Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
dislodging bricks or a small corner falling-out where work cut across joints.
These 'cements', given in Moxon and re-created for use by the author, prove
so tenacious that the brick will fail before the joint parts. The 'hot cement', the
recipe for which is described below, could both be made and used fresh, or left
to set as a block within a container and stored away ready for re-heating and
melting for use when required.
Although carving could be executed
in situ
, generally the 'lump' itself would
be constructed in the cutting-shed and then set into position as a solid masonry
element. Preparation and construction of the 'lump' in the cutting-shed gave
improved control over quality of execution, especially with 'hot cement', which
could be difficult to use on site.
Moxon (1703, 286) concludes his treatise by giving the ingredients for both
'hot' and 'cold' cement, and their respective methods of preparation:
To make the cold Cement.
Take ½ a Pound of Old Chefhire-Cheefe, pair of the Rine, and throw it away, cut
or grate the Cheefe very fmall, and put it into a Pot, put to it about a Pint of
Cows-milk, let it ftand all Night, the next Morning get the Whites of 12 or 14
Eggs, then take ½ a Pound of the best Unsclackt or Quick Lime that you can
get, and beat it to Powder in a Morter, then fift it through a fine Hair Sieve into
a Tray or Bole of Wood, or into an Earthen Difh, to which put the Cheese and
Milk, and ftir them well together with a Trowel, or fuch like thing, breaking the
Knots of Cheefe, if there be any, then add the Whites of the Eggs, and Temper all
well together, and fo ufe it; this Cement will be a White Colour, but if you would
have it of the Colour of the Brick, put into it either fome very fine Brick-Duft, or
Almegram, not too much, but only juft to colour it.
To make the hot Cement.
Take one Pound of Rozin, one Quarter of a Pound of Bees-Wax, half an Ounce
of fine Brick-Duft, half an Ounce of Chalk-Duft, or Powder of Chalk, fift both
the Brick-Duft and Chalk-Duft through a fine Hair Sieve (you may beat the
Brick and the Chalk in a Morter, before you fift it) boil altogether in a Pipkin, or
other Veffel, about a quarter of an hour, ftirring it all the while with an Iron or a
piece of Lath or fuch like, then take it of, and let it ftand 4 or 5 Minutes, and 'tis
fit for ufe.
Note, That the Bricks that are to be Cemented with this kind of Cement, muft be
made hot by the Fire before you fpread the Cement on them, and then rub them
to and fro on one another, as Joiners do, when the Glew two Boards together.
The remainder of Moxon's treatise is wholly concerned with the setting out of
arches, being of interest as they are of gauged construction. He concentrates
primarily on the, 'Semi-Oval, being an Ellipfis Arch' [semi-elliptical] and the
'Streight Arches' [flat] (Fig. 85).
