Rose

Because the rose bloom is rather wavy, and its petals are all mixed up and arranged in various ways, it will not be beautiful if it is not painted, and you must also consider that its weight cannot supported by the tin stem which is sour and fine. One moulds the flower of the rose in a separate mould, casting it thickly so that it comes out more easily. Then one cuts the cast at the edges of the stem of the bud, in which you graft and solder a stalk of brass wire to which you also solder the leaves. But because this tin, being so thin, is hard to solder, and may melt some of the leaves and also the cast flowers; you should consider that cast flowers, especially roses, are not beautiful without being painted, so one does not make the effort to solder them, but instead one grafts the pieces that you want to join together and glues them with fish glue that has been a little moistened and melted until thick. And so that it takes better, you heat the work in tin lightly and for a long time, because if it is cold, the glue will not take. Once your flower is thusly repaired, you follow the joints of the added parts with some esbaucher wax, which is a white wax mixed with much well—ground ceruse, or even better, white lead, melting it and placing it on your work with a small warm bit of iron needle. In the same way you can repair the little filaments that are in the middle of the rose, or the holes that may appear in some of the petals. Then paint your rose realistically. If you cast your rose in gold or silver, you can also rejoin parts and solder its. And in those materials, when you have join something very delicate together with the flower, such as a fly or other similar things, fish glue is excellent, and holds very well, fixing it with a few little needles that act as nails. The leaves and buds can be cast in two molds that can be opened once they have been reheated, but not before. Then these things join up with the flower.