourth Iron. Its width is one
Foot
Numb. V.
printing.
55
Foot eight Inches, its length two Foot two Inches; the breadth of the wooden Sides an Inch and an half, and the depth one Inch.
On its fhort Wooden-fide, viz. its Hind-end, at the two Corners is Rivetted an Iron Match-Joynt , to be pinned on to another Half joynt faftned on the Hind- Rail of the Coffin .
The other end, viz. the Fore-end of the Tympan is made of Iron, with a fquare Socket at either end for the Wooden ends of the Tympan to fit and fallen into. This Iron is fomewhat thinner and narrower than an ordinary Window-Cafement.
Upon the outer edge of this Iron, about an Inch and an half off the ends of it, is made two Iron Half- joynts to contain a Pin of about a quarter of an Inch over, which Pin entring this half-joynt , and a match Half-joynt made upon the Frisket , ferves for the Bris¬ ket to move truly upon.
In the middle of each long Rail of the Tympan , is made through the top and bottom an Hole half an Inch fquare, for the fquare Shanks of the Point-Screws to fit into.
The like Holes are alfo made in the Tympan , at one third part of its length from the Fore-end or Frisket- joynt , to place the Point Screws in ; when a Twelves , Eighteens , &c. is wrought.
Into the Inner-fide of this Tympan is fitted the Inner- Tympan , whofe three fides are alfo made of Wood, and its fourth fide of Iron, as the Tympan, but without joynt s; it is made fo much fhorter than the Outer-Tympan , that the outer edge of the Iron of the Inner-Tympan may lye within the inner edge of the Iron on the Outer-Tym¬ pan;
5
56
Me chant ck Exercifes.
Seft. XI.
pan ; and it is made fo much narrower than the infide of the Tympan , that a convenient room may be allow¬ ed to pafte a Vellom between the infide of the Tympan , and the outfide of the Inner-Tympan.
About the middle, through the hither-fide of the Inner-Tympan , is let in and faftned an Iron Pin about a quarter of an Inch over, and ftands out three quar¬ ters of an Inch upon the hither out-fide of the Inner- Tympan , which three quarters of an Inch Pin fits into a round hole made in the inner-fide of the Tympan , to gage and fit the Inner-Tympan right into the Tympan ; for then by the help of an Iron turning Clafp on the further (lðeTy mp an, he Inner-Tympanis kept firmly down and in its pofition.
5f. ii. Of the Inck-Block, Slice, Brayer, and Catch of the Bar, marked c d e f in Plate 7.
To the Rail between the hither Cheek and Hind- Pojl is faftned the Inck-Block, which is a Beechen-board about thirteen Inches long, nine Inches broad, and commonly about two Inches thick, and hath the left hand outer corner of it cut away ; it is Railed in on its farther and hinder-fides, and a little above half the hither-fide, with Wainfcot-Board about three quarters of an Inch thick, and two Inches and an half above the upper-fide the board of the Inck-Block . It is defcribed in Plate 7. at c.
The Brayer marked a is made of Beech : It is turned round on the fides, and flat on the bottom, its length
is
Numb. V.
printing
57
is about three Inches, and its diameter about two Inch¬ es and an half; it hath an Handle to it about four Inches long. Its Office is to rub and mingle the Inck on the Inck-Block well together.
The Slice is a little thin Iron Shovel about three or four Inches broad, and five Inches long; it hath an Handle to it of about feven Inches long. Near the Shovel through the Handle is fitted a fmall Iron of a- bout two Inches long Handing Perpendicular to both the fides of the Handle, and is about the thicknefs of a fmall Curtain-Rod. It is defcribed at e.
The Catch of the Bar defcribed at f is a piece of Wood two Inches thick, four Inches broad, and ten Inches long; The top of it is a little Bevil’d or Slop’d off, that the Bar may by its Spring fly up the Bevil till it ftick. This Bevil projedts three Inches over its ftraight Shank, which reaches down to the bottom ; in the middle of this Shank, through the fore and back-fide, is a Mortefs made from within an Inch of the Rounding to an Inch and an half of the bottom ; This Mortefs is three quarters of an Inch wide, and hath an Iron Pin with a Shoulder at one end fitted to it, fo as it may Aide from one end of the Mortefs to the other. At the other end of the Iron Pin is made a Male-Screw which enters into a Female Iron Screw let into the further Cheek of the Prefs ; fo that the Catch may be Screwed clofe to the Cheek , as fhall further be fpoken to hereafter.
^f. I 2. Of
5§
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XI.
If* 1 2* Of the Iron-work , and frfl of the Spindle marked A in Plate 8.
From the Top to th eToe of the Spindle, viz . from a to b is fixteen Inches and a half, the length of the Cilinder the Worms are cut upon is three Inches and a quarter, and the diameter of that Cilinder two Inch¬ es and a quarter ; between the bottom of the Worms and top of the Cube one Inch and an half; the Cube marked c c c c is two Inches and three quarters, the fquare Eye at d in the middle of the Cube is an Inch and a quarter through all the lides of the Cube ; one Inch under the Cube at e is the Neck of the Spindle , whofe diameter is two Inches, It is one Inch between the two fboulders, viz . the upper and under fhould- ers of the Neck at e e, fo that the Cilinder of the Neck is one Inch long; the very bottom of the Spin¬ dle at b is called the Toe , it is made of an Hemifphe- rical form, and about one Inch in diameter; This Toe fhould be made of Steel, and well Temper’d, that by long or carelefs ufage, the point of preflure wear not towards one fide of the Toe, but may remain in the Axis of the Spindle .
§• ii. Of
Numb. V.
printing
59
§. ii. Of the Worms of the Spindle.
I promifed at the latter end of Numb. 2. to give a more copious account than there I did of making Worms, when I came to exercife upon Printing-Prefs Spindles ; and being now arrived to it, I fhall here make good my promife.
^[. 1 . The Worms for Printing-Prefs Spindles mull be projected with fuch a declivity, as that they may come down at an affigned progrefs of the Bar.
The affigned progrefs may be various, and yet the Spindle do its office: For if the Cheeks of the Prefs Hand wide affunder, the Iweep or progrefs of the fame Bar will be greater than if they Hand nearer together.
It is confirm’d upon good conlideration and Reafon as well as conllant experience, that in a whole Revo¬ lution of the Spindle , in the Nut , the Toe does and ought to come down two Inches and an half; but the Spindle in work feldom makes above one quarter of a Revolution at one Pull, in which fweep it comes down but half an Inch and half a quarter of an Inch ; and the reafon to be given for this coming down, is the fqueezing of the feveral parts in the Prefs, fub- jedl to fqueeze between the Morteffes of the Winter and the Morteffes the Head works in; and every Joynt between thefe are fubjedt to fqueeze by the force of a Pull. As firft, The Winter may fqueeze down into its Mortefs one third part of the thicknefs of a Sc abhor d. (Allowing a Sc abhor d to be half a Nom- parel thick.) Secondly, The Ribs fqueeze clofer to
the
6o
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XI.
the Winter one Scabbord. Thirdly, The Iron-Ribs to the Wooden Ribs one Scabbord. Fourthly, The Cramp-Irons to the Planck of the Coffin one Scabbord. Fifthly, The Planck it felf half a Scabbord. Sixthly, The Stone to the Planck one Scabbord. Seventhly, The Form to the Stone half a Scabbord. Eighthly, The Juffifyers in the Mortefs of the Head three Scab- bords. Ninthly, The Nut in the Head one Scabbord. Tenthly, The Paper , Tympans and Blankets two Scabbords. Eleventhly, Play for the Irons of the Tym¬ pans four Scabbords . Altogether make fifteen Scab¬ bords and one third part of a Scabbord thick, which (as aforefaid) by allowing two Scabbords to make a Nomparel9 and as I fhewed in Vol. 2. Numb. 2. §. 2. One hundred and fifty Nomparels to make one Foot, gives twelve and an half Nomparels for an Inch, and confequently twenty five Scabbords for an Inch; fo by proportion, fifteen Scabbords and one third part of a Scabbord , gives five eighth parts of an Inch, and a very fmall matter more, which is juft fo much as the Toe of the Spindle comes down in a quarter of a Revolution.
This is the Reafon that the coming down of the Toe ought to be juft thus much; for fhould it be lefs, the natural Spring that all thefe Joynts have, when they are unfqueez’d, would mount the Irons of the Tympans fo high, that it would be troublefom and te¬ dious for the Prefs-man to Run them under the Plat- tiny unlefs the Cheeks ftood wider affunder, and con¬ fequently every fweep of the Bar in a Pull exceed a quarter of a Revolution, which would be both la¬ borious for the Preffs-many and would hinder his ufual riddance of Work. I fhew’d
Numb. V.
61
I ihew’d in Numb. 2. fol. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35. the manner of making a Screw in general; but affigned it no particular Rife ; which for the aforefaid reafon, thefe Printing-Prefs Screws are ftridtly bound to have : Therefore its affigned Rife being two Inches and an half in a Revolution, This meafure muft be fet off upon the Cilindrick Shank, from the top towards the Cube of the Spindle , on any part of the Cilinder , and there make a fmall mark with a fine Prick-Punch , and in an exadt Perpendicular to this mark make a- nother fmall mark on the top of the Cilinder, and laying a ftraight Ruler on thefe two marks, draw a ftraight line through them, and continue that line almoft as low as the Cube of the Spindle. Then de- vide that portion of the ftraight line contained be¬ tween the two marks into eight equal parts, and fet off thofe equal parts from the two Inch and half mark upwards, and then downwards in the line fo oft as you can: Devide alfo the Circumference of the Shank of the Cilinder into eight equal parts, and draw ftraight lines through each devifion, parallel to the firft upright line ; and defcribe the Screw as you were directed in the afore-quoted place ; fo will you find that the revolution of every line fo carried on about the Shank of the Cilinder, will be juft two Inches and an half off the top of the Shank : which meafure and manner of working may be continued downward to within an Inch and an half of the Cube of the Spindle. This is the Rule and Meafure that ought to be obferv’d for ordinary Prejfes\ But if for fome by-reafons the aforefaid Meafure of two Inches and an half muft be varied, then the varied Meafure
muft
62
Mechanick Exercifes.
SeCt. XI.
muft be fet off from the top of the Cilinder, and working with that varied Meafure as hath been di¬ rected, the Toe of the Spindle will come down lower in a revolution if the varied Meafure be longer, or not fo low if the varied Meafure be fhorter.
There is a Notion vulgarly accepted among Work¬ men, that the Spindle will Rife more or lefs for the number of Worms winding about the Cilinder; for they think, or at leaft by tradition are taught to fay, that a Three-Worm d Spindle comes falter and lower down than a f our -Worm d Spindle : But the opinion is falfe ; for if a Spindle were made but with a Single- Worm, and fhould have this Meafure, viz. Two Inches and an half fet off from the top, and a Worm cut to make a Revolution to this Meafure, it would come down juft as faft, and as low, as if there were two, three, four, five or fix Worms , &c. cut in the fame Meafure: For indeed, the numbers of Worms are only made to preferve the Worms of the Spindle and Nut from wearing each other out the fafter ; for if the whole ftrefs of a Pull fhould bear againft the Sholder of a Angle Worm , it would wear and fhake in the Nut fooner by half than if the ftrefs fhould be borne by the Sholders of two Worms ; and fo pro- portionably for three, four, five Worms , &c.
But the reafon why four Worms are generally made upon the Spindle , is becaufe the Diameters of the Spin¬ dle are generally of this propos’d fize; and therefore a convenient ftrength of Mettal may be had on this fize for four Worms ; But fhould the Diameter of the Spindle be fmaller, as they fometimes are when the Prefs is defigned for fmall Work, only three Worms
will
Numb. V
Minting*
63
will be a properer number than four ; becaufe when the Diameter is fmall, the thicknefs of the Worms would alfo prove fmall, and by the ftrefs of a Pull would be more fubjedt to break or tear the Worms either of the Spindle or Nut.
And thus I hope I have performed the promife here I made at the latter end of Numb. 2. Whither I re¬ fer you for the breadth, and reafon of the breadth of the Worm.
^[. 13. Of the Bar marked B in Plate 8.
This Bar is Iron, containing in length about two Foot eight Inches and an half, from a to b , and its greateft thicknefs, except the Sholder, an Inch and a quarter ; The end a hath a Male-Screw about an Inch Diameter and an Inch long, to which a Nut with a Female-Screw in it as at C is fitted. The Iron Nut in which this Female-Screw is made, muft be very ftrong, viz. at leaft an Inch thick, and an Inch and three quarters in Diameter; in two oppofite fides of it is made two Ears, which muft alfo be very ftrong, becaufe they muft with heavy blows be knock’t upon to draw the Sholder of the fquare fhank on the Bar , when the fquare Pin is in the Eye of the Spindle clofe and fteddy up to the Cube on the Spindle. The fquare Pin of the Bar marked c is made to fit juft into the Eye, through the middle of the Cube of the Spindle , on the hither end of this fquare Pin is made a Sholder or ftop to this fquare Pin, as at d. This Sholder muft be Filed exadtly Flat on all its four in-fides, that they may be drawn clofe and tight up
to
64
Mechanick Exercifes.
Seft. XI.
to any flat fide of the Cube on the Spindle ; It is two Inches fquare, that it may be drawn the firmer, and flop the fteddyer againfl: any of the flat fides of the faid Cube, when it is hard drawn by the ftrength of the Female-Screw in the aforefaid Nut at C. The thicknefs from d to e of this Sholder is about three quarters of an Inch, and is Bevil’d off towards the Handle of the Bar with a fmall Molding.
The fubftance of this Bar , as aforefaid, is about an Inch and a quarter; but its Corners are all the way flatted down till within five Inches of the end : And from thefe five Inches to the end, it is taper’d away, that the Wooden-Handle may be the ftronger forced and faftned upon it.
About four Inches off the Sholder, the Bar is bow¬ ed beyond a right Angle, yet not with an Angle, but a Bow, which therefore lies ready to the Prefs-man s Hand, that he may Catch at it to draw the Wooden- Handle of the Bar within his reach.
This Wooden-Handle with long Working grows oft loofe; but then it is with hard blows on the end of it forced on again, which oft fplits the Wooden-Handle and loofens the fquare Pin at the other end of the Bar , in the Eye of the Spindle: To remedy which incon¬ venience, I ufed this Help, viz. To weld a piece of a Curtain-Rod as long as the Wooden-Handle of the Bar , to the end of the Iron Bar , and made a Male- fcrew at the other end with a Female-fcrew to fit it; Then I bored an hole quite through the Wooden-Han¬ dle , and Turn’d the very end of the Wooden-Handle with a fmall hollow in it flat at the bottom, and deep enough to bury the Iron-Nut on the end of the Cur¬ tain-
Numb. V.
punting
65
tain-Rod, and when this Curtain-Rod was put through the, Hollow in the Wooden Handle and Screwed faft to it at the end, it kept the Wooden-Handle , from flying off; Or if it loofened, by twilling the Nut once or twice more about, it was faftned again.
^f. 14. Of the Hofe, Garter, and Hofe-
Hooks.
The Hofe are the upright Irons in Plate 8. at a a. They are about three quarters of an Inch fquare, both their ends have Male-fcrews on them; The lower end is fitted into a fquare Hole made at the parting of the Hof e-Hooks, which by a fquare Nut with a Fe- male-fcrew in it, is Screwed tight up to them ; Their upper ends are let into fquare Holes made at the ends of the Garter , and by Nuts with Female-Screws in them, and Ears to turn them about as at / / are drawn up higher, if the Plattin-Cords are too loofe; or elfe let down lower if they are too tight : Thefe upper Screws are called the Hofe-Screws .
The Garter (but more properly the Coller^j marked b b , is the round Hoop incompafling the flat Groove or Neck in the Shank of the Spindle at e e ; This round Hoop is made of two half round Hoops, having in a Diametrical-line without the Hoop fquare Irons of the fame piece proceeding from them, and Hand¬ ing out as far as g g , Thefe Irons are fo let into each other, that they comply and run Range with the fquare Sholders at both ends, wherein fquare Holes are made at the ends of the Hofe. They are Screwed together with two fmall Screws, as at h h.
The
66
Mechanic k Exercifes.
Seft. XI.
The four Hofe-Hooks are marked i i i i, They pro¬ ceed from two Branches of an Iron Hoop at k en- compaffing the lower-end of the Spindle , on either Corner of the Branch, and have notches filled in their outer-fides as in the Figure, which notches are to con¬ tain feveral Turns of Whip-cord in each notch, which Whip-cord being alfo faftned to the Hooks on the Plat- tin, holds the Plattin tight to the Hooks of the Hofe.
^f. 15. Of the Ribs, and Cramp-Irons.
The Ribs are delineated in Plate 8. at E, they are made of four-fquare Irons the length of the Wood¬ en-Ribs and End-Rails , viz. Four Foot five Inches long, and three quarters of an Inch fquare, only one end is batter’d to about a quarter of an Inch thick, and about two Inches and an half broad, in which bat¬ tering four or five holes are Punch’t for the nailing it down to the Hind-Rail of the Wooden-Ribs, The Fore-end is alfo batter’d down as the Hind-end, but bound downwards to a fquare, that it may be nailed down on the outer-fide of the Fore-Rail of the Wooden- Ribs.
Into the bottom of thefe Ribs, within nine Inches of the middle, on either fide is made two Female- Duftails about three quarters of an Inch broad, and half a quarter of an Inch thick, which Female-Duf- tails have Male-Duftails as at a a a a fitted fliff into them, about an Inch and three quarters long; and thefe Male-Duftails have an hole punched at either end, that when they are fitted into the Female-Duf- tails in the Ribs, they may in thefe Holes be Nailed down the firmer to the Wooden-Ribs. Thefe
/
Numb. VI.
printing.
6 7
Thefe Ribs are to be between the upper and the under fide exactly of an equal thicknefs, and both to lye exactly Horizontal in ftraight lines; For irre¬ gularities will both Mount and Sink the Cramp-Irons, and make them Run rumbling upon the Ribs .
The upper-fides of thefe Ribs mu ft be purely Smooth-fif d and Pollifh’d, and the edges a little Be- vil’d round ill 1 away, that they may be fomewhat Arching at the top; becaufe then the Cramp-Irons Run more eafily and ticklifhly over them.
The Cramp-Irons are marked F in Plate 8. They are an Inch and an half long befides the Battering down at both ends as the Ribs were; They have three holes Punched in each Battering down, to Nail them to the Planck of the Coffin ; They are about half an Inch deep, and one quarter and an half thick ; their upper-fides are fmoothed and rounded away as the Ribs.
f. 16. Of the Spindle for the Rounce, de¬ fer ibed in Plate 9. at a.
The Axis or Spindle is a ftraight Bar of Iron about three quarters of an Inch fquare, and is about three Inches longer than the whole breadth of the Frame of the Ribs, viz. two Foot two Inches : The farther end of it is Filed to a round Pin (as at a) three quarters of an Inch long, and three quarters of an Inch in Dia¬ meter; the hither end is filed away to fuch another round Pin, but is two Inches and a quarter long (as at b) ; at an Inch and a quarter from this end is Filed a Square Pin three quarters of an Inch long, and
with-
6
68
Mechanick Exercifes.
Seft. XI.
within half an Inch of the end is Filed another round Pin, which hath another Male-Screw on it, to which is fitted a fquare Iron Nut with a Female-Screw in it.
On the Square Pin is fitted a Winch fomewhat in form like a Jack-winch, but much ftronger; the Eye of which is fitted upon the Square aforefaid, and Screwed up tight with a Female-Screw. On the ftraight Shank of this Winch is fitted the Rounce , marked e.
The round ends of this Axis are hung up in two Iron-Sockets (as at c c ) faftned with Nails (but more properly with Screws) on the outfide the Wood¬ en Frame of the Ribs.
The Girt-Barrel marked d is Turned of a Piece of Maple or Alder-wood, of fuch a length, that it may play eafily between the two Wooden Ribs ; and of fuch a diameter, that in one revolution of it, fuch a length of Girt may wind about it as {hall be equal to half the length contained between the fore-end Iron of the Tympan , and the infide of the Rail of the Inner-Tympan ; becaufe two Revolutions of this Barrel muft move the Carriage this length of fpace.
This Barrel is fitted and faftned upon the Iron Axis, at fuch a diftance from either end, that it may move round between the Wooden Ribs aforefaid.
% 17. Of the Prefs-Stone.
The Prefs-Stone fhould be Marble, though fome- times Mafter Printers make fhift with Purbeck, ei¬ ther becaufe they can buy them cheaper, or elfe be¬ caufe they can neither diftinguifh them by their ap¬ pearance, or know their different worths.
Its thicknefs muft be all the way throughout e-
qual
Numb. VI.
printing*
69
qual, and ought to be within one half quarter of an Inch the depth of the infide of the Coffin ; becaufe the matter it is Bedded in will raife it high enough. Its length and breadth muft be about half an Inch lefs than the length and breadth of the infide of the Cof¬ fin-. Becaufe Jufiifiers of Wood, the length of every fide, and almoft the depth of the Stone , muft be thruft between the infides of the Coffin and the outfides of the Stone, to Wedge it tight and fteddy in its place, after the Prefs-man has Bedded it. Its upper-fide, or Face muft be exactly ftraight and finooth.
I have given you this defcription of the Prefs-Stone , becaufe they are thus generally ufed in all Printing- Houfies : But I have had fo much trouble, charge and vexation with the often breaking of Stones , either through the carelefnefs or unskilfulnefs (or both) of Prefs-men , that neceflity compell’d me to confider how I might leave them off; and now by long ex¬ perience I have found, that a piece of Lignum-vitee of the fame fize, and truly wrought, performs the office of a Stone in all refpe&s as well as a Stone, and eafes my mind, of the trouble, charge and vexa¬ tion aforefaid, though the firft coft of it be greater.
^f. 18. Of the Plattin marked d in Plate 9*
The Plattin is commonly made of Beechen-Planck, two Inches and an half thick, its length about four¬ teen Inches, and its breadth about nine Inches. Its fides are Tryed Square, and the Face or under-fide of the Plattin Plained exactly ftraight and finooth. Near the four Corners on the upper-fide, it hath
four
jo Mechanick Exercifes. Se6t. XI.
four Iron Hooks as at a a a ay whofe Shanks are Wormed in.
In the middle of the upper-fide is let in and faft- ned an Iron Plate called the Plattin-Plate , as b b b b, a quarter of an Inch thick, fix Inches long, and four Inches broad ; in the middle of this Plate is made a fquare Iron Frame about half an Inch high, and half an Inch broad, as at c. Into this fquare Frame is fitted the Stud of the Plattin Pan , fo as it may ftand fteddy, and yet to be taken out and put in as occa- fion may require.
The Stud marked d \ is about an Inch thick, and then fpreads wider and wider to the top (at e e e e) of it, till it becomes about two Inches and an half wide ; and the fides of this fpreading being but about half a quarter of an Inch thick makes the Pan. In the middle of the bottom of this Pan is a fmall Cen¬ ter hole Punch’d for the Toe of the Spindle to work in.
§. 19. Of the Points and Point-Screws.
The Points are made of Iron Plates about the thicknefs of a Queen Elizabeth Shilling: It is deline¬ ated at e in Plate 9. which is fufficient to fhew the fhape of it, at the end of this Plate, as at a , ftands upright the Point. This Point is made of a piece of fmall Wyer about a quarter and half quarter of an Inch high, and hath its lower end Filed away to a fmall Shank about twice the length of the thicknefs of the Plate; fo that a Sholder may remain. This fmall Shank is fitted into a fmall Hole made near the end of the Plate, and Revetted on the other fide, as was
taught
Numb. VI.
printing
71
taught Numb. 2. Fol. 24. At the other end of the Plate is filed a long fquare notch in the Plate as at be quarter and half quarter Inch wide, to receive the fquare fhank of the Point-Screws.
The Point-Screw marked f is made of Iron ; It hath a thin Head about an Inch fquare, And a fquare Shank juft under the Head, an Inch deep, and almoft quarter and half quarter Inch fquare, that the fquare Notch in the hinder end of the Plate may Hide on it from end to end of the Notch; Under this fquare Shank is a round Pin filed with a Male-Screw upon it, to which is fitted a Nut with a Female-Screw in it, and Ears on its out-fide to twift about, and draw the Head of the Shank clofe down to the Tympan , and fo hold the Point-Plate faft in its Place.
^[. 20. Of the Hammer, deferibed at h, and Sheeps-Foot deferibed at i in Plate 9.
The Hammer is a common Hammer about a quar¬ ter of a Pound weight ; It hath no Claws but a Pen, which ftands the Prefs-man inftead when the Chafe proves fo big, that he is forced to ufe fmall Quoins.
The Figure of the Sheeps-Foot is defeription fuffici- ent. Its ufe is to nail and un-nail the Balls.
The Sheeps-Foot is all made of Iron, with an Ham¬ mer-head at one end, to drive the Ball-Nails into the Ball-Stocks , and a Claw at the other end, to draw the Ball-Nails out of the Ball-Stocks.
72
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XI.
If- 21. 0/ Foot-ftep, Girts, Stay of the Carriage, Stay of the Frisket, Ball- Stocks, Paper-Bench, Lye-Trough, Lye- Brufh, Lye-Kettle, Tray to wet Paper in, Weights to Prefs Paper, Pelts, or Leather, Wool or Hair, Ball-Nails or Pumping-Nails.
The Foot- Step is an Inch-Board about a Foot broad, and fixteen Inches long. This Board is nailed upon a piece of Timber about feven or eight Inches high, and is Bevil’d away on its upper-fide, as is alfo the Board on its under-fide at its hither end, that the Board may ftand aflope upon the Floor. It is placed faft on the Floor under the Carriage of the Prefs. Its Office ffiall be fhewed when we come to treat of Exercife of the Prefs-man.
Girts are Thongs of Leather, cut out of the Back of an Horfe-hide, or a Bulls hide, fometimes an Hogs-hide. They are about an Inch and an half, or an Inch and three quarters broad. Two of them are ufed to carry the Carriage out and in. Thefe two have each of them one of their ends nailed to the Barrel on the Spindle of the Pounce , and the other ends nailed to the Barrel behind the Carriage in the Planck of the Coffin, and to the Barrel on the fore¬ end of the Frame of the Coffin.
The Stay of the Carriage is fometimes a piece of the fame Girt faftned to the outfide of the further Cheek ,
and
/
Numb. VI. punting* 73
and to the further hinder fide of the Frame of the Carriage . It is faftned at fuch a length by the Prefs man , that the Carriage may ride fo far out, as that the Irons of the Tympan may juft rife free and clear off the fore- fide of the Plattin.
Another way to ftay the Carriage is to let an Iron Pin into the upper-fide of the further Rail of the Frame of the Ribs, juft in the place where the further hinder Rail of the Carriage ftands projecting over the Rib-Rail , when the Iron of the Tympan may juft rife free from the Fore-fide of the Plattin ; for then that projecting will flop againft the Iron Pin.
The Stay of the Frisket is made by faftning a Bat¬ ten upon the middle of the Top-fide of the Cap , and by faftning a Batten to the former Batten perpendi¬ cularly downwards, juft at fuch a diftance, that the upper-fide of the Frisket may ftop againft it when it is turned up juft a little beyond a Perpendicular. When a Prefs ftands at a convenient diftance from a Wall, that Wall performs the office of the aforefaid St ay.
Ball-Stocks areTurn’ dof 'Alder or Maple. Their Shape is delineated in Plate 9. at g: They are about feven Inch¬ es in Diameter, and have their under fide Turned hol¬ low, to contain the greater quantity of Wool or Hair , to keep the Ball-Leathers plump the longer.
The Lye-Trough (delineated in Plate 9. at k) is a Square Trough made of Inch-Boards, about four Inches deep, two Foot four Inches long, and one Foot nine Inches broad, and flat in the Bottom. Its in- fide is Leaded with Sheet-Lead, which reaches up o- ver the upper Edges of the Trough. In the middle of the two ends (for fo I call the fhorteft fides) on the outer fides as a a , is faftned a round Iron Pin, which
moves
74
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sett. XI.
moves in a round hole made in an Iron Stud with a fquare Sprig under it, to be drove and faftned into a Wooden Horfe, which Horfe I need not defcribe,becaufe in Plate aforefaid I have given you the Figure of it.
The Paper-Bench is only a common Bench about , three Foot eight Inches long, one Foot eight Inches broad, and three Foot four Inches high.
The Lye Brujh is made of Hogs-Briftles faftned in¬ to a Board with Brafs-Wyer, for durance fake: Its Board is commonly about nine Inches long, and four and an half Inches broad; and the length of the Briftles about three Inches.
To perform the Office of a Lye-Kettle (which commonly holds about three Gallons) the old-fa- Ihion’d Chafers are moft commodious, as well becaufe they are more handy and manageable than Kettles with Bails, as alfo becaufe they keep Lye longer hot.
The Tray to Wet Paper in is only a common Butch¬ ers Tray, large enough to Wet the largeft Paper in.
The Weight to Prefs Paper with, is either Mettal,or Stone, flat on the Bottom, to ly fteddy on the Paper- Board: It muff: be about 50 or 60 pound weight.
For Pelts or Leather , Ball-Nails or Pumping-Nails , Wool or Hair , Vellom or Parchment or Forrel, the Prefs- man generally eafes th eMafler-Printer of the trouble of choofing, though not the charge of paying for them : And for Pafe , Sallad Oyl , and fuch accidental Requi- lites as the Prefs-man in his work may want, the De¬ vil comriionly fetches for him.
^[. 22. Of Racks to Hang Paper on, and of the Peel.
Our Mafter- Printer muff: provide Racks to hang Paper on to Dry . They are made of Deal-board Battens,
fquare.
Numb. VI.
printing
75
fquare, an Inch thick, and an Inch and an half deep, and the length the whole length of the Deal, which is commonly about ten or eleven Foot long, or elfe fo long as the convenience of the Room will allow: The two upper corners of thefe Rails are rounded off that they may not mark the Paper.
Thefe Racks are Hung over Head, either in the Printing-Houfe , or Ware-houfe , or both, or any other Room that is moft convenient to Dry Paper in ; they are hung a-thwart two Rails an Inch thick, and about three or four Inches deep, which Rails are faftned to fome Joyfts or other Timber in the Ceiling by Stiles perpendicular to the Ceiling; Thefe Rails ftand fo wide affunder, that each end of the Racks may hang beyond them about the diftance of two Foot, and have on their upper edge at ten Inches diftance from one another, fo many fquare Notches cut into them as the whole length of the Rail will bear ; In¬ to thefe fquare notches the Racks are laid parallel to each other with the flat fide downwards, and the Rounded off fide upwards.
The Peel is defcribed in Plate 9. at 1, which Fi¬ gure fufficiently fliews what it is; And therefore I fhall need fay no more to it, only its Handle may be longer or fhorter according as the height of the Room it is to be ufed in may require.
IF- 2 3- Of lack.
The providing of good Inck , or rather good Far- nijh for Inck , is none of the leaft incumbent cares up¬ on our Majler-Printer , though Cuftom has almoft made it fo here in England ; for the procefs of ma¬ king Inck being as well laborious to the Body, as noy-
fom
?6
Mechanick Exercifes .
Se<ft. XI.
fom and ungrateful to the Sence, and by feveral odd accidents dangerous of Firing the Place it is made in. Our Englijh Majier-Pr inters do generally difcharge themfelves of that trouble; and inftead of having good Inck , content themfelves that they pay an Inck- maker for good Inck , which may yet be better or worfe according to the Confcience of the Inck-maker .
That our Neighbours the Hollanders who exhibit Patterns of good Printing to all the World, are care¬ ful and induftrious in all the circumftances of good Printing, is very notorious to all Book-men; yet fhould they content themfelves with fuch Inck as we do, their Work would appear notwithftanding the o- ther circumftances they obferve, far lefs graceful than it does, as well as ours would appear more beautiful if we ufed fuch Inck as they do : for there is many Reafons, confidering how the Inck is made with us and with them, why their Inck muft needs be better than ours. As Firjl , They make theirs all of good old Linfeed-Oyl alone, and perhaps a little Ro- Jin in it fometimes, when as our Inck-?nakers to fave charges mingle many times Trane-Oyl among theirs, and a great deal of RoJin\ which Lrane-Oyl by itsgrofs- nefs. Furs and Choaks up a Form, and by its fatnefs hinders the Inck from drying ; fo that when the Work comes to the Binders, it Sets off ; and befides is dull, fmeary and unpleafant to the Eye. And the Rojin if too great a quantity be put in, and the Form be not very Lean Beaten, makes the Inck turn yellow : And the fame does New Linfeed-Oyl.
Secondly, They feldom Boy l or Burn it to that con- fiftence the Hollanders do, becaufe they not only fave labour and Fewel, but have a greater weight of Inck
out
Numb. VI.
printing.
77
out of the fame quantity of Oyl when lefs Burnt a- way than when more Burnt away; which want of Burning makes the Inch alfo, though made of good old Linfeed Oj//Fat and Smeary, and hinders its Drying; fo that when it comes to the Binders it alfo Sets off.
Thirdly, They do not ufe that way of clearing their Inch the Hollanders do, or indeed any other way than meer Burning it, whereby the Inch remains more Oyly and Greajie than if it were well clarified.
Fourthly , They to fave the Prefs-man the labour of Rubbing the Blacking into Varnijh on the Inck-Block , Boyl the Blacking in the Varnijh, or at lead: put the Blacking in whilft the Varnijh is yet Boy ling-hot, which fo Burns and Rubifies the Blacking, that it lofes much of its brisk and vivid black complexion.
Fifthly, Becaufe Blacking is dear, and adds little to the weight of Inck, they ftint themfelves to a quan¬ tity which they exceed not; fo that fometimes the Inck proves fo unfufferable Pale, that the Prefs-man is forc’d to Rub in more Blacking upon the Block ; yet this he is often fo loth to do, that he will rather ha¬ zard the content the Colour fhall give, than take the pains to amend it: fatisfying himfelf that he can lay the blame upon the Inck-maker .
Having thus hinted at the difference between the Dutch and Englijh Inck, I fhall now give you the Re¬ ceipt and manner of making the Dutch- Varnijh.
They provide a Kettle or a Caldron, but a Caldron is more proper, fuch an one as is defcribed in Plate 9. at m. This Veffel fhould hold twice fo much Oyl as they intend to Boyl, that the Scum may be fome confiderable time a Rifng from the top of the Oyl to the top of the Veffel to prevent danger. This Cal¬ dron
7«
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sett. XI.
dron hath a Copper Cover to fit the Mouth of it, and this Cover hath an Handle at the top of it to take it off and put it on by. This Caldron is fet upon a good ftrong Iron Trevet , and fill’d half full of old Linfeed-Oyl, the older the better, and hath a good Fire made under it of folid matter, either Sea Coal, Charcoal or pretty big Chumps of Wood that will burn well without much Flame ; for fhould the Flame rife too high, and the Oyl be very hot at the taking off the Cover of the Caldron , the fume of the Oyl might be apt to take Fire at the Flame, and endanger the lofs of the Oyl and Firing the Houfe: Thus they let Oyl heat in the Caldron till they think it is Boyling-hot; which to know, they peel the outer Films of an Oynion off it, and prick the Oynion faft upon the end of a fmall long Stick, and fo put it into the heating Oyl: If it be Boyling-hot, or almoft Boyling-hot, the Oynion will put the Oyl into a Fermentation, fo that a Scum will gather on the top of the Oyl, and rife by degrees, and that more or lefs according as it is more or lefs Hot: But if it be fo very Hot that the Scum rifes apace, they quickly take the Oynion out, and by degrees the Scum will fall. But if the Oyl be Hot enough, and they intend to put any Kojin in, the quantity is to every Gallon of Oyl half a Pound, or rarely a whole Pound. The Kojin they beat fmall in a Mortar, and with an Iron Ladle, or elfe by an Handful at a time ftrew it in gently into the Oyl left it make the Scum rife too faft; but every Ladle-full or Handful they put in fo leafurely after one another, that the firft muft be wholly diflolv’d before they put any more in; for elfe the Scum will Rife too faft, as aforefaid : So that
you
Numb. VI.
printing
79
you may perceive a great care is to keep the Scum down: For if it Boyl over into the Fire never fo lit¬ tle, the whole Body of Oyl will take Fire immediately.
If the Oyl be Hot enough to Burn , they Burn it, and that fo often till it be Hard enough, which fome- times is fix, feven, eight times, or more.
To Burn it they take a long fmall Stick, or double up half a Sheet of Paper, and light one end to fet Fire to the Oyl; It will prefently Take if the Oyl be Hot enough, if not, they Boyl it longer, till it be.
To try if it be Hard enough, they put the end of a Stick into the Oyl, which will lick up about three or four drops, which they put upon an Oyfter-fhell, or fome fuch thing, and fet it by to cool, and when it is cold they touch it with their Fore or Middle-Finger and Thumb, and try its confiftence by flicking toge¬ ther of their Finger and Thumb; for if it draw ftiff like ftrong Turpentine it is Hard enough, if not, they Boyl it longer, or Burn it again till it be fo confolidated.
When it is well Boyled they throw in an Ounce of Letharge of Silver to every four Gallons of Oyl to Cla- rifie it, and Boyl it gently once again, and then take it off the Fire to ftand and cool, and when it is cool enough to put their Hand in, they Strain it through a Linnen Cloath, and with their Hands wring all the Varnijh out into a Leaded Stone Pot or Pan, and keep¬ ing it covered, fet it by for their ufe; The longer it ftands by the better, becaufe it is lefs fubjedt to turn Yellow on the Paper that is Printed with it.
This is the Hutch way of making Varnijh , and the way the Englifh Inck-makers ought to ufe.
Note , Firjl , That the Varnijh may be made with¬ out Burning the Oyl, viz. only with well and long
Boyl-
8o
Me chant ck Exercifes.
Sea. XI.
Boy ling it; for Burning is but a violent way of Boy ling, to confolidate it the fooner.
Secondly, That an Apple or a Cruft of Bread , &c. (luck upon the end of a Stick inftead of an Oynion will alfo make the Scum of the Oyl rife : For it is only the Air contained in the Pores of the Apple , Cruft or Oynion , &c. prefled or forced out by the violent heat of the Oyl , that raifes the many Bubbles on the top of the Oyl: And the connection of thofe Bubbles are vulgarly called Scum.
thirdly. The Englifh Inch-makers that often make Inch, and that in great quantities, becaufe one Man may ferve all Eng¬ land, inftead of fetting a Caldron on a brevet, build a Furnace under a great Caldron , and T rim it about fo with Brick, that it Boyls far fooner and more fecurely than on a 'Brevet', be¬ caufe if the Oyl ftiould chance to Boyl over, yet can it not run into the Fire, being Fenced round about with Brick as a- forefaid, and the Stoking-hole lying far under the Caldron.
Fourthly , When for want of a Caldron the Mafter-Printer makes V arnifti in a Kettle , He provides a great piece of thick Canvafs , big enough when three or four double to cover the Kettle , and alfo to hang half round the fidesof the Kettle : This Canvafs (to make it more foluble) is wet in Water, and the Water well wrung out again, fo that the Canvafs remains only moift: Its ufe is to throw flat over the Mouth of the Kettle when the Oyl is Burning , to keep the fmoak in, that it may ftifle the Flame when they fee caufe to put it out. But the W ater as was faid before, muft be very well wrung out of the Canvafs , for Ihould but a drop or two fall from the fides of it into the Oyl when it is Burning, it will fo enrage the Oyl, and raife the Scum, that it might endanger the working over the top of the Kettle.
Having (hewn you the Mafter~Pr inters Office, I account it fuitable to proper Method, to let you know how the Letter- Founder Cuts the Punches , how the Molds are made, the Matrices Sunck, and the Letter Caft and Dreft , for all thefe Operations precede the Compofiters Trade, as the Compofiters does the Prefs- mans\ wherefore the next Exercifes fhall be (God willing) upon Cutting of the Steel-Punches. ME-
Numb. VII.
81
MECHANICK EXERCISES:
Or, the Dodtrine of
Applied to the Art of
letter -Cutting.
PREFACE.
LEtter-Cutting is a Handy-Work hitherto kept fo conceal' d among the Artificers of it , that I cannot learn any one hath taught it any other ; But every one that has ufed it , Learnt it of his own Genuine Incli¬ nation. Therefore , though I cannot ( qs in other Trades ) defcribe the general Pr allice of Work-men, yet the Pules I follow I Jhall Jhew here , and have as good an Opinion of thefe Pules , as thofe have that are fiiyejl of difcovering theirs . For , indeed , by the appearance of fome Work done , a judicious Rye may doubt whether they go by any Pule at all , though Geometrick Pules , in no Practice whatever , ought to be more nicely or exadlly obferved than in this .
82
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XII.
§. 12. ^[. i. Of Letter-Cutters Tools .
THe making of Steel Punches is a Branch of the Smith's Trade: For, as I told you in the Preface to Numb. i. The Black-Smith' s Trade com¬ prehends all Trades that ufe either Forge or File, from the Anchor- Smith, to the Watch-maker : They all working by the fame Rules, though not with equal exadtnefs ; and all ufing the fame Tools, though of different Sizes from thofe the Common Black-Smith ufes; and that according to the various purpofes they are applied, &c. Therefore, indeed, a Letter-Cutter fhould have a Forge fet up, as by Numb. i. But fome Letter-Cutters may feem to fcorn to ufe a Forge, as accounting it too hard Labour, and Ungenteel for themfelves to officiate at. Yet they all well know, that though they may have a common Black-Smith perform their much and hea¬ vy Work, that many times a Forge of their own at Hand would be very commodious for them in feve- ral accidental little and light Jobs, which (in a Train of Work) they muft meet withal.
But if our Letter-Cutter will have no Forge, yet he muft of neceffity accommodate himfelf with a Vice, Hand- Vice , Hammers, Files, Small and Fine Files (commonly called Watch-makers Files) of thefe he faves all, as they wear out, to fmooth and bur- nifh the Sides and Face of his Letter with, as fhall be fhewed; Gravers, and Sculpters of all forts, an Anvil, or a Stake, an Oyl-ftone, &c. And of thefe, fuch as are fuitable and fizable to the feveral Letters
he
7
I
Numb. vii. Hetter^Cutting^
83
he is to Cut. Thefe, or many of thefe Tools, being defcribed in Numb. i. I refer my Reader thither, and proceed to give an account of fome Tools pecu¬ liar to the Letter-Cutter , though not of particular ufe to the Common Black-Smith .
^[. 2. Of the Ufing-File.
This File is about nine or ten Inches long, and three or four Inches broad, and three quarters of an Inch thick: The two broad fides mull be exact¬ ly flat and llraight : And the one fide is commonly cut with a Bafard-Cut, the other with a Fine or Smooth Cut . (See Numb. i. Fol. 14, 15.) Its ufe is to Rub a piece of Steel, Iron, or Brafs, &c. flat and llraight upon, as lhall be Ihewed hereafter.
In chufing it, you mull fee it be exadlly Flat and Straight all its Length and Breadth: For if it in any part Belly out, or be Hollow inwards, what is Rub¬ bed upon it will be Hollow, Rubbing on the Belly¬ ing part; and Bellying, Rubbing on the Hollow part. You mull alfo fee that it be very Hard; and therefore the thickell Ufng-Files are likelieft to prove bell, becaufe the thin commonly Warp in Hardning.
*[[. 3. Of the Flat-Gage.
The Flat-Gage is defcribed in Plate 10. at A. It is made of a flat piece of Box, or other Hard Wood. Its Length is three Inches and an half, its Breadth two Inches and an half, and its Thicknefs one Inch and
an
84
Mechanick Exercifes .
Sedt. XII.
an half. This is on the Flat, firft made Square, but afterwards hath one of its Corners (as h) a little rounded off, that it may the eafier comply with the Ball of the Hand. Out of one of its longeft Sides, viz. that not rounded off, is Cut through the thicknefs of it an exadt Square, whofe one fide b f c g is about an Inch and three quarters long; and its other fide b d, c e about half an Inch long. The Depth of thefe Sides and their Angle is exadtly Square to the top and bottom of the upper and under Su¬ perficies of the Flat-Gage.
Its Ufe is to hold a Rod of Steel, or Body of a Mold , &c. exadlly perpendicular to the Flat of the UJing - File, that the end of it may rub upon the UJing-File , and be Filed away exadlly Square, and that to the Shank; as fhall more at large be fhewed in §. 2. ^[. 3.
% 4. Of the Sliding Gage.
The Sliding Gage is defcribed in Plate 10. at Fig. B. It is a Tool commonly ufed by Mathematical Injlrument-Makers , and I have found it of great ufe in Letter-Cutting , and making of Molds , &c. a a the Beam, b the Tooth, c c the Sliding Socket, d d d d the Shoulder of the Socket.
Its Ufe is to meafure and fet ofFDiftances between the Sholder and the Tooth, and to mark it off from the end, or elfe from the edge of your Work.
I always ufe two or three of thefe Gages , that I need not remove the Sholder when it is fet to a Di- ftance which I may have after-ufe for; as (hall in Working be fhewed more fully
IF- 5-
Numb. VII. Lettet^CHttlUg*
85
^[. 5. Of the Face-Gages, marked C in Plate 10.
The Face- Gage is a Square Notch cut with a File into the edge of a thin Plate of Steel, Iron, or Brafs, the thicknefs of a piece of common Latton, and the Notch about an Englijh deep. There be three of thefe Gages made, for the Letters to be cut on one Body ; but they may be all made upon one thin Plate, the readier to be found, as at D. As firft, for the Long Letters ; Secondly, for the Afiending Letters ; And Thirdly, for the Short Letters. The Length of thefe feveral Notches, or Gages, have their Proportions to the Body they are cut to, and are as follows. We (hall imagine (for in Pradtice it cannot well be per¬ form’d, unlefs in very large Bodies) that the Length of the whole Body is divided into forty and two equal Parts.
The Gage for the Long Letters are the length of the whole Body, viz . forty and two equal Parts. The Gage for the Afiending Letters, Roman and Ita- lica , are five Seventh Parts of the Body, viz . thirty Parts of Forty two, and thirty and three Parts for Englijh Face. The Gage for the Short Letters are three Seventh Parts of the whole Body, viz . eighteen Parts of Forty two for the Roman and Italic a, and twenty two Parts for the Englijh Face.
It may indeed be thought impoffible to divide a Body into feven equal Parts, and much more diffi¬ cult to divide each of thofe feven equal Parts into fix equal Parts, which are Forty two, as aforefaid, efpecially if the Body be but fmall; but yet it is
poffible
7*
86
Mechanick Exercifes.
Se£t. XII.
poffible with curious Working: For feven thin Spa¬ ces may be Caft and Rubb’d to do it. And for di¬ viding each of the thin Spaces into fix equal Parts, you may Call and Rub Full Point . to be of the thicknefs of one thin Space, and one fixth part of a thin Space: And you may Call and Rub : to be the thicknefs of one thin Space, and two fixth parts of a thin Space: And you may Call and Rub , to be the thicknefs of one thin Space, and three fixth parts of a thin Space: And you may Call and Rub - to be the thicknefs of one thin Space, and four fixth parts of a thin Space: And you may Call and Rub ; to be the thicknefs of one thin Space, and five fixth parts of a thin Space.
The reafon why I propofe . to be Call and Rubb’d one fixth part thicker than a thin Space, is only that it may be readily dillinguilhed from : , - ; which are two fixth parts, three fixth parts, four fixth parts, five fixth parts thicker than a thin Space. And for fix fixth parts thicker than a thin Space, two thin Spaces does it.
The manner of adjulling thefe feveral Sixth Parts of Thicknefies is as follows. You may try if fix . exadtly agree, and be even with feven thin Spaces; (or, which is all one, a Body) for then is each of thofe fix . one fixth part thicker than a thin Space, becaufe it drives out a thin Space in fix thin Spaces. And you may try if fix : be equal to a Body and one thin Space; for then is each : two fixth parts thicker than a thin Space. If fix , be equal to nine thin Spaces, then each , is three fixth parts of a thin Space thicker than a thin Space. If fix -
be
Numb. vii. Letter- Cutting^
8 7
be equal to ten thin Spaces, then each - is four fixth parts of a thin Space thicker than a thin Space. If fix ; be equal to eleven thin Spaces, then each ; is five fixth parts of a thin Space thicker than a thin Space.
Now, as aforefaid, a thin Space being one fe- venth part of the Body, and the thin Space thus di¬ vided, you have the whole Body actually divided into forty and two equal parts, as I have divided them in my Drafts of Letters down the Sides, and in the Bottom Line.
Though I have thus fhewed how to divide a thin Space into fix equal Parts, yet when the Letter to be Cut proves of a finall Body, the thin Space di¬ vided into two equal Parts may ferve : If it prove bigger, into three or four equal Parts: And of the largeft Bodies, they may be divided into fix, as aforefaid.
If now you would make a Gage for any number of thin Spaces and Sixth Parts of a thin Space, you muft take one thin Space lefs than the number of thin Spaces propofed, and add . : , - ; according as the number of fixth Parts of a thin Space require ; and to thofe complicated Thicknefles you may file a fquare Notch on the edge of the thin Plate afore¬ faid, which fhall be a ftanding Gage or Meafure for that number of thin Spaces and fixth Parts of a thin Space.
All the Exception againft this way of Meafuring is, that thin Spaces caft in Metal may be fubjed: to bow, and fo their Thicknefles may prove deceitful. But, in Anfwer to that, I fay, you may, if you will,
Caft
88
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XII.
Caft I for two thin Spaces thick, e for three thin Spaces thick, S for four thin Spaces thick, L for five thin Spaces thick, D for fix thin Spa¬ ces thick, or any other Letters near thefe feveral Thicknefles, as you think fit; only remember, or rather, make a Table of the number of thin Spaces that each Letter on the Shank is Caft for. And by complicating the Letters and Points, as aforefaid, you will have any Thicknefs, either to make a Gage by, or to ufe otherwife.
On the other Edge of the Face- Gage you may file three other Notches, of the fame Width with thofe on the former Edge, for the Long, the Aftending, and Short Letters. But though the two fides of each of thefe Notches are parallel to each other, yet is not the third fide fquare to them, but hath the fame Slope the Italick hath from the Roman ; as you may fee in the Figure at b b b.
^[. 6. Of Italick, and other Standing Gages.
Thefe Gages are to meafure (as aforefaid) the Slope of the Italick Stems, by applying the Top and Bottom of the Gage to the Top and Bottom Lines of the Letters, and the other Side of the Gage to the Stem : for when the Letter complies with thefe three fides of the Gage that Letter hath its true Slope.
The manner of making thefe Gages (and indeed all other Angular Gages) is thus.
Place one Point of a Pair of Steel Dividers upon the thin Plate aforefaid, at the Point c or d (in
Fig.
Numb. VII.
Letter Cutting.
89
Fig. D in Plate 10.) and with the other Point de- fcribe a fmall fine Arch of a Circle ; as, e f or g h. In this Arch of the Circle mu ft be fet off on the Gage a 1 1 o Degrees, and on the Gage b 70 Degrees, and draw from the Centres c and d two ftraight Lines through thofe numbers of Degrees: Then Filing away the Plate between the two Lines, the Gages are finifhed.
To find the Meafure of this, or any other num¬ ber of Degrees, do thus; Defcribe a Circle on a piece of Plate-Brafs of any Radius (but the larger the better) draw a ftraight Line exadtly through the Centre of this Circle, and another ftraight Line to cut this ftraight Line at right Angles in the Centre, through the Circle; fo fhall the Circle be divided into four Quadrants: Then fix one Foot of your Compaftes (being yet unftirr’d) in one of the Points where any of the ftraight Lines cuts the Circle, and extend the moving Foot of your Compaftes where it will fall in the Circle, and make there a Mark, which is 60 Degrees from the fixed Foot of the Compaftes: Then fix again one Foot of your Com¬ paftes in the Interfedtion of the ftraight Line and Circle that is next the Mark that was made before, and extend the moving Foot in the fame Quadrant towards the ftraight Line where you firft pitch’d the Foot of your Compaftes, and with the moving Foot make another Mark in the Circle. Thefe two Marks divide the Quadrant into three equal Parts : The fame way you may divide the other three Quadrants; fo fhall the whole Circle be divided into twelve equal Parts; and each of thefe twelve equal parts con¬ tain
9°
Mechanick Exercifes.
Seft. XII.
tain an Arch of thirty Degrees: Then with your Dividers divide each of thefe 30 Degrees into three equal Parts, and each of thefe three equal Parts into two equal Parts, and each of thefe two equal Parts into five equal Parts, fo fhall the Circle be divided into 360 equal Parts, for your ufe.
To ufe it, defcribe on the Centre of the Circle an Arch of almoft a Semi-Circle : This Arch mu ft be exactly of the fame Radius with that I prefcribed to be made on the Gages a b , from e to f and from g to h\ then count in your Circle of Degrees from any Diametral Line 1 1 o Degrees ; and laying a ftraight Ruler on the Centre, and on the 110 De¬ grees aforefaid, make a ftnall Mark through the fmall Arch; and placing one Foot of your Com- paffes at the Interfedtion of the fmall Arch, with the Diametral Line, open the other Foot to the Mark made on the fmall Arch for 1 1 o Degrees, and trans¬ fer that Diftance to the fmall Arch made on the Gage: Then through the Marks that the two Points of your Compaffes make in the fmall Arch on the Gage , draw two ftraight Lines from the Centre c: and the Brafs between thofe two ftraight Lines be¬ ing filed away, that Gage is made. In like manner you may fet off any other number of Degrees, for the making of any other Gage.
In like manner, you may meafure any Angle in the Drafts of Letters, by describing a fmall Arch on the Angular Point, and an Arch of the fame Radius on the Centre of your divided Circle: For then, placing one Foot of your Compaffes at the Interfe- dtion of the fmall Arch with either of the ftraight
Lines
Numb. VII.
letter^ Cuttings
91
Lines proceeding from the Angle in the Draft, and extending the other Foot to the Interfedlion of the fmall Arch, with the other ftraight Line that pro¬ ceeds from the Angle, you have between the Feet of your Compaffes, the Width of the Angle; and by placing one Foot of your Compaffes at the In- terfedlion of any of the ftraight Lines that proceed from the Centre of the divided Circle, and the fmall Arch you made on it, and making a Mark where the other Foot of your Compaffes falls in the faid fmall Arch, you may, by a ftraight Ruler laid on the Centre of the divided Circle, and the Mark on the fmall Arch, fee in the Limb of the Circle the num¬ ber of Degrees contained between the Diametral, or ftraight Line and the Mark.
If you have already a dividing-Plate of 360 De¬ grees, of a larger Radius than the Arch on your Gage, you may fave your felf the labour of dividing a Circle (as aforefaid,) and work by your dividing- Plate as you were dire&ed to do with the Circle that I fhewed you to divide.
In thefe Documents I have expofed my felf to a double Cenfure; Firft, of Geometricians: Secondly, of Letter-Cutters. Geometricians will cenfure me for writing anew that which almoft every young Begin¬ ner knows: And Letter-Cutters will cenfure me for propofing a Rule for that which they dare pretend they can do without Rule.
To the Geometricians I crofs the Cudgels: yet I writ this not to them; and I doubt I have written fuperfluoufly to Letter-Cutters , becaufe I think few of them either will or care to take pains to underftand
thefe
92
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XII.
thefe fmall Rudiments of Geometry . If they do, and be ingenious, they will thank me for difcovering this Help in their own Way, which few of them know. For by this Rule they will not only make Letters truer, but alfo quicker, and with lefs care; becaufe they fhall never need to ftamp their Counter-Punch in Lead, to fee how it pleafes them; which they do many times, before they like their Counter-Punch , (be it of A A V v W w V JV, and feveral other Let¬ ters) and at laft finifh their Counter-Punch but with a good Opinion they have that it may do well, though they frequently fee it does not in many An¬ gular Letters on different Bodies Cut by the fame Hand. And were Letter-Cutting brought to fo com¬ mon Practice as Joynery , Cabinet-making , or Mathe¬ matical Inftrument-making , every young Beginner fhould then be taught by Rules, as they of thefe Trades are; becaufe Letter-Cutting depends as much upon Rule and Compafs as any other Trade does.
You may in other places, where you find mo ft Convenience (as at /) make a Square, which may ftand you in ftead for the Squaring the Face and Stems of the Punch in Roman Letters, and alfo in many other Ufes.
And you may make Gages , as you were taught before to try the Counter-Punches of Angular Letters ; as, A K M N V X Y Z, Romans and Italicks , Capi¬ tals and Lower-Cafe. But then, that you may know each diftindt Gage , you may engrave on the feveral refpedtive Gages , at the Angle, A A 4 &c. For by examining by the Drafts of Letters, what Angle their Infides make, you may fet that Angle off, and
make
Numb, VII.
letter* Cutting*
93
make the Gage as you were taught before, in the Gage for the Slope of Italicks.
^[. 7. Of the Liner.
The Liner is marked E in Plate 10. It is a thin Plate of Iron or Brafs, whofe Draft is fufficient to exprefs the Shape. The Ufe of it is on the under¬ edge a b (which is about three Inches long) and is made truly ftraight, and pretty fharp or fine; that being applied to the Face of a Punch , or other piece of Work, it may fhew whether it be ftraight or no.
% 8. Of the Flat-Table.
The Flat-Table at F in Plate 10. The Figure is there fufficient. All its Ufe is the Table F, for that is about one Inch and an half fquare, and on its Su¬ perficies exactly ftraight and flat. It is made of Iron or Brafs, but Brafs moft proper. Its Ufe is to try if the Shank of a Punch be exadtly Perpendicu¬ lar to its Face, when the Face is fet upon the Table ; for if the Shank ftand then direddy upright to the Face of the Table , and lean not to any fide of it, it is concluded to be perpendicular.
It hath feveral other Ufes, which, when we come to Cafting of Letter s9 and Jufifying of Matrices , (hall be (hewn.
94
Mechanick Exercifes.
Se<ft. XII.
^[. 9. Of the Tach.
The Tach is a piece of Hard-Wood, (Box is very good) about three Inches broad, fix Inches long, and three quarters of an Inch thick. About half its Length is faftned firm down upon the Work-Bench, and its other half projedls over the hither Edge of it. It hath three or four Angular Notches on its Fore-end to reft and hold the Shank of a Punch ftea- dy when the End of the Punch is fcrewed in the Hand-Vice , and the Hand-Vice held in the Left Hand, while the Work-man Files or Graves on it with his Right Hand.
Inftead of Faftning the Tach to the Bench, I Saw a fquare piece out of the further half of the Tach, that it may not be too wide for the Chaps of the Vice to take and fcrew that narrow End into the Chaps of the Vice, becaufe it fhould be lefs cumberfome to my Work-Bench .
% 10. Of Furni/hing the Work-Bench.
The Work-man hath all his great Files placed in Leather Noofes, with their Handles upwards, that he may readily diftinguilh the File he wants from another File. Thefe Noofes are nailed on a Board that Cafes the Wall on his Right Hand, and as near his Vice as Convenience will admit, that he may the readier take any File he wants.
He hath alfo on his Right Hand a Tin Pot, of about a Pint, with fmall Files ftanding in it, with
their
Numb. VII.
Letter* Cutting*
95
their Handles downwards, that their Blades may be the readier feen. Thefe fmall Files are called Watch¬ makers Files , and the Letter-Cutter hath occafion to ufe thefe of all Shapes, viz. Flat, Pillar, Square , Triangu¬ lar , Round ' Half-Round , Knife-Files , <S?c.
He alfo provides a fhallow fquare Box, of about five Inches long, and three Inches broad, to lay his fmall Inftruments in; as, his Gages , his Liner , fome common Punches , <3V. This Box he places before him, at the further fide of the Work-Bench.
He alfo provides a good Oy l- St one, to fharpen his Gravers and Sculpters on. This he places at fome diftance from the Vice, on his Left Hand.
§. 13. ^[. 1. Of Letter-Cutting.
The Letter-Cutter does either Forge his Steel- Punches, or procures them to be forged ; as I fhewed, Numb. 1 . Fol. 8, 9, 1 o. in Vol. I. &c. But great care muft be taken, that the Steel be found, and free from Veins of Iron, Cracks and Flaws, which may be difcerned; as I fhewed in Numb. 3. Fol. I. For if there be any Veins of Iron in the Steel, when the Letter is Cut and Temper’d, and you would Sink the Punch into the Copper, it will batter there: Or it will Crack or Break if there be Flaws.
If there be Iron in it, it muft with the Chiffel be fplit upon a good Blood-Red-Heat in that place, and the Iron taken or wrought out; and then with another, or more Welding Heat, or Heats, well doubled up, and laboured together, till the Steel become a found entire piece. This Operation Smiths call Well Currying of the Steel. If
96
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sedt. XIII.
If there be Flaws in it, you muft alfo take good Welding Heats, fo hot, that the contiguous fides of the Flaws may almofl Run: for then, fnatching it quickly out of the Fire, you may labour it together till it become clofe and found.
Mr. Robinfon , a Black-Smith of Oxford , told me a way he ufes that is ingenious, and feems rational : For if he doubts the Steel may have fome fmall Flaws1 that he can fcarce difcern, he takes a good high Blood-Red Heat of it, and then twifts the Rod or Bar (as I fhewed, Numb. 3. Vol. I.) which Twilling winds the Flaws about the Body of the Rod, and being thus equally difpofed, more or lefs, into the Out-fides of the Rod, according as the Po- fition of the Flaw may be, allows an equal Heat on all fides to be taken, becaufe the Out-fides heat fafler than the In-fide; and therefore the Out-fides of the Steel are not thus fo fubjedt to Burn, or Run, as if it fhould be kept in the Fire till the Middle, or In-fide of it fhould be ready to Run. And when the Steel is thus well welded, and foundly laboured and wrought together with proper Heats, he afterwards reduces it to Form.
Now, that I may be the better underflood by my Reader as he reads further, I have, in Plate 10. at Fig. G defcribed the feveral Parts of the Punch ; which I here explain.
G The Face. a a, b b The Thicknefs. a b, a b The Heighth.
a c, b c, b c The Length of the Shank, about an Inch and three quarters long. c c c The Hammer-End.
This
Numb. viii. letter Cutting.
97
This is no Arid: Length for the Shank, but a con¬ venient Length; for fhould the Letter Cut on the Face be fmall, and confequently, the Shank fo too, and the Shank much longer, and it (as feldom it is) not Temper’d in the middle, it might, with Punch¬ ing into Copper, bow in the middle, either with the weight of the Hammer, or with light reiterated Blows : And fhould it be much fhorter, there might perhaps Finger-room be wanting to manage and command it while it is Punching into the Copper. But this Length is long enough for the biggeft Let¬ ters, and fhort enough for the fmalleft Letters.
The Heighth and Thicknefs cannot be aflign’d in general, becaufe of the diverfity of Bodies, and Thicknefs of Letters : Befides, fome Letters muft be Cut on a broad Face of Steel, though, when it is Cut, it is of the fame Body; as all Letters are, to which Counter -Punches are ufed; becaufe the Striking the Counter-Punch into the Face of the Punch will, if it have not ftrength enough to con¬ tain it, break or crack one or more fides of the Punch , and fo fpoil it. But if the Letter be wholly to be Cut, and not Counter-Punch’d, as I fhall here¬ after hint in general what Letters are not, then the Face of the Punch need be no bigger, or, at leaf!, but a fmall matter bigger than the Letter that is to be cut upon it.
Now, If the Letter be to be Counter-punch’d, the Face of the Punch ought to be about twice the Heighth, and twice the Thicknefs of the Face of the Counter-Punch ; that fo, when the Counter-Punch is ftruck juft on the middle of the Face of the Punch, a
con-
8
98
Mechanick Exercifes.
Sea. XIII.
convenient Subftance, and confequently, Strength of Steel on all its Sides may be contained to refill the Delitation, that the Sholder or Beard of the Counter-Punch finking into it, would elfe make.
If the Letter-Cutter be to Cut a whole Set of Punches of the fame Body of Roman and Italic a, he provides about 240 or 260 of thefe Punches , be- caufe fo many will be ufed in the Roman and Italica Capitals and Lower-Cafe , Double-Letters , Swajh-Letters, Accented Letters, Figures, Points, &c. But this num¬ ber of Punches are to have feveral H eighths and Thicknefies, though the Letters to be Cut on them are all of the fame Body.
What H eighth and Thicknefs is, I have die wed before in this §, but not what Body is; therefore I fliall here explain it.
By Body is meant, in Letter-Cutters, Founders and Printers Language, the Side of the Space contained between the Top and Bottom Line of a Long Letter. As in the Draft of Letters, the divided Line on the Left Hand of A is divided into forty and two equal Parts; and that Length is the Body, thus: J being an Afcending and Defcending Letter, viz. a long Letter, Hands upon forty two Parts, and therefore fills the whole Body.
There is in common Ufe here in England, about eleven Bodies, as I fiiewed in §. 2. ^[. 2. of this Volumne.
I told you even now, that all the Punches for the fame Body muft not have the fame Heighth and Thicknefs: For fome are Long; as, J j Q, and fe¬ veral others; as you may fee in the Drafts of Let¬ ters: and thefe long Letters Hand upon the whole Heighth of the Body. The
Numb. viii. letter* Cutting*
99
The Afcending and Defcending Letters reach from the Foot-Line, up to the Top-Line; as all the Capital Letters are Afcending Letters, and fo are many of the Lower-Cafe Letters; as, b d f, and fe- veral others. The Defcending Letters are of the fame Length with the Afcending Letters; as, g p q and feveral others. Thefe are contained between the Head-Line and the Bottom-Line. The Short Letters are contained between the Head-Line and the Bottom-line. Thefe are three different Sizes of Heighth the Punches are made to, for Letters of the fame Body. But in proper place I fhall handle this Subjedt more large and diftindtly.
And as there is three Heighths or Sizes to be con- fidered in Letters Cut to the fame Body, fo is there three Sizes to be confidered, with refpedt to the Thickneffes of all thefe Letters, when the Punches are to be Forged: For fome are m thick; by m thick is meant m Quadrat thick, which is juft fo thick as the Body is high: Some are n thick; that is to fay, n Quadrat thick, viz. half fo thick as the Body is high: And fome are Space thick; that is, one quarter fo thick as the Body is high ; though Spaces are feldom Caft fo thick, as fhall be fhewed when we come to Cajiing: and therefore, for diftindtion fake, we fhall call thefe Spaces, Thick Spaces.
The firft three Sizes fit exadtly in Heighth to all the Letters of the fame Body; but the laft three Si¬ zes fit not exadlly in Thicknefs to the Letters of the fame Body; for that fome few among the Capitals are more than m thick, fome lefs than m thick, and more than n thick ; and fome lefs than n thick, and
more
IOO
Mechanick Exercifes.
Se<ft. XIII.
more than Space thick; yet for Forging the Punches , thefe three Sizes are only in general Confidered, with Exception had to JE /E i^, and moft of the Swafh Letters; which being too thick to ftand on an m, muft be Forged thicker, according to the Work-man’s Reafon.
After the Work-man has accounted the exadl number of Letters he is to Cut for one Set, he con¬ fiders what number he fhall ufe of each of thefe fe- veral Sizes in the Roman , and of each of