Ceramic Workshop: First Project

My first of three designs to pass AP1. The first design is a ceramic ornament. From the rolled-out ceramic mass (about 6 mm thick), I cut out a shape similar to the pattern of a dragonfly wing, using the pattern I prepared. I also cut two strips with a length similar to each side of the wing. They will have the function of connecting two wings, creating a space between them. If I have time, I would like to use this space to test the light from the inside. It's good to have options.

Next, I used a small knife to make a pattern on a wing-shaped piece. I did the whole process of cutting the mass out by using a loop tool. The loop tool is very good for that kind of work with mass and allows for the precise cutting of patterns. Once the pattern looked satisfactory, I used ceramic stamps to stamp the previously selected pattern on the part of the wing. I did exactly the same process on the second wing-shaped part. 

The two stripes that I made as sides dried a little bit quicker because they were smaller in size than the wings. The thinner one broke because of that. This piece became too hard when I tried to fit it into the shape of one side of the wing part, just broke during that process. I decided that a making new one would take me too much time and also the parts that were already ready would be harder and the whole piece could go to the bin. I decided to try to repair the cracked part using ceramic glue (ceramic mass mixed with water to obtain the consistency of a glue stick) and attach it to the rest of the decoration. It turned out that it was possible and it turned out quite well. The place of the crack is practically not visible at all. However, due to the high hardness of this part, cutting out further patterns was very difficult and I did not want to risk further cracks. 

The last step was to attach all the parts together and cut the bottom evenly so that the final ceramic decoration stood stable. I did this part using a small knife. Once I was sure that the whole thing was stable, I used my hand and ceramic glue to smooth out the places where the parts connected to each other to give the decoration a more professional look.

The next step will be to put the ornament in the kiln (the name of the oven for "firing, drying, baking, hardening, or burning a substance, particularly clay products" (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017)). The process is divided into two baking stages. During the first one, the temperature reaches approximately 1000℃ and then cools down. During the second baking, the kiln heats up to approximately 1250 ℃. This process will take 2-3 days.

References list:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2017). Kiln | oven. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/kiln-oven [Accessed 18 Feb. 2024].