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Water, take it out, and roll it into a long Form, of the Thicknefs of your Thumb; 
and while it is yet warm, cut it into Pieces of two Inches long, more or lets. 
You may make double the Quantity of the Receipt, but cannot well make lefs. 
I have found that my Ground , by long keeping, has grown too hard and dry, which 
I have rectified by melting it down again, and adding a little Common Pitch . 
To lay the Ground on your P LATE . 
T AKE your Copper-Plate , and clear the Surface of it well from all Tarnifh or 
Dirtinefs ; then having foine Charcoal lighted, in an Earthen-pan,, or Chafing- 
difh, fix a fmall Hand-Vice to the Edge of your Plate, and you may then hold the 
Backfide of it downwards to the Charcoal Fire, that the polifhed Side may lie up- 
wards to receive the Ground or Varnifh. When your Plate is of a due Pleat, have 
a Piece 'of your Ground tied up in fome very thin Silk, or Sarfenet, to keep the 
dreggy Parts from getting through ; then pafs it over your Plate, in all Parts, that 
the Plate may be wholly cover’d j then take a little Wad of Cotton, tied up in a. 
thin Piece of Silk, and pafs it all over your Plate, to fpread your Varnifh even. When 
it is fo fpread, let the Plate gradually cook and while it is cooling dab it all over with 
your Cotton Puff, and it will lay your Ground Rill fmoother, and with a finer 
Grain, or rather fhew no Grain at all. When you have fo fpread your Varnifh on the 
Plate, have ready a very large Candle, and hold the varnifhed Side of the Plate over 
the Candle, moving it backwards and forwards, till it be of a good Black in every 
Part, but be careful the Snuff do not touch the Plate $ after which lay it to cool,, and 
it is fit to work upon. 
Care muft be taken in heating your Plate, for if your Fire be too fierce, your 
Plate will turn of a bluifh Colour : If you perceive any fuch Change on your Plate,, 
it muft be clean fed bright,, and heated again, for fuch burnt Places will not hold the 
Ground when the Aqua Fortis is laid on. When the Plate, is varnifhed, and cold,, 
you may try how your Ground bears the Needle, by hatching (in a wafte Corner), 
fome clofe Strokes two contrary Ways over each other 5 and if it is of a moderate 
Temperature, fo as neither to flick to the Fingers by its Softnefs, or fly from the 
Copper by its Brittlenefs, you may venture to beflow fome Labour on it, and proceed 
in your Work.— The next Thing in Order is* to trace your Defign on the Plate.. 
To trace the Out-Lines from a Print or Drawing on 
your Varnifhed Plate. 
A Print that is not of any Value, may be rubbed on the wrong Side with red; 
Chalk, red Oaker, Spanijh Brown, Indian Red, or any other fine foft Colour 
that will rub dry into the Grain of the Paper. When you have fo done, lay it on to 
your Plate, and be careful that it doth not flip in the Working; then trace over all 
the Out-lines of your Print with a Stick of Ivory, having a pretty . fmall fmooth 
Point ; for an actual fiharp Point will injure the Print, and perhaps raife the Varnifh, 
behind 
