MOLDING - Press molding - Stage (2)
ca: MOTLLE - Premsa - Etapa (2)
es: MOLDE - Prensa - Etapa (2)
The first photo shows the clay molded and being left to dry on top of the planks of wood that were used to hold and pull the tiles out of the mold; each one of the planks carries four tiles and two curved knobs, the tiles are small, hexagonal in shape, with a design in relief.
When the clay is leather hard, dry enough to move without being deformed, the parts of unwanted clay are taken off, the pieces are left to dry further and then cleaned. No clay is thrown away, it is collected in a bucket and when needed, water is added and it develops a pliable texture. It is then put into the container and mixed with the new clay and water and becomes slip.
Each molded piece has to be cleaned and smoothed off. The tool used is a small, thin piece of metal that is held against a knob as it is turned on the wheel. Right round the sides of the tile there is a small line of protruding clay that has been, scraped off by hand with the same tool.
Pieces of dry clay can be piled up one on top of the other for storing and in the kiln for firing.
Photos taken in the workshop of Sot and is the work of Joaquim Toribio: www.ceramicasot.com
The next section; Molding – Press molding – Stage (3)
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