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

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Toad

Having been molded, you can take it out it without burning it, because it releases easilyfrom the mold. Choose the biggest and the lumpiest toads. Because they contain a lot of metal, it is best to mold them hollow, since they turn out better. You could make your cast in one great piece, but it would be troublesome to cut. It is best to do it in three or 4 parts, which will be thicker close to the animal, and include the most amount of edge that is close to the cast/mold. Make as well some casting conduits all the way from the end of the cast,

Figure at left bottom margin of folio 143r Figure

at left bottom margin of folio 143r

Let the mold cool rather than opening it, even for thick things.

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from one leg to another, so that the spread out limbs are in connection with one another due to the aforesaid casting conduits, which you will start in the waxless round parts that you have put at the edge of the legs to attract the metal. In this way, because you are casting in wax, there is no danger chipping any part of the molded animal. It’s quicker to make the wax casting conduits thus, because in this way you can cast the second mold after the first, rather than wait to do them the conduits after the mold has been recooked, because then, if possible, you will need to have everything ready. You need to heat well, and even redden the molds where there are wax conduits so that they melt and leave nothing inside.