Lead Came: Window Rods Cast in a Split Wooden Mould (Theophilus, tr. Hendrie 1847)

Theophilus' way to cast window leads without an iron mould: a stick of fir is split, a groove marked with a red-dyed flax thread and cut along both halves, the halves bound with a strap and the lead poured in again and again until the hot lead has burnt the groove to the bottom. Each rod is then trimmed in a slotted wooden gauge, cut with a knife on both sides and scraped smooth. Source: Theophilus, De Diversis Artibus, Book II, ch. XXVI, tr. R. Hendrie (1847), pp. 149-151. Picture: p. 151.

متوسط

Unknown

التعليمات

Split and mark the wood

Take fir or another wood that splits smoothly, the size of the iron mould (a yard long, two fingers broad, a finger thick). Split it and round the outside. Mark each end of both pieces for the width of the rod. Stretch a thin twisted flax thread wet with red colour from mark to mark on one inner face and press the other piece against it, so the line shows on both; do the same for the second line.

الأدوات المطلوبة:

قالب أشرطة الرصاص للزجاج المعشق

خيط كتّان

سكين حِرَفية

Cut the groove

Cut the groove between the lines with a knife, as wide and deep as you wish, but not through the lower end; leave an opening at the top for pouring.

الأدوات المطلوبة:

سكين حِرَفية

قالب أشرطة الرصاص للزجاج المعشق

Cast the rods

Melt the lead as for the iron mould. Bind the two halves together with a strap from top to bottom, hold the mould with a wooden holder and pour in the lead; loosen the strap and take out the rod. Bind and cast again until the burning reaches the bottom of the groove; after that you can cast gently as many as you wish.

المواد لهذه الخطوة:

سبيكة رصاص1 pure lead

الأدوات المطلوبة:

قالب أشرطة الرصاص للزجاج المعشق

سير جلدي

قِدر فخّارية

فحم نباتي

مغرفة

Trim the rods

Cut a piece of wood two fingers wide and as thick as the inside of the groove, split in the middle at one end so the rod fits into the slit. With the rod in it, cut it with a knife on both sides, then smooth and scrape it as you like.

الأدوات المطلوبة:

سكين حِرَفية