Page:Embroidery and Fancy Work.djvu/96

92 above. To save expense, however, most fruits are cast hollow, which is effected as follows:—

Soak the two pieces of the mould in hot water. The wax should in the meantime be very slowly melted in a tin saucepan with a spout to it, care being taken not to let. it come to a boil, or it will be discolored. A lump the size of the object to be imitated, should, as a rule, make two casts.

As soon as the wax is melted thoroughly, place the saucepan on the stove, and taking the parts of the mould from the hot water, remove the moisture from their surfaces by pressing them gently with a handkerchief or soft cloth. Use a very light hand, merely pressing but not wiping the mould. Perform this drying process quickly, or the mould will be too cool, congealing the wax too rapidly:, and causing it to settle into ridges; on the other hand, the wax must not be too hot, or it will adhere to the mould, and will not come out entire.

Having laid the two halves of the mould so that there can be no mistake in fitting the one to its exact place on the other quickly, pour from the saucepan into one of the half moulds nearly as much wax as will fill the hollow made by the model, quickly fit the other half on top of it, squeeze the two pieces tightly together in the hand, and still holding them thus, turn them over in every possible direction, so that the wax which is slowly congealing in the internal hollow of the mould may be of equal thickness in all parts. Having continued this process at least two minutes, the hands (still holding and turning the mould) may be immersed in cold water to accelerate the cooling process. The perfect congealment of the wax may be known after a little experience by the absence of the sound of fluid in shaking the mould.

As soon as the mould is completely cooled, the halves may be separated carefully, the upper being lifted straight up from the under, and if the operation has been