Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-06-19

Making Chinaware.
Interesting Description OF How the WOrh
Is Dono In Worcester, England.

Interesting Description OF How the WOrh
Is Dono In Worcester, England.
Close beside Worcester cathedral are
the ugly workshops and tall ohimneys
of the Royal porcelain works. When we
watch the thrower molding on his magic
wheel the plastic clay we are filled with
wonder at his skill and ask ourselves
whence came the clay which takes SO
readily any form the potter wills The
| flint powders found upon the plains OF
Brittany in France, feldspar from Corn
wall and Sweden, bones from America,
besides other things, all pay tribute.
These unlikely constituents are calcined
and then ground exceedingly fine III
mills. The grinding takes from IL
hours to @ days. 1t is a sight worth see
ing, those powerful mills racing round
the deep trough (made out of stone from
Derbyshire) weighted with heavy blocks,
churning each material, for each is
ground separately, into thick white
cream. When finished, the liquids are
strained through fine hair sieyes' and
all Particles of iron withdrawn by means
of magnets. The different ingredients
are then mixed together in proper pro-
portions and kneaded into the required
consistency, and then the clay is ready
for the thrower.
The art Of molding clay has become
much more exact since the employment
Of plaster Of paris molds. After the
thrower, with the help of his wheel, has
roughly shaped the clay into what is
termed the Ginning it is taken off the
wheel and put into plaster OF paris
cast, which, in turn, is placed upon the
whirling wheel, and the "lining" IS
then deity nodded to the exact shape.
AS plaster of paris absorbs moisture
quickly the lining is soon firm enough
to be handled. 1t is then "turned" like
ordinary wood or metal. and has han
dies, which have been nodded in plaster
of paris, fixed by the same clay.
1t was always a puzzle to our minds
how the handles were induced not only
to stick ON to the jugs and cups, but to
bear the weights Of the same cups and
Jugs when full Of liquid. The porcelain
is then ready to be baked. For this it is
, packed in fireproof baking dishes called
"seggars'' and supported on every side
. by powdered calcined flint. These seq
CARS are made to fit exactly one upon
/ the other, although they are of different
sizes and depths, and they are arranged
in columns side by side in the oven.
This oven is then bricked up and eight
, fires are lighted and kept burning for 4e
, | hours, night and day. The oven takes
four days to cool, and then the contents
l are unpacked and are ready for variety
of processes.
: Most of the china is glazed, an opera
0 ton requiring care and skill The artl
cles are bathed in the liquid glaze
.. muddy looking broth-and the greater
a part of the superfluous glaze shaker
. off. But it is impossible to free then
Y perfectly; besides, the fipgers leave
n marks which have to be removed aftel
:. the glaze has been dried in hot room
Q Women and girls are employed for thi
work. The ivory glaze is delicat'
= salmon pink before it is baked, the whit
. a dark drab. After it is glazed, the pot
h terry for the second time, is packed in seq
o gars and baked. After this the colore'
|, china is painted and baked again. Tn
@ gold is also baked in. Few people know
y that the gilt ON china is the purest golf
u that can be bought. 1t is ground witt
=, mercury and turpentine into blacI
Il looking paint and applied with fin
Il camel's hair pencil Boys are traine
n for this work from ii years Of age,
- being nearly impossible for older peopl
it to acquire the accuracy of eye and han
If necessary. 1t is great drawback to tn
production of artistic pottery that tn
= coloring is totally different in the pain
- to the result after burning. For instance
,r gold paint is black before and dull gol
le afterward; the brightness is produce
* by polishing it with an agate Othe
TT colors are obtained from metallic o1
IS ides; iron gives red, cobalt, blue, ETC.
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