26 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
tooth-like points on the inside with strong touches of rehef. 
All the joints may be pounded down with the large chasing 
tool and one a trifle smaller of the same shape. No outline is 
necessan.:^ here. vSuggestive lines of water running across at 
a shght angle after the relief is finished, will be very effective 
if jiut in simply. 
Now we arc read\' to take the cover from the pitch Ijy 
heating it with a gas flame, with suflficient intensity to melt 
the pitch. (A Bunsen burner is best here). Clean with 
kerosene and reverse the cover on the pitch. I^efme some of 
the shapes by putting the Ijackground down with the smaller 
chasing tool, and accent others with the outline tool. 
For the handle pound the ends of the strip of copper, 
t X i after annealing, until they are quite thin and large. 
Saw these ends into anj- shape suitable for riveting and turn 
the handle under and outward to suit the fancy. The handle 
in the illustration has been sawed through part of the length 
and each endhas been turned forward and riveted onto the cover. 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES 
G. W. — There is a Cuban wood called Mahouja, it is a greenish grey in 
tone, rather loose grain and easy to carve. You would get a nice effect if you 
finish it with a dull polish . - 
Odette — You will find much information on metal coloring in Arthur H. 
Hiorus' book on that subject, published by ]MacMillan & Co., New York. 
K. M. — Jade is a very hard stone, but you can polish it on a wooden 
wheel with pumice and water or emer}^, with patience added. The greener 
the stone the more expensive. 
Mrs. S. J. B. — Tlie leaded lines in your cabinet doors could be finished 
with a dull black paint, but a softer and more natural finisli comes iDy expo- 
sure to the atmosphere in a very short time. The copper straps and pulls 
such as you want for your desk, will be hard to find in the sliops; they cat^ be 
made lay liand though, by almost any metal worker. 
TRAY 
Mrs. K. Wright 
The tray by Mrs. K. Wright was made of Circassian Wal- 
nut, and the design carved in low relief. Turpentine and wax 
was used for a polish. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
L. G. — Flux is used with mineral colors to insure a good glaze — J as 
much flux as color for painting, | as much for tinting, except for Apple Green. 
Sevres or Mixing Yellow and Pearl Grey wliicli need no flux, too much flux 
weakens tlie color. To protect your eyes in doing pyrography work, you niiglit 
use glass goggles, but can you not hold your work in such a way tliat the smoke 
will not come to j'our eyes.. To get an underglaze effect one must either lay 
the tint on the biscuit and put glaze over it, or fire very hard the tint or groimd 
put on over the glaze. 
E. W. R. — You will find a good naturalistic study of grapes on a tankard 
published in Keramio Studio, and a fine con\-entionalized design of grapes 
for a punch bowl in Sept. 1902, KioiiAMif S-rcnro. 
If you wi.sh to fire your outhne first, the only way to keep it clear is to 
wipe out the design with a cloth damp (not wet) with alcohol, after dusting 
or tinting the backgromid, then paint in design and after retouching and 
firing go over the outlining again carefully with gold or black as tlie case 
may be. However, we would not advise firing a gold outline before putting 
in background as it is almost impossil)le to free it entirely from color — in that 
case draw design in India ink which will fire out, then when the painting, etc., 
is finished and fired, apply your gold outline. 
If you use the English enamel or Aufsetzweis in powder color, we would 
advise mixing with just enough Dresden thick oil to hold it together— breath- 
ing on it frequently while mixing — thin with oil of lavander, breathing on it 
again till it follows the knife in a little point and does not settle back as if oily. 
E- Y. — .Underglaze painting is done on the biscuit or green clay Ijefore 
glazing— biscuit is the fired but unglazed body. Underglaze painting can 
usually be distinguished from the overglaze by its uniformly bright gJaze and 
transparency of color. An overglaze painting is seldom uniformly well 
glazed and the color appears on the .surface instead of being part of, or under 
the glaze. 
Soft enamel is enamel that will only stand a light fire and lianl ciinincl 
is that which will stand a hard fire. 
Soft paste china is not made for amateiu' decoration — in fact fhe real 
soft paste is not made now-a-days — it would take an expert to tell the dif- 
ference between soft and hard paste china. As a rule however, the French 
and German wares are hard, the English softer and less reliable for amateur 
work but very fine if it does come out well. A good piece of china is of a 
pure wliite, rather creamy than bluish in tone, without flaws or black specks. 
We seldom get perfect pieces in this country as the "seconds" only are sold 
for decoration, the best being selected for decoration at the manufactory. 
Almost all makes of foreign china are good for decoration. Haviland is 
always reliable as are most of the marked French and German pieces — the 
unmarked may lje, but you must take your cliances. Derby is not made 
for amateur decoration but it is one of the finest of Englisfi porcelains. .\ny 
further information you may desire we will be glad to furnish if your name 
is on our subscription list. 
S. N. C. — If raised paste cracks while still adhering to the china, it 
doubtless had too much oil or turpentine in mixing — use just enough oil 
(fat or thick oil of turpentine) to make the powder stick together, breath on it 
frequently while mixing, thin with oil of lavender, breathing on it while 
mixing until it will stand up without softening. Work this into the cracks 
in j^our paste until you can get no more in, then dry thoroughly, cover with 
gold and fire, it will at least look better than before even if it should not come 
out perfect. 
M. H. M. — For a black background, such as you describe, a mat black 
is used and dusted on with grounding oil. A veiy fine old piece of sand|.)aper 
is .sometimes used for smoothing after firing, if it comes out rougli. It is 
fired the same as anj'thing else — a good rose color heat. 
Mrs. B. G. D. — ^A discussion of the composition of colors is quite beyond 
the field of Keramic Studio, as we go into practical rather than scientific 
instruction — the latter can be studied at length in such works as Brongniart and 
Seger, which can be found in the public libraries. For practical use the only 
necessary information is that tlie gold colors may improve other colors in 
mixture but are alwa>'s spoiled themselves by the adding of any other oxide. 
Carmines, pinks, violets and purples are gold colors. Tlie perfect overglaze 
fire brings out the carmins or pinks a good rose color — too little fire leaves 
them bricky red, too much gives a talueisli tinge. Tlie iron colors are the reds 
and browns, these lose in depth if fired too hard, they cannot be mixed with 
enamel as they fire out. The yellows arc the .strongest colors and should lie 
used with care when combined witli iron or gcihl colurs as they tlestroy tJiem 
if used too strong. 
The blues are generally relialsle ami can l)e mixetl with any color. Tlic 
greens can be used with confidence except Mo.ss green, Coalport green and 
other greens of that order, which, under certain conditions of the kiln not well 
understood, come out lirownish in spots. .\ny further information from tlie 
point of view of tlie chemist must be .sought in scientific works on pottery, 
porcelain or color making. 
H. S. b. — .Almost any of the good conventional designs given in Keramic 
Studio would look well in gold and white, a raised gold border and initial on a 
plate should !)o worth from .13.00 to $30.00 a plate, according to elabor.atencss 
and fineness of execution. A .simple design well executed siiould be woitli 
perhaps, 1.5.00 a plate. Flat gold designs are effective and much cheaper 
if not really nicer for use than raised work. Will try to give some good 
alphabets soon in Keii.a.mic Studio. There is no known make of pink tliat 
will not turn purplish if over. fired and bricky red if underfired. 
E. M. H. — In decorating glass, the same mediums are used a.s for china. 
Tlie paints are specially prepared for glass, as is tiie gold for flat use. The 
Hancock's raised paste for china can be used on glass and the Roman gold for 
china can be used over it. The enamels are .specially prepared for glass, (ilass 
jewels are set in raised pa.ste whicli is afterward gilded. 
