Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/831

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Foundry of Statues* Great Guns, and Sells.

The Art of Cajling Statues in Brafs, is very antient; 5n- fomuch that its Origin was too remote and obfcurc, even for the Refearch of c Pliny, an Author admirably fkill'd at dif- covering the Inventors of other Arts.

All we can learn for certain, is, that it was praclic'd in all its Perfection firft among the Greeks, and afterwards a- mong the Romans : And that the Number of Statues con- fecrated to the Gods and Hero's, furpafs'd all Belief.

The fingle Cities of Athens, "Delphos, Rhodes, &c. had each 5050 Statues ; and Marcus Scaurus, tho' only JEajlej adorn'd the Circus with no lefs than ;ooo Statues of Brafs, for the time of the CircenJzanGamzs.

This Tafte for Statues was carried to fuch a Pitch, that it became a Proverb, That in Rome the People of Brafs were not lefs numerous than the Roman People.

Among us, the calling of Statues was but little known, or praftie'd before the Seventeenth Century. See Statue.

As to the Cajling of Guns, 'tis quite Modern 3 and it were perhaps to be wifh'd, we were as ignorant of it as the An- tients.

All the Authors agree, that the firft Canon were caft in the fourteenth Century ; tho 1 fome fix the Event to the "Year 1338$ and others to 1380. See Canon, Ordnance, &c.

The Cajling of Sells is of a middle Standing, between the other two.

The Ufe of Bells is certainly very antient in the Weftern Church ; and the fame were likewife us'd in the Church of the Eaft. But at prefent Father Vanfleb affures us, in his fecond Account of Egypt, he had found but one Bell in all the Eaftern Church, and that in a Monaftery in the up- per Egypt. See Bell.

The Matter of thefe large Works is rarely any fimple Metal, but commonly a Mixture of fevcral, as Brafs, Bell Metal, ££?<?, We ihall here give the Procefs in the Foundry of each.

Method of cajling Statues, or Figures.

There are three things chiefly requir'd in cafting of Sta- tues, Bufts, Baffo-Relievo's, Vafes, and other Works of Sculpture ; viz. The Mould, Wax, and Shell or Coat.

The Mould, or Core, ("thus call'd from Cozur, as being in the Heart, or Middle of the Statue) is a rude, lumpifh Fi- gure, a little refembling the Statue intended. 3 Tis rais'd on an iron Grate, ftrong enough to fuftain it, and is ftrengthen'd withinfide by feveral Bars or Ribs of Iron.

It may be made indifferently of two forts of Matter, at the Difcrction of the Workmen, viz. Potters Earth mix'd up with Horfes Dung and Hair; or of PJaifter of Paris, mix'd with fine Brick Dull.

The Ufe of the Mould in Statues is to lefTen the Weight, and fave Metal. In Bells it lakes up all the Infide, and pre- ferves the vacant Space where the Clapper is hung. In Great Guns it forms the whole Barrel, from the Mouth to the Breech: And in Mortars, the Barrel, and Chamber.

The Wax is a Reprefentation of the intended Statue in Wax.

If it be a piece of Sculpture, the Wax maft be all of the Sculptor's own Hand, who ulually fafhions it on the Mouid it felf. Tho' it may be wrought a-part in Cavities moulded, or form'd on a Model, and afterwards difpos'd and arrang'd on the Ribs of Iron over the Grate, as before ; fil- ling the vacant Space in the Middle with liquid Plaifter, and brick Duft ; by which means the Mould, or Core is form'd in Proportion as the Sculptor carries on the Wax.

When the Wax ('which is to be the intended Thicknefs of the Metal) is fini/h'd, they fit little waxen Tubes per-

5endicularly to it, from Top to Bottom 5 to ferve both as ets for the Conveyance of the Metal to all Parts of the Work, and as Vent Holes, to give Paffage to the Air, which would otherwife occafion great Diforder, when the hot Me- tal came to encompafs it. By the Weight of the Wax us'd herein, is that of the Metal adjufted; ten Pounds of this lai-t being us'd to one Pound of the former.

The Work brought thus far, wants nothing but to be cover'd with its Shelly which is a kind of Coat, or Cruft laid over the Wax; and which being of a foft Matter, and even at firft liquid, eafily takes and preferves the Impreffion of every Part thereof, which it afterwards communicates to the Metal, upon its taking the Place of the Wax between the Shell and the Mould.

The Matter of this outer Cover, or Shell, is varied ac- cording as different Lays, or Strata are apply'd. The firft is a Compofition of putty and old Crucibles well ground, and fifted, and mix'd up with Water, to the Confiftence of a Colour fit for Painting. Accordingly, they apply it with a Pencil, laying it feven or eight times over 5 letting it dry betwixt whiles. For the fecond Impreffion they add Horfe ; s Dung, and natural Earth to the former Compofition : The third Impreffion is only Horfgs Dung and Earth. Laftly,

the Shell is finifh'd by laying on feveral more Impreflions of this lait Matter made very thick with the Hand.

The Shelf thus finifh'd is lecur'd and ftrengthen'd by fe- vcral Bands or Girts of Iron wound around it at half a Foot's Diftance from one another, and fatten *d at Bottom to the Grate under the Statue, and a- top to a Circle of Iron s where they all term mate.

Here it muft- be obferv'd, that if the Statue be fo big, that it won't be eafy to move the Mould when thus pro- vided, it muft be wrought on the Spot where it is to be caft.

This is performed two ways: In the firft, a fquure Hole is dug under Ground, much bigger than the Mould to be made therein ; and its Infides lined with Walls of Free- ftone or Brick. At the Bottom is made a Hole of the fame Materials, with a kind of Furnace, having its Aper- ture outwards. In this is a Fire to be lighted, to dry the Mould, and afterwards melt the Wax. Over this Furnace is piae'd the Grate ; and on this the Mould, £f7\ framed as above explain'd. Laftly, at one of the Edges of the fquare Pit is made another large Furnace to melt the Metal, as hereafter mention'd.

In the other way, 'tis fufficient to work the Mould above Ground; but with the fame Precaution of a Furnace ;;nd Grate underneath. When fintJh'd, four Walls are to be run up around it ; and by the Side thereof a Maflive made for a melting Furnace. ■

For the reft, the Method is the fame in both.

The Mould being finifh'd and inclos'd between four Walls, whether under Ground, or above it; a moderate Fire is lighted in the Furnace under it ; and the Hole cover'd with Planks, that the Wax may melt gently down, and run out at Pipes contriv'd for the purpofe at the Foot of the Mould, which are afterwards very exactly clos'd with Earth, as foon as all the Wax is carried off.

This done, the Hole is fill'd up with Bricks thrown in at random, and the Fire in the Furnace augmented, till fuch time as both the Bricks and the Mould become red hot 5 which ordinarily happen: : n 24 Hours. Then, the Fire be- ing cxtinguifh'd, and every thing cold again, they takeout the Bricks, and fill up their Place with. Earth, moiften'd, and a little beaten, to the Top of the Mould, in order to make it the more firm and fteady.

Things in this Condition, there remains nothing but to melt the Metal, and run it into the Mould.

This is the Office of the Furnace above; which is made in manner of an Oven, with three Apertures; one to put in the Wood, another for a Vent, and a third to run the Metal out at. From this laft Aperture, which is kept very clofe all the time the Metal is in Fufion, a little Tube or Canal is laid, whereby the molten Metal is convey'd into a large earthen Bafon over the Mould, into the Bottom of which all the big Branches of the Jets, which are to carry the Metal into all the Parts of the Mould, are inferted.

It muft be added, that thefe Jets are all terminated, or ftop'd with a kind of Plugs, which are kept clofe, that upon opening the Furnace, the Brafs, which gufhes out like a Torrent of Fire, may not enter any of them, till the Bafon be full enough of Matter to run into them all at once: Upon which occafion 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 Ftole of the Fur- nace is open'd with a long piece of Iron, fitted at the End of each Pole ; and the Mould filled in an Inftant.

The Work is now finifh'd ; at leaft fo much as belongs to the Cajling; the reft being the Sculptor's or Carver's Bufi- nefs ; who, taking the Figure out of the Mould and Earth, it is encompafs'd withal, faws off the Jets wherewith it appears cover'd over, and repairs it with Internments proper to his Art, as Chiffels, Gravers, Puncheons, &c.

Sell Foundry, or the Manner of cajling Sells.

What has been hitherto fhewn of the Calling of Sta- tues, holds, in proportion, of the Calling of Bells : AU that there is particular in thefe latter, is as follows.

Firft, then, the Metal is different ; there being no Tin in the Metal of Statues; but no lefs than a Fifth Part in that of Bells. Secondly, the Dimenfions of the Mould, or Core, and the Wax of Bells, efpecially if it be a Ring of feveral Bells that is to be caft, arc not left to Chance, or the Caprice of the Workman ; but muft be meafur'd on a kind of Scale, or Diapafon, which gives the Height, A- perture, and Thicknefs necefifary for the feveral Tones re- quired.

It need not be added, that 'tis on the Wax, that the fe- veral Mouldings, and other Ornaments and Infcriptions to be reprefented in Relievo on the Outfide of the Bell, are form'd.

The Clapper, or Tongue, is not properly a Part of the Bell, but is furnifh'd from other Hands.

In Europe, it is ufually of Iron, with a large Head at the Extreme, and is fufpended in the Middle of the Belt

In