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Mercury in the molds for cleaning



Heed well that your mold be quite cold before blowing to make
the ash go out, and after put in the ☿ to
achieve the cleaning. For if the mold is hot, the
☿ penetrates within & in flight, seeks out
conduits & leaves an odor of itself, which sours the
tin or other metal that you will cast there so much that
it will break if it touches it even slightly. The heat of the
mold also retains small grains of ☿
that make lumps & contracting to the edge of the molded leaves, are
joined there & make the leaves frangible. The
☿ cleans the ash well, especially flat
things where there are not delicate tracks which could be broken by its
weight. And thus, if you can cast neatly without putting it in, do not
use it. But if it is necessary to use it, mix your sand with
crocum in order that it withstands the fire well. And
after having put in the ☿, evacuate it, turning
the mouth of the mold to the bottom. Next reheat the
mold gently in order that the ☿ is gone
from everywhere. In this way I have cast a branch of
periwinkle, leaves & flowers, very neatly, having on the
flower a branch of  melted on the back of the flower 



Reheat the mold very red before q casting in it, in
order that the ☿ exhales well.

