It is almost always possible in any type of production work to reduce the amount of work involved without sacrificing the quality of the item. This is the most important factor in production and should be given the utmost consideration. When you have prepared your sample model, take the time to study it carefully. There are, in all probability, many steps which could be eliminated in the decoration without destroying the artistic value of the piece. Here is the crucial point in the success of your item. It must be attractive enough to sell, but simple enough to produce at a profit.

All unnecessary detail and intricate brush-work should be eliminated at the start. If you do feel the need for some brushwork to give distinction to the item, plan the piece so that one or two brush strokes can be added as an accent, making them simple enough not to hamper your speed of production. The inclusion of handwork will depend upon the market for which you are aiming, but remember” that

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Good organization is essential to any production work. It is necessary to plan your work and working area so that the maximum amount of work is achieved in a minimum amount of time. This can be done in many ways. The first step is to arrange your shop or studio into efficient working areas. A general plan is as follows: the molds and slip in one area; next, the glazing equipment; then, the kiln and storage space for bisque ware; and, finally, the decorating and packaging area. This plan will have to be worked out according to the size and shape of your building and will require a great deal of careful thought. It may be necessary to rearrange your shop several times before arriving at the most practical plan for your individual needs.

After the working space has been arranged, the actual production methods must be planned. Since you are interested in quantity, you will want to pour as many pieces as possible in the shortest time. This can be accomplished by pouring a quantity

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While many readers will be concerned with only “one of a kind” ceramics, others may be interested in producing a quantity of ceramic pieces to sell. For this group of ceramists, here are a few suggestions on how to organize the work in the most efficient and profitable manner.

Multiple molds

For production purposes it is advisable to select molds of not more than three or four sections. Molds of more than four pieces require a great deal of time to assemble and occupy a considerable amount of working space. Although it can be done and is done; this is a specialized type of operation and, unless you plan to produce a small, expensive line, it is best to confine yourself to two-, three- or four-piece molds from which you can produce quantity work.

Instead of depending on one mold for each model, use a number of identical molds to cast many more pieces at one time. To speed up the casting operation even more, you can make or buy molds consisting of more

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OVERGLAZES

For enameled pieces that require fine detail work, overglazes can be used. They are applied in the same manner on enamels as on ceramics. With overglazes the enamelist can incorporate fine lines into the design and create a three-dimensional effect by shading the overglazes with a stippling brush or a watercolor brush with the bristles cut off squarely. However, do not overdo the use of overglazes or you may find that your enameled piece has become a china-painted piece; while china painting has admirable qualities of its own, it does not have much of the true enamel quality.

After overglazing, let the piece thoroughly dry so that the oil is dissipated. Then fire it at about 1200 -1300 and remove it from the kiln in two or three minutes in the same manner as other enamels.

FINISHING

After your enamel piece is completed, the exposed copper areas must be polished since they will be black from fire scale. The edges can be cleaned by hand with a fine

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In enameling, as well as in ceramics, techniques can be combined and arranged in endless ways. The wet charge technique can be vastly improved by the addition of dusted enamels used to shade the flat areas and to soften the background. On the other hand, if dusting is used as the basic technique, a few wet charge accents will strengthen the decoration. (See Appendix.)

A sgraffito technique can be combined nicely with silver or gold paillons. After the paillon has been given a coat of transparent enamel and fired, dust an opaque enamel over it, covering it either partially or completely. Then sgraffito lines or small areas through the opaque enamel. The resulting lines or areas will be metallic foil. With this technique it is possible to do away with the sharp edges of the paillons which are apt to produce a pasted-on effect. Wet charge can also be used to cover up the hard edges of the paillon. An added advantage of sgraffito or wet charge over foil is the pleasant fact that the

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Metal foils

It is possible to attain the effect of enameling on silver or gold without actually using these expensive metals. Silver and gold foil can be substituted. You can obtain both gold and silver foil in booklets of approximately twelve sheets or in individual sheets. The foil is extremely delicate and must be handled with the utmost care. Because it tears so easily, it should be held between two sheets of tracing paper and then cut into whatever shape is desired with sharp scissors or a razor blade. The areas that are cut from the foil are called “paillons.”

The paillon is applied to an enameled surface, usually in the last stages of decoration since the foil tends to burn and should not be subjected to too many or too high firings. Before it is applied to the piece, you should prick it with pin points to allow the air to escape from under it when it is fired. This needn’t be done if the paillon is smaller than a square inch. With a pair of tweezers,

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We have discussed stencils in relation to ceramics and the procedure is basically the same for enameling. Fire a base coat of enamel and apply gum to the enameled piece as you would for a simple dusting technique. The stencil shape can be cut from newspaper or paper toweling with enough margin left around the cut-out area to protect the rest of the piece from undesired enamel. Place the stencil on the enameled surface, dust on a contrasting enamel and then remove the stencil carefully without disturbing the enamel. Enamel that has become dislodged can be pushed back into position with a fine brush.

While this is an easy way to enamel a design, the hard outlines of the stencil are not always attractive. To soften such a design, go over the edges with wet charge. This will go a long way toward eliminating the obvious and mechanical stenciled appearance and will add a great deal of richness to the decoration. You can also add other non-stencil touches-shading, metal foil, over-glaze

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A line design can also be achieved by drawing a design on a fired enameled piece with gum or squeegee oil (a thick oil used in silk screen printing) and then dusting an opaque enamel on the piece and refiring it. The enamel will adhere only to the gum or oil lines and will shake off the rest of the surface, leaving enameled lines.

Illustration 152
A sgraffito design is again used against different color enamels. Be sure to blow away any enamel particles that get in the way of the sgraffito lines.

Illustration 153
Apply stencils to enamels in much the same way as you do to ceramic pieces.

An embossed line is often an interesting variation of texture on an enameled piece and can be produced by the wet charge method. A hard or high firing wet enamel is pushed into lines, with the enamel heaped high to about 1/16 of an inch. The piece is fired and withdrawn before the enameled lines

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A sgraffito technique can be used very effectively in enamel work, especially since it is difficult to achieve a line design with enamels without resorting to overglazes. A base coat of transparent or opaque enamel is applied and fired. This will be the color of the line design. Opaque enamels are then dusted over the piece in a design pattern. For example, if the design is to be a flower, the color chosen for the flower should be dusted in approximately the area where the flower is to be scratched, the color of the leaves then dusted in their approximate area, etc. Naturally, the design will look somewhat vague at this point, as it is nothing more than a color pattern. Shake off the excess enamel before starting any sgraffito work; too much enamel will render the scratching difficult. Using the colors as your guide, scratch the design through the enamel with a very sharp pencil, blowing away any loose particles of

Illustration 147
Sgraffito

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Firing

Enamels may be fired in a special copper enameling kiln or in a ceramic kiln that opens from the front. Unlike ceramic firing which is slow firing from cool to hot to cool again, enamels are fired rapidly in a preheated kiln (1400 -1500 ) and removed at the same temperature.

The enamel must be completely dry before it is placed in the kiln. Place the dry piece on a stainless steel stand and transfer it to the preheated kiln with a spatula, wire tongs or a rack fork. The firing should be from two to four minutes. Experience will help you determine the correct length of time for various enamels.

The transparents usually require a slightly higher firing than most of the opaques and if the transparent enamel remains opaque after firing, it probably should be fired again at a higher temperature. A perfectly fired piece will be smooth and glassy; a pebbly, orange-skin surface means that the piece is underfired. It can be refired as it is or a design can be added

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