1 48 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
block hanging from a swivel which turns on hinges solidly en- 
cased in the wall. 
If another dry mould is ready the operation can be re- 
peated until exhaustion of the paste. If there is no more 
casting to do, the faucet H is opened and the tank emptied in 
the pail. In this case the apparatus is immediately washed out 
with plenty of water, to avoid the settling of slip. 
The mould containing the vase is carefully watched. If 
it is simple, the taking out of the mould can be delayed in- 
dej&nitely. But if it is in many parts, the shrinkage of the 
piece must be watched. It should be taken out after from 40 
to 48 hours. The first time the hours and minutes of the dif- 
ferent phases of the operation should be carefully noted, so 
that the next casting can be done without hesitation. At the 
end of 48 hours, the ropes which tie the mould are untied and 
each part is taken out in a regular order, the cone of paste B 
which has formed under the vase is carefully broken off and the 
new born is placed on a plaster slab (fig. 12). This slab must 
be sprinkled with a fine sand, so that the vase will shrink on 
itself easily. 
If cracks occur in some parts of the piece, it is because it 
has been left in the mould too long. If on the other side it is 
taken out too soon, the paste, not being sufficiently coagulated, 
will sink on itself. It is then very important to give the 
greatest attention to the time a piece should remain in the 
mould, and this time varies according to the composition of 
the paste. 
ft I 
While the operations of casting and taking out of the 
mould last, one should carefully avoid touching the newly made 
piece, because the least contact will invariablj' cause in the 
firing a deformation of the outline. 
When the piece is thoroughly dry, it is finished on the 
wheel, and for this it is very useful to know how to use the 
wheel. If the shape is round a stroke of the turning tool will 
remove all the roughnesses and cut off the top rim which is 
called false rim. If it is of fancy shape the seams should be re- 
moved b5^ hand with sand paper. 
If it has been cast from the bottom, the opening at the Ijase 
must be closed. To do this, this opening is rectified with the 
turning tools and made circular. Then in a plac}ue of paste of 
the same thickness as the vase, a disc is cut out of the same 
diameter as the opening to be closed. This disc is set in the 
opening, after all the parts which must be joined and cemented 
have been covered with slip. This operation has been des- 
cribed in article V (see cementing) . As soon as the seams and 
imperfections have disappeared the piece is finished. There is 
nothing left to do but to decorate it. 
With the paste PN specially prepared for casting by Mr. 
Frugier, the operation is done identically in the same manner, 
but there is the great advantage that the piece can be taken out 
of the mould one hour after casting. I use this paste for vases 
of eccentric shape, such as colocynths. 
<^. lo 
A.^i 
In a well made mould, it is possible with this paste to cast 
a coffee pot with its handle, spout and feet, in one piece, with- 
out any cracks, and in one hour's time. The paste should be 
prepared as follows: From 160 to 180 grammes of water are 
added to each kilo of paste such as is it received from the man- 
ufacturer. This mixture is well stirred and becomes a very 
fluid slip, which is passed through the screens 100 or 120. 
This paste will keep all its qualities only if it is shipped soft, 
such as it comes from the mill, and to keep it in that condition, 
it should be placed in a cool place, a cellar for instance, covered 
with a cloth which is kept constantly wet. 
If casting is a much easier process than pressing and throw- 
ing, on the Other side it requires much care, and also some 
knowledge about the making of moulds. 
The plaster moulds which are used for pressing are essen- 
tialh^ different from those used for casting, both in the way 
they are cut and in the preparation of the plaster. 
For pressing (fig. 19) the moulds have generally horizontal 
sections, so that it will be easy to introduce the hand which 
must press the paste against the walls. Besides the different 
parts of the moulds are held by a chape C which makes it im- 
possible for them to move under the pressiu-e of the hands. As 
the plaster must absorb ver3' little M^ater and also must resist 
the pressure of the thumb and other fingers, it must be hard 
This result is obtained by a special preparation. 
Plaster is said to be made thick when after water has been 
placed in a basin, the pulverised plaster is sprinkled in it with 
