[TOC] | [diplomatic]

[continued]

flour. And to flatten it, take a small stick of wood that is round and of an even thickness, which has at both ends a small circle that sticks out from the rest, in order to give the necessary thickness to your paste. And then with this rolling pin, flatten it so that it becomes thin and tenuous. Then apply it on the hollow part of your mold and press it down with cotton, and your figure will impress itself on the paste, in relief on one side, and hollow on the other. This done, with a brush that is dipped in melted butter, grease the part of the paste that is hollow. Then trim off the extra paste which extends beyond the hollow of the mold. Also oil your mold with olive oil, as you have done with others. Apply your clay contour, and cast your second mold. And you will have a medal as thin and hollow on one side as you wish. You can have various rolling pins which some edges are more raised than others, in order to make various thicknesses, or you can use sheets lead and copper of various thicknesses, or cardboard, all cut with the rolling pin.

Figure at left top margin

at left top margin

If you were to oil your paste, the paste would absorb the oil and it the oil would penetrate through the paste, right up to the edge of the mold and attack it. But butter remains on the surface of the paste, and does not penetrate it. For these back bits, you must not temper your sand with hot water, because it will melt the butter. Figure

Testing the virtues and strength of sand that is to be reheated

Once the sand has taken hold, you must find it soft and easy to cut, and not surly. It is better to test it in a large and fantastical mold, rather than a small one, because the big one will stay in the fire longer and the small one reheats very quickly.

Softening gold

Sometimes, you can find gold that is so dry that neither cement nor antimony can soften it. Only verdigris can soften this gold.