FOUNDERY. 



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both. The mould being finished, and in- 

 closed as described, whether under 

 ground or above it, a moderate fire is 

 lighted in the furnace under it, and the 

 whole covered with planks, that the wax 

 may melt gently down, and run out at 

 pipes contrived for that purpose, at the 

 foot of the mould, which are afterwards 

 exactly closed with earth, so soon as the 

 wax is carried off. This done, the hole is 

 filled up with bricks thrown in at ran- 

 dom, and the fire in the furnace augment- 

 ed, till such time as both the bricks and 

 mould become red hot. After this, the 

 fire being extinguished, and every thing 

 cold again, they take out the brides, and 

 fill up their place with earth, moistened 

 and a little beaten, to the top of the 

 ould, in order to make it the more firm 

 nd steady. These preparatory measures 

 icing duly taken, there remains nothing 

 but to melt the metal, and run it into the 

 mould. This is the office of the furnace 

 above described, which is commonly 

 made in the form of an oven, with three 

 apertures, one to put in the wood, an- 

 other for a vent, and a third to run the 

 metal out at. From this last aperture, 

 which is kept very close while the metal 

 is in fusion, a small tube is laid, whereby 

 the melted metal is conveyed into a large 

 earthen basin over the mould, into the 

 bottom of which all the big branches of 

 the jets or casts, which are to convey 

 the metal into all the parts of the mould, 

 are inserted. 



These casts, or jets, are all terminated 

 with a kind of plugs, which are kept 

 close, that, upon opening the furnace, the 

 " rass, which gushes out with violence, 

 nay not enter any of them, till the basin 

 e full enough of matter to run into them 

 all at once. Upon which occasion, they 

 pull out the plugs, which are long iron 

 rods, with a head at one end, capable of 

 filling the whole diameter of each tube. 

 The whole of the furnace is opened with 

 a long piece of iron, fitted at the end of 

 ach pole, and the mould filled in an in- 

 nt. This completes the work in rela- 

 ion to the casting part ; the rest being 

 " e sculptor's or carver's business, who, 

 king the figure out of the mould a"nd 

 earth wherewith it is encompassed, saws 

 the jets with which it appears cover- 

 ed over, and repairs it with chisels, gra- 

 ers, puncheons, &c. 



FOUNDKUT of bells. The metal for bells 

 has already been described. See BELL. 



The dimensions of the core, and the 

 wax, for bells, if a ring of bells especially, 

 are not left to chance, but must be mea- 

 sured on a scale, or diapason, which gives 



the height, aperture, and thickness ne- 

 cessary for the several tones required. 

 It is on the wax that the several mould- 

 ings, and other ornaments, are formed, to 

 be represented in relievo on the outside 

 of the bell. 



The business of bell-foundery is re- 

 ducible to three particulars : the propor- 

 tion of a bell; the forming of the mould; 

 and the melting of the metal. 



The proportions of our bells differ 

 much from those of the Chinese : in ours 

 the modern proportions are, to make the 

 diameter fifteen times the thickness of 

 the brim, and twelve times the height. 



There are two kinds of preparation, 

 viz. the simple and the relative : the for- 

 mer are those proportions only that are 

 between the several parts of a bell, to 

 render it sonorous ; the relative propor- 

 tions establish a requisite harmony be- 

 tween several bells. 



The particulars necessary for making 

 the mould of a bell, are, 1. The earth ; 

 the most cohesive is the best : it must be 

 well ground and sifted, to prevent any 

 chinks. 2. Brick-stone ; which must be 

 used for the mine, mould, or core, and 

 for the furnace. 3. Horse-dung, hair, and 

 hemp, mixed with the earth, to render the 

 cement more binding. 4. The wax for 

 incriptions, coats of arms, &c. 5. The 

 tallow, equally mixed with the wax, in 

 order to put a slight lay of it upon the 

 outer mould, before any letters are ap- 

 plied to it. 6. The coals to dry the 

 mould. 



For making the mould, they have a 

 scaffold, consisting of four boards, ranged 

 upon tressels. Upon this they carry the 

 earth, grossly diluted, to mix it with horse 

 dung, beating the whole with a large 

 spatula. 



The compasses of construction is the 

 chief instrument for making the mould, 

 which consists of two different legs, join- 

 ed by a third piece. And las' of al!, the 

 founder's shelves, on which are the en- 

 gravings of the letters, cartridges, coats 

 of arms, &.c. 



They first dig a hole of a sufficient 

 depth to contain the mould of the bell, 

 together with the case, or cannon, under 

 ground ; and about six inches lower than 

 the terre-pleine, where the work is per- 

 formed. The hole must be wide enough 

 for a free passage between the mould and 

 wa'ls of the hole ; or between one mould 

 and another, when several bells are to 

 be cast. At the centre of the hole is a 

 stake erected, that is strongly fastened in 

 the ground. This supports an iron peg, 

 on which the pivot of the second branch 



