FOUNDERY, 



of the compasses tarns. The stake is 

 encompassed with a solid brick-work, 

 perfectly round, about half a foot high, 

 and of the proposed bell's diameter. This 

 they call a mill-stone. The parts of the 

 mould are the core, the model of the bell, 

 and the shell. When the outer surface 

 of the core is formed, they begin to raise 

 the core, which is made of bricks that 

 are laid in courses of equal height upon 

 a lay of plain earth. At the laying each 

 brick they bring near it the branch of the 

 compasses, on which the curve of the 

 core is shaped, so as that there may re- 

 main between it and the curve the dis- 

 tance of a line, to be afterwards filled up 

 with layers of cement. The work is con- 

 tinued to the top, only leaving an open- 

 ing for the coals to bake the core. This 

 work is covered with a layer of cement, 

 made of earth and horse-dung, on M- liich 

 they move the compasses of construction, 

 to make it of an even smoothness every 

 where. 



The first layer being finished, they put 

 the fire to the core, by filling it half with 

 coals, through an opening that is kept 

 shut during the baking, with a cake of 

 earth, that has been separately baked. 

 The first fire consumes the stake, and the 

 fire is left in the core half, or sometimes 

 a whole day : the first layer being tho- 

 roughly dry, they cover it with a second, 

 third, and fourth ; each being smoothed 

 by the board of the compasses, and tho- 

 roughly di'ied before they proceed to 

 another. 



The core h>eing completed, they take 

 the compasses to pieces, with intent to 

 cut off the thickness of the model, and 

 the compasses are immediately put in 

 their place, to begin a second piece of 

 the mould. It consists of a mixture of 

 earth and hair, applied witli the hand on 

 the core, in several cakes that close toge- 

 ther. This work is finished by several 

 layers of a thinner cement of the same 

 matter, smoothed by the compasses, and 

 thoroughly dried, before another is laid 

 on. The first layer of the model is a 

 mixture of wax and grease spread over 

 the whole. After which are applied the 

 inscriptions, coats of arms, &c. besmeared 

 with a pencil dipped in a vessel of wax in 

 a chafing-dish : this is done for every let- 

 ter. Before the shell is begun, the com- 

 passes are taken to pieces, to cut off all 

 the wood that fills the place of the thick- 

 ness to be given to the shell. 



The first layer is the same earth with 

 the rest, sifted very fine ; whilst it is tem- 

 pering in water, it is mixed with cow's 



hair, to make it cohere. The whole, be- 

 ing a thin cullis, is gently poured on the 

 model, that fills exactly all the sinuosities 

 of the figures, &c. and this is repeated till 

 the whole is two lines thick over the mo- 

 del. When this layer is thoroughly dried, 

 they cover it with a second of the same 

 matter, but something thicker: when this 

 second layer becomes of some consist- 

 ence, they apply the compasses again, and 

 light a fire in the core, so as to melt off 

 the wax of the inscriptions, &c. 



After this, they go on with other layers 

 of the shell, by means of the compasses. 

 Here they add to the cow's hair a quanti- 

 ty of hemp, spread upon the layers, and 

 afterwards smoothed by the board of the 

 compasses. The thickness of the shell 

 co-nes to four or five inches lower than 

 the mill-stone before observed, and sur- 

 rounds it quite close, which prevents the 

 extravasation of the metal The wax 

 should be taken out before the melting of 

 the metal. 



The ear of the bell requires a separate 

 work, which is done during the drying of 

 the several incrustations of the cement. 

 It has seven rings ; the seventh is called 

 the bridge, and unites the others, being 

 a perpendicularsupport to strengthen the 

 curves. It has an aperture at the top, to 

 admit a large iron peg, bent at the bot- 

 tom ; and this is introduced into two 

 holes in the beam, fastened with two 

 strong iron keys There are models made 

 of the rings, with masses of beaten earthy 

 that are dried in the fire, in order to have 

 the hollow of them. These rings are 

 gently pressed upon a layer of earth and 

 cow's hair, one half of its depth ; and 

 then taken out, without breaking the 

 mould This operation is repeated twelve 

 times for twelve half-moulds, that two and 

 two united may make the hollows of the 

 six rings : the same they do for the hol- 

 low of the bridge, and bake them all, to 

 unite them together. 



Upon the open place left for the coals 

 to be put in are placed the rings that con- 

 stitute the ear. They first put into this 

 open place the iron ring to support the 

 clapper of the bell; then they make a 

 round cake of clay, to fill up the diameter 

 of the thickness of the core. This cake, 

 after baking, is clapped upon the open- 

 ing, and soldered with a thin mortar 

 spread over it, which binds the cover 

 close to the core. 



The hollow of the model is filled with 

 an earth sufficiently moist to fix on the 

 place, which is strewed at several times 

 upon the cover of the core ; and they 



