Melbourne Museum of Printing |
TOOLS AND MATERIALS COLLECTION
Bookbinders' Hand Tools |
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Bookbinders' Hand Tools
The Museum holds a number of tools used in hand bookbinding.
These are mainly the items needed for adding words or designs to the
book cover and are also referred to as finishing tools.
These are used by heating them (perhaps to 110 degrees celcius) and
pressing them onto a piece of gold leaf or stamping foil resting
over the cloth or leather to be printed.
- DECORATIVE ROLLS are brass wheels with a design engraved around
the edge, and attached to a long wooden handle.
- FILLETS are similar to rolls, but the design is only a straight
line (or more than one line).
- PALLETS are strips of brass with short handle attached. The edge
of the strip has a decorative or straight line pattern engraved,
similar to rolls and fillets. Typical length is six inches. The
pallet is usually curved, allowing the user to emboss it with a
rolling action.
- HANDLED ORNAMENTS are brass patterns engraved into the end of a
shank of brass, with a handle on the other end.
- HANDLED LETTERS are similar but have letters. A full set
consists of capital letters, punctuation and figures. Sets of
handled letters exist with a wide range of typefaces.
- TYPE HOLDERS are like a miniature chase on a handle. A line of
types (typically brass types, but normal printing types or even
Linotype (etc) slugs can be used) is inserted into the holder and
kept in place by pressure screws.
- Note that Brass
Types are listed in our Special Founts section.
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