INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



When the pitcher and its handle have reached the 

 right stage of dryness they are removed from their 

 molds and the handle fastened in position by moist- 

 ening the places of contact with a little slip. If the 

 piece is to be a perfect one after firing, both the handle 

 and the body must be at exactly the same stage of 

 dryness when fastened together, and just the right 

 amount of slip must be applied, too much or too little 

 causing defects. The piece is now ready for the final 

 drying, and firing in the biscuit-oven, to be referred 

 to a little later. 



Pieces that are made by "casting" are usually of 

 such shape that they cannot be manipulated conveni- 

 ently in the molds. In making such pieces, the different 

 parts of the plaster mold are put in place and strapped 

 firmly together. The carefully prepared clay slip is 

 then poured into them until the cavities are filled, 

 just as molten iron is poured into the molds at a 

 foundry. The tendency of the plaster of the mold 

 to absorb the water of the slip causes a thin layer of 

 clay to be deposited against the sides, forming a shell 

 the exact shape of the mold. The thickness can be 

 regulated by the length of time that the slip is left 

 in the mold. In case considerable thickness is wanted, 

 more slip is poured in from time to time until the re- 

 quired thickness is deposited, whereupon the residue 

 is poured off, and the piece dried. In drying it shrinks 

 away from the sides of the mold, facilitating its sub- 

 sequent removal. 



Casting has the advantage of giving pieces of abso- 

 lutely uniform thickness, and without restriction as to 



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