Casting moulds, a barrel vault and siege notes

A plaster mould that resists fire and later dissolves

To make a plaster mould withstand fire, temper the plaster with oil of tartar. When the core of the cast must be broken out, immerse it in water, and any plaster wetted with that oil will dissolve entirely.

Building a barrel vault on centering (b, a)

The vault, labelled b and a, is begun underground: the stones are cleared with a trowel, then a long weighted rule held by two men is drawn over the centering to beat down the surplus earth, and the vault is walled with set stones. The centering can be struck on the second day.

A helmet and armour for scaling a wall

To scale a stronghold, make a wooden helmet like the one shown and arm the arms and thighs well, so that a stone thrown from above cannot break them during the climb. A companion tower is kept solid to the top of its batter with high windows against gunpowder.

Two sayings and the start of a witty tale

Among the centering notes Leonardo writes that 'the instruments of cheats are the seed of human blasphemies against the gods' and that 'the passion of the soul drives away lust,' then begins a witty reply about a washerwoman whose feet were reddened by the cold and a priest who passed by.

Foglio girato sul lato destro. Metà destra. Figura di telaio, con:

Figura d'uomo su scala:

Forno(?), con:

Metà sinistra lungo il margine superiore.

Figura di torre:

Figura di volta a botte, con:

Travi per centine:

Operazione aritmetica:

The sheet turned on its right side. Right half. Figure of a loom, with:

Figure of a man on a ladder:

Furnace (?), with:

Left half, along the upper margin.

Figure of a tower:

Figure of a barrel vault, with:

Beams for centering:

Arithmetical operation:

Casting moulds, a barrel vault and siege notes

On this page

A plaster mould that resists fire and later dissolves

Building a barrel vault on centering (b, a)

A helmet and armour for scaling a wall

Two sayings and the start of a witty tale