Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-11
HOW POTTERY IS MADE.
Methods OF workmen In a New Jersey
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Processes.

The f~ashioning of pottery from clay
may, at first glance, seem a simple pro-
cess, W. have all, as children, made
mud pies. The mud pie urchin is the
potter in embryo. But when you know
that the clay passes through thirty odd
processes or landings before the finished
dish is produced, and that it may have
received thirty of these landings only to
be utterly ruined at the thirty-iirst, and
the proposition looks somehow different.
The story of how a saucer il made is in
teresting. Imagine, in the first place,
three heaps of stuff that looks like ground
chalk. These are china clay, flint and
feldspar. They have already gone
through certain processes Of calcining,
grinding, ETC., before they reach the pot
terry, to fit them 10 the usr for which
they are intended. They are the p%otter's
raw material.
These three materials are mixed in GER
tain proportions, the formula for which
is said to be a secret known only 10 the
potters. When | was told this remem-
Der maryeling how it could have re-
manned a secret so long when IL was
known to so many. Still ! feel bound to
believe it is "a secret. Water is now
added until the mixture is like thin
cream. The cream or ''slip' is then
passed through a screening process by
running it over ''lawns' or fine cloths.
The impurities are thus removed. and the
cream-now containing pure pOtter's
clay only-tlows into a vat. from which
it is pumped into the presses. These are
canyas bags inclosed in shallow trays OF
wood. The water by pressure is forced
through the meshes of the canvas, lclv.
ing the clay behind. When the water is
all drained off the trays are opened, sle
canvas coverings thrown back. aud the
clay in leaves or cakes of the consist,
ency and color of putty, are disclosed.
These are rolled up and deposited in the
clay vault until the superlluous moisture
has evaporated. 1t is then submitted &c
the process Of "wedging' or beaiing to
expel the air, which if left in would
cause the goods to blister during the fir.
ing process. 1t is then ready for the
''presscr'' i. e., the man who shapes the
dishes out Of the clay.
The presSer does this with the aid Of q
mold Of plaster prepared by the mold
maker, the most important and highest
paid Of all the pottery employees. These
molds are Of every size and shape. ac-
cording to the goods to he produced.
The most elaborate are those for sanitary
use, called plumbers goods. The hol-
low ware mods are made in three pieces
the two sides and the bottom. liOl-
low ware comprises ewcrs, teapots, sugar
bowls, etc, rs distinguished from fiat
ware, or slucers, plates, T~latters, etc.
The saucer mold looks something like a
small apple pie. the upper surface of
which Is modelled with the reverse form
OF the inside of the saucer. This mold is
placed on a rapidly revolving iron cup
called ..iigyer." the presser takes "a lump
of soft clay, lattens it out with a blow
oil two OF a plaster stamp until II looks
like pte crust, picks it up and ilops II
over the revolving mold, where, with the
aid Of "a curiousiy shaped profile instru-
ment or tool, he instantly fashions the
clay into the form Of a saucer upside
down.
A good workman with n bov or two to
help him with the mods will fashion
many hundreds OF saucers daily in this
na.aner. The mold with the saucer on
top is then placed on a rack, where, by
means of steam pipes, it is dried. Tn.
saucer is then taken from the mold. the
edges trimmed off and the surface
sponged smooth. 1t is then placed in the
green room for a further drying pro.
cess.
The man who makes cups is called q
''thruwpr." and lac exercises a little more
skill ami dextcrity than the Natware pres.
ser in throwing the clay up into tht
proper shape. His ''jiggcr' also is Of a
different form. After the cup has been
shaped and dried it is turned in "A lathe
and then spongei, when it is ready tu &c,
company the saucer to the green rooul.'
When the saucer is perfectly dry it i
ready for its first or ''biscuit" baking. \
round vessel of coarse pottery, which
looks like nm old bandbox and is called 0
''sagger," is produced. White sand il
placed at the bottom. Then the sauceri
are RAGGED in layers, each layer bcina
covered with sand. Whea the saggcr i,
full strips Of common red clay, callel
''wads," are placed round the rim, ant
the sagger is ready for the kiln.
The kilns are about 90 feet high GuC
10 across, being circular in form. Theil
size is designated by the number of day
il will take TO Gil them. The one | saw
was called a 10 day kiln. because i
would take one man IL days to ill il
with saggers. Eight men were at worl
al it. ard il was filed in two days and
half. The saggers are placed in piles
called ''bungs." 20 feet high. Tn
"wads'' serve to steady the piles and e
keep out foreign substances, smoke ant
the like. when tie firing begins. On TIN
top of each "bung'' an Inverted saggeI
is placed for a like reason. When th,
kiln is full the opening is bricked up an,
the fires lighted. The crockery is sub
iected TO n heat Of 5000 degs. Fahren
heit for from 4s to GO hours. Then tn,
fires are put ont and the kiln allowed 4
cool for several days, when it is opened
care being taken not 10 let the cool al
chill the contents suddenly for fear o
cracking them.
Tho n,yt prac,uo "a that az Ulazin1