148v - - - - - Molding turtles
Join the parts of your mold and fix very carefully clamps on all joints, which are on the top, the bottom and the sides of the mold; do not forget to notch the joints as you did with the other moulds. Once you have fixed all the clamps, remove the sides ones, not the others. Thus your mold, made of several pieces, will open as if it was only made of two parts. If you want to mould hollow, pierce a hole big enough to thread the end of your little finger in the middle of your mold’s belly. Widen the outside of the hole, like clervois, in order to cast the core. You could avoid all these difficulties if you didn’t mold hollow; you could then mold your turtle in two pieces, more quickly, and burn it inside of the mold like other animals. But a turtle is weighty, and would be heavy if not molded hollow. This is why it is considered better to mold it that way. It takes three days to make the proper hollow mould. To mold hollow and fantastic forms, you need very strong plaster which can withstand fire without bursting. But if you can’t get this kind of plaster, add to it a little more stone alum, and also add crocum, which fortifies it the plaster and makes the flaws —— if there are any —— so fine that they can be easily removed. Do not forget to tighten your mould with a press in order to avoid flaws that happen when your mold is not tight enough, or when it bursts. To repair it, if the lines are not apparent enough retrace with a burin, then soften the lines with a ciselet. You can remove the flaws with a chaple, a kind of burin. For the lumps and crumbly bits, they can be made with a gadet or a small carving tool which isn’t hammered, and hitting with a small file.
at left top margin
Make this hole before joining the mould.