Of makeing of moulds for the founding of Ordnance.
THe Master Founder having prepared, and resolued of what kind, and what sort of that kinde the Ordnance is, which he intends to cast, he is then first to make a perfect Modell there of, either of timber, or of Earth, orboth, with all the Mouldures, Ornaments, & compartiments, euen as you would have the peece to be, which you must thinnely annoint with soft hogt-grease, and then cover it over uith a Colume of the afore said tempered Earthp, made and dryed by little and litle, aug∣menting it, vntill it be of a Competent strength, and thicknesse. This Colume must be made so, as it may be taken into two or more parts, to the end, to take the said modell, or patterne out of yt, and it is to beforti∣fyed on the outside, with plates of yron, at long as the Chase of the peece is, and with yron Wyres an inch each from an other, and lastly with y-ron Hoopes a foote, or two assunder, to knock off, and on, as occasion shall require. Their must elso be a smooth, and equall Cillender, whose Dyamitre must be iust the beigth of the Bore, and made of the same Earth, moulded vpon a stronge Iron square Barre, and vpon a Cord woulded about the same, to make therewith the soule, Concaue or hollow Cillinder of the peece, by placing yt (by helpe of the Base, and Muzzle ring) exactly in the midst of the Vacuity of the outermost Colume, which whenthe Patterne, or Modell Shalbe taken out, will remaine hollow, to receiue the metrall, that must make the bodie of the peece. All these must be well ioynted together, polished smooth, dryed Nealed, that the met∣tall maye runne fine, and come off smooth and neate.
Lastly, the patterne of the breech, with all the Mouldures, and Cascabell, is in like manner to be Couvered ouer, by litle and litle with the same tempered Earth, which must afterwards be Luted neatly, and strongly to the breech end of the outter Colume: all which Mouldures, Rings, Armes, Devises, Flowers, Trunions, Dol∣phins, and Circles, maye be at pleasure added there vnto, vpon the patterne, either with waxe, earth, or play∣ster, and so the perfect Impression thereof wilbe receiued by the Concavity of the outward Colume, keeping still the due prescribed proportion of the peeces (yow intend to cast) accordingto the kind & sort thereof, for the rest se master Norton in his 21, & 22 Chapters of the practize of Artillerie.
Having thus digressed, I will returne againe to my former matter, and giue the gentle Reader to vnder stand, shat the States have Conditioned with their Master Founder, that he shalbe at the charge of ma∣keing all Mouldures, Formes, castings, borings, and finding of firing, for which he hath from the States six gildens, or 12 hillings starling, for the founding, of 100 lb. weight; so that for a whole Canon, which weighs 7000 lb. weight, he hath 840 gilders for him and his men, the rest proportionally. Now when any old brasse peeces are to be cast, they are deliuered to him by weight, and he is allowed him ten pounds in every 100 lb. weight for drosse and wast: for you must vnderstand, that Copper & brasse have much more drosse in them, then gould or silver, because the finer the Alloye is, the lesser it will consume by fire.
The greatest number of new peeces cast in the States Founderie at the Hagh, euery yeare by the helpe of some, 20 men are sixe whole Canons, twelve half Canons, and sixe long Feild peeces, or demy Culvering, makeing in all the number of 24 peeces of Ordnance. But of late yeares they cast diverse sorts of french short Demy Canon, and smaller Drakes, as now the occasion of fervice requires.
These Ordnance being founded and made, the Master Feunder is to deliuer them to the States vpon Proofe in the presence of some Commissioners, and the Controuleur of the Ordnance, who are to ouersee them, and to take care, that the peece, which is to be tryed, be well loaded with her due weight of powder, and bullet, and rammed well home.
The proofe of a whole Canon which weights 7000 lb. weight, and carries an yron bullet of 48 lb. weight must be charged with 32 lb. of fine powder, and with the bullet aboue said well rammed home; but the ordi∣nary charge then of it wilbe noe more then 20, 19, or 18 lb. of sine pouder at the least: A halfe Canon which weighs 4500 lb. weight and shootes a bullet of 24 lb. weight, the proofe Shott must be 16 pounds of fine powder & the ordinarie charge 12 lb.
A Feild peece, which weighs 3200 pound weight, carrying a bullet, of 12 lb. must be loaded with nine pounds of fine powder, but the ordinarie charge is noe more but sixe pounds.
The Faulconet, that weighs 2100 lb. which carries a bullet of sixe pound weight, must be loaded with 4 and a halfe lb. of fine powder for it proofs shotr, and with 3 lb. for its ordinarie charge.
Note also, that a Canon, which shoots a bullet of 48 lb. must be bored for a bullet of 52 lb.
Weight, A Demy Canon, which carries a bullet of 24 lb. must be bored for a bullet of 28 pound.
Weight, A quarter Canon, which carries a bullet of 12 lb. must le bored for a bullet of 16 lib.
A Faulconet which carries a bullet of 6 lb. weight, must be bored for a bullet of 8 lb.
Your whole Canon, and Demy Canon, are commonly peeces for Batterie, vsed at seiges for to make a breach, but your Feild peeces, and Drakes are to be drawne to some suddaine peece of seruice, as in the day of Battle, vpon a Passage, or vppon Plate Formes, & Batteries made vpon the line of Circumvalatione, or for the defence of a Campe, when an ennemy is at hand, and the rest of the short chambred Drakes likewise.
A Canon or a smaller peece of Ordnance, maye shoote in 12 howres some 80 shoot, yea 100, if it be not Ouer Heated, but after yow have made with it some 10 or 12 shott at the most, it must have a Cooling time, by casting ouer the breech of it a Danck hair cloath a pretie while, and that will coole it enough.