Date: Aug 8, 2013
My wife got only one hobby. Make Pottery.
So, after you make the pottery. What do you do? You bring it to the Dragon Kiln and fire it.
So, today, the whole day, on aug 8, she has to be in the Dragon Kiln @ Jalan Bahar. So, me and kids hang out with their friends at the bowling place.
Let's talk about Ceramic Process.
So, after you have form the clay. You need to bring it to the 1st Firing at about 1000 degree Celsius.
All clay work goes into this small little furnace.
Then, you fire it up.
Adjust the fire to the heat they wanted.
You can see thru the hole the inside. The clays are cooking.
Belowis the video clip on how it fire up the furnace.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/CQsji_XBRHk
It is very hot there. Don't get too near.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/PhDLHz8eo4M
By the way, this is the Dragon Kiln. But they don't fire the ceramics here nowadays.
I think if you want to add a certain special effects on your ceramics, then, you will need this thing here. Where you bury your art work, and fire it under the hot temperature.
It is just like cooking a soup.
That cool looking chap with sun glasses is Mr. Chew. My wife's pottery teacher.
Place all your master piece inside.
There you go. All these ugly clays before the fire.
So, you wait there for long time for the temperature to goes up.
One hour later. Almost 1000 degrees.
After 1-2 hours later. It is time to reveal the art works.
Mr. Chew going to remove the clay pieces.
Students, please help to open up the cover.
One piece by one piece take out from the furnace.
Place the ceramic piece into that container. Pour in more sands. Looks pretty hot.
More sands.
Quickly. Cover it.
Let all the pots stay inside there do hot sand bathing. hahaha
Will open this in a while.
Too bad. This one did not make it. hahahaha
About 30 min later. It should be cooked.
Wah.. even more ugly after the firing.
Then, you soak them in the water for cooling.
It looks damn ugly when it first came out.
After taking a nice bath. Take a look at that glazing… not too bad huh?
Another firing furnace.
Another few art pieces.
Making ceramics nowadays also incorporate a lot of science in there.
They used a lot of chemicals to make it nice.
Don't know what they do.
But if you mix them together and apply to the ceramic, some nice thing will happen. hahaha
See what I mean. Chemicals.
Look. Another red hot ceramics.
Same process.
Fire fire all the way.
Is it too toxic the air? See what they are wearing.
So, they keep doing this batches by batches.
Where are the kids now? Playing pool. hahaha.
Note that… I am not at Jalan Bahar, my wife is. I am virtually there. And after she came back, she said, all these are the photos. You know what to do. hahaha
Batches by batches, the art pieces went thru firing. Some glazing one need to go thru 2 times.
There you go. My wife's product.
Some of these made by Jay Jay.
Jay Jay's Volcano.
Let's take a good photo.
Not too bad. Jay Jay made some of these too.
Oh. They learned this technique this week.
It's all hard work. So clean properly,. ok!
Happy bunch of teacher and students.
OK. That night, almost 9am. After 12 hours spending time at the kiln, my wife is back with all the art pieces.
Jay Jay was so happy.
He made this.
And this too.
Let's take picture with your ceramics.
I think this is Jay Jay best product.
Can you see my signature behind? J A Y
My wife made this.
This ...
This...
This ...
that...
That concludes the story of ceramic firing at Jalan Bahar.
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