A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.
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ORDER XVI.—MAKERS OF AND WORKERS IN PAPER; PRINTERS, BOOKBINDERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ETC.

Sub-order 2.—Printers, Bookbinders, and Photographers

524.—Stereotypers and Electrotypers



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backer-up
prepares back of copper shell received from electrotyper q.v., by brushing it with acid (to act as flux); lays sheet of tin foil on shell; places whole in shallow pan over molten metal (lead or an alloy thereof), causing tin foil to melt and spread in an even layer over back of shell; removes tray containing tinned shell to bench, and pours molten metal over shell to gauged depth; when cool, hands to finisher (electro) q.v.
black leader
coats wax moulds, received from wax moulder q.v., with powdered black lead by (i) brushing and polishing them with hand brush dipped in black lead;
(ii) placing moulds in a machine fitted with revolving brushes and fed with black lead; finally places moulds under running water to remove superfluous black lead, and passes them to wax moulder or to electrotyper q.v.
builder ; raiser
applies wax by heated hand tool to wax mould of electroplate to produce depressions on parts of plate not to be printed.
caster
see founder (stereo).
caster, mechanical
see monotype caster attendant.
caster, monotype
see monotype caster attendant.
electrotyper
receives wax mould from black leader q.v.; suspends mould, on rod, in bath of sulphate of copper through which an electric current passes, causing deposit of copper to form a shell on mould; decides when deposition is complete; removes mould from bath and shell from mould and p asses shell to backer-up q.v.
electrotyper's assistant
assists electrotyper q.v.
finisher (electro)
see stereo finisher.
finisher (stereo)
see stereo finisher.
founder (stereo) ; caster, platemaker
pours molten metal into casting box, which contains mould made from "flong," i.e., sheets of tissue paper and cartridge paper coated with paste, thus forming stereotype plate.
monotype caster assistant ; monotype caster operator's assistant
assists monotype caster attendant q.v.
monotype caster attendant, monotype caster operator ; mechanical caster; monotype caster, monotype casting machine attendant
operates and adjusts casting machine, which, when fed with paper roll punched by monotype keyboard operator (523) q.v., produces required type.
monotype caster operator's assistant
see monotype caster assistant.
monotype casting machine attendant
see monotype caster attendant.
moulder (stereo)
forms mould for casting stereotype plates from "flong," i.e., sheets of tissue paper and cartridge paper coated and damped with paste; lays flong on surface of type or plate to be moulded, and beats with heavy brush; removes mould so formed, presses and dries it in hand-manipulated hot press, and passes it to founder (stereo) q.v.
planer
see stereo finisher.
platemaker (stereo)
term used in newspaper printing, see founder (stereo).
raiser
see builder.
steel facer
puts a steel face on electro of engraved plate by a secret process of electro-deposition and case-hardening.
stereo finisher ; finisher (electro), finisher (stereo), planer, turner
planes down backs of stereotypes or electrotypes to required thickness with planing machine.
stereotyper
general term denoting any man engaged in part of the process of stereotyping, e.g., founder, moulder or finisher q.v.
stereotyper's assistant
assists stereotyper q.v. . .
turner
see stereo finisher.
wax moulder (electro)
pours molten wax from ladle on to metal plate or holder; after wax has set firm and surface has been treated by black leader q.v., lays photo-engraved plates, and/or type to be reproduced, face downwards on wax; presses whole in hydraulic press (hand or power operated); removes from press; lifts from wax, subjects which have been moulded; examines wax mould for defects, and passes it to black-leader again.

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.