Making and Knowing
A minimal edition of BnF Ms Fr 640

[TOC] | [diplomatic]

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Way to rework spat

You find an earth in Germany, the color of cooked plaster, but have long and soft filaments which are easy to handle. Because it is mixed with earth and rubbish, one pounds it roughly and forms little balls having soaked it previously in sal ammoniac water, following the above indication. Reheat these balls in a potter’s furnace. And then soak them in the same water again. Earth and filth will remain at the bottom, and pure aspalt, which is light, soft and malleable as soaked flour, sticks to water and rises to the surface, making the water cloudy. Pour this cloudy water in another pot. Letting it rests, one empties the water tilting the pot or taking the water out using a sponge. And the pureaspalt remains at the bottom. Dry it and use it in frame, having moistened it with sal ammoniac water Then soak it into sal ammoniac water, and use it for frames in which it shrinks when reheated or dried, that is to say that one needs to reheat it again on a good fire and reddens it, as for example for medals and flat things. Use this one, because it is the best of all for gold, silver, copper, lead, latten, and tin. Because it withstands fire and reddens whenever you need, without deteriorating. The more you use it the better it is, and does not change. In the beginning it is white, and while using it turns grey. However make sure to put aside the one that served for casting lead and tin and latten, because gold would get brittle, and would not come out well. And even better, you will put some of this aside to use it for each metal.

at left top margin

See Gesnerus, De lapidibus

at left top margin

It withstands 10 or 12 casts without deteriorating. It withstands fire and reddens. It is well suited for all metals. It is so resistant that if the frame is grooved, it holds.

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spat almost does not set, even if it is reheated and even if it is a kind of plaster, which you can easily break with your fingers.

Excellent secret to mould in hollow and very delicately in fine gold

Cast your animal or lizard or other thing with the above mentioned sand, with alloyed silver and it will come out very neat. But make sure to mould it hollow, or at least leave a small hole in it or in another place. Then gild your animal with fine gold, as much homogeneously as possible, three, four or five times, until your gold becomes as thick as a piece of paper or anything similar. And the scales will always come out evenly. Then dip your cast into good aqua fortis, which will corrode the alloyed silver through the hole, and gold will remain hollow, light and wonderful.