Making and Knowing
A minimal edition of BnF Ms Fr 640 in English Translation

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Ways of bronze casting

Laiton de potin, which is the most acid, moulds neater than latten of cassole according to many people. All fine latten molds cleaner than red copper. If you want to cast something fragile and tenuous, the secret is casting as hot as possible so that the matter boils. You will know that it is hot enough when it smokes a lot and stirring it makes sparks. For heating well you should place your crucible as low as possible, close to the forging mill, so that the bellows blow on the middle of the crucible, thus it heats better than on the grate on which we usually put the crucible, under which the bellows blow. It is true that the crucible can easily break but you can lute it as you know founders do. You need to keep feeding the fire with coals, which are between the bellows and the crucible. Make sure to cast all at once and not in increments or drop by drop, otherwise the conduit will be plugged by the matter. It is better to make an abreveoir to abreuver the medal. It is necessary that you stir the melted matter with a stick, so that the matter at the bottom heats well. Because Iron turns the matter acid. Turn

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Some people add wool stuffing to heat up and make it runny.

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Place one large iron slab under your crucible, the plate will redden and this will maintain the heat under your crucible.

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Copper matter is good to cast because when broken, its grain is long and not short, that shows that the matter is soft. The matter is composed half of fine latten and half of red copper. This long grain is called longue tige long rod.