Marbling
Before proceeding to a description of the marbles, and other designs on the covers coming under the general head of marbling, it will be proper to give a few directions relative to some important matters required in the way of preparation. As the success of many of the designs depends upon the quickness with which they are executed, it will be important that the colours, sponges, brushes, &c. are previously disposed in the best order, so as to be of the readiest access. Attention should be paid to the probable quantity that may be required of each colour, as many of them will not be available for use another time.
The books should all be previously washed with paste and water to which has been added a little pearlash liquid, and left to dry. After this they must be glaired equally over, and when dry placed upon the marbling-rods, the sides of the books extending over and the leaves hanging between. The rods must be placed on an elevation at the top, so as to allow the water to run gradually towards the bottom of the books; and, if the backs are required to be left plain, another rod, or piece of board, grooved to the shape of the back, placed on them. To avoid the scum arising from the beating of the brushes over the colours, it is better to rub the ends of the bristles on the palm of the hand, on which a little oil has been spread. These preliminaries being settled, the operation of marbling commences, for which we shall now give directions.
COMMON MARBLE.
The book being placed on the rods, throw on the water prepared for marbling in large drops, with a coarse brush, or bunch of quills, till the drops unite. Then, with a brush charged with the black liquid and beaten on the press-pin as directed for sprinkling the edges, a number of fine streaks are produced by throwing the colour equally over the cover. Afterwards the brown liquid must be similarly thrown over. When the veins are well struck into the leather, the water must be sponged off and the book placed to dry.
If the volume has been previously coloured with any of the preparations before described, and it is wished to produce a marble thereon, the brown must be thrown on first, and then the black; as without this precaution the marble would not strike, because of the acid which forms part of the colours. This observation being applicable to all the other designs, it will not be necessary again to repeat it.
ANOTHER.
Throw on the vinegar-black, then the brown, and lastly a sprinkle of vitriol-water.
PURPLE MARBLE.
Colour the cover two or three times with hot purple liquid, and, when dry, glaire. Then throw on water, and sprinkle with strong vitriol-water, which will form red veins.
STONE MARBLE.
After throwing on the water, sprinkle boldly with the black liquid; then, with a sponge charged with strong brown, drop the colour on the back in three or four places, so that it may run down each side in a broad stream, and afterwards operate with vitriol-water on the parts the brown has not touched.
GREEN AGATE.
Sprinkle black, in nine times its quantity of water, in large drops over the whole surface of the cover, and when the drops unite apply on the back at regular distances the green liquid, so that it may flow on the boards and unite with the black.
BLUE AGATE.
Proceed as above, only substituting blue in place of the green, weakened with water according to the shade required.
FAIR AGATE.
Commence by sprinkling black in small drops at a good distance from each other; afterwards sprinkle equally over large drops of weak potash.
AGATINE.
Proceed as for the green agate, and then sprinkle scarlet all over the cover; finally, throw on blue in small drops, weakened in four times the quantity of water.
LEVANT MARBLE.
After the water, throw on the back-brown in broad streaks as directed for the stone, and then in like manner the aqua regia. This will be found to imitate closely the Levant marble.
PORPHYRY VEIN.
Throw on large drops of black diluted in double the quantity of water. When the colour has struck well into the leather, sprinkle in the same manner brown mixed equally with water. Then apply a sprinkle of scarlet, and afterwards large spots of yellow, the liquid nearly boiling. While these colours are uniting, throw on weak blue, and then aqua regia, which, flowing together down the sides of the book, will form the vein distinctly.
RED PORPHYRY.
Sprinkle with black in eight times the quantity of water, very equal and in small spots. Let it dry, rub, and glaire. Then give two or three sprinkles of fine red, and one of scarlet, and again leave to dry. Finally, sprinkle scarlet in small spots as equally as possible.
GREEN PORPHYRY.
For this design the cover must be finely sprinkled over three separate times, leaving the colour to search and dry between each. The green must be brought to the shade required by mixing with water. To form a more elegant vein, sprinkle first with weak black, and afterwards with green, and when dry with fine red.
PORPHYRY.
This marble, imitating the eye of the partridge, is executed by throwing on black in eight times its volume of water, in small drops, but so close as to just run into each other. When the black begins to flow, sprinkle over brown mixed equally with water. Let it dry, wash the whole with a sponge, and before quite dry again give it two or three coats of fine red. After being dry and well rubbed, sprinkle equally over the surface large drops of aqua regia.
ANOTHER.
Colour the cover with red, yellow, blue, or green, and, when dry, with black diluted as above; let this also dry, and then sprinkle over large or small drops of aqua regia. The eye of the partridge is properly formed with blue sprinkled upon the weakened black, and, when dry, with the killed spirit or aqua regia.
ROCK.
Throw on large drops of black prepared as for the porphyry, and, when half dry, weakened potash in the same manner. When dry again, sprinkle on equally small spots of scarlet, and lastly aqua regia.
GRANITE.
Mix black in about fifty times its quantity of water, and sprinkle equally over very fine, repeating it as it dries five or six times. Then, in like manner, sprinkle over with brown, and, after rubbing well, glaire lightly. Finally, sprinkle finely over with aqua regia.