CASTING SHAPING

After making the model, in order to be able to replicate the same ceramic product several times, the mold is made.

The mold is made of plaster and is made up of several parts to allow the extraction of the piece that will form inside.
But how does this happen?

The mold has an opening in the upper part where the ceramic mixture made liquid is poured.

Gypsum has the property of absorbing water and the casting, in contact with the internal walls of the mould, slowly acquires a consistency which will become the thickness of the ceramic. After a suitable time, the mold is turned over and the liquid is let out. Only the thickness that has adhered to the walls remains in its cavity.

You have to wait a little longer before reopening the mold, and be sure that the piece inside has hardened sufficiently.

After extraction from the mould, the product is transferred to the finishing department to take on its final shape with the help of small tools.
In this phase, when necessary and the object requires it, the fretwork, the applications and the assembly of several elements are also carried out.

The workpiece is then dried, after which it will be ready for the first firing which takes place at a temperature of about 970-1000°C during which the ceramic object hardens, becoming, in ceramic jargon, "biscuit".

Any decorations or colors are carried out on the biscuit. Then the product is painted and put back in the kiln for the second and last firing, during which the paint is vitrified to give the ceramic brilliance, resistance and impermeability.