Part 24 (1/2)
”No, indeed,” was Mr Marwood's reply ”That would take too long Often we are in a hurry to get the goods out and the ovens cooled for the next lot of porcelain; frequently, too, ant the ware so that wewhile the oven is still very hot--so hot that the men are stripped to the waist and wear only overalls, shoes, and thick gloves The kiln drawers are never forced to draw out the saggers, however, when they are intensely hot unless they wish to do so The law protects such workers and specifies at just what degree of temperature the work is to become optional Not only do these ers as well as put it into the baskets in which it is carried back to the factory and inspected, further decorated, or packed for shi+pping”
Mr Maraited a n countries a tunnel kiln is used instead of an oven like this It is supposed to require less fuel It is a long tunnel with a track through the centre over which little cars laden are are propelled by raded in such a way that it is most intense in the middle of the kiln The ware starts at one end of this tunnel where the temperature is quite low, travels toward the centre where the heat is highest, and then coh a diradually They say, however, that such a lazed china) than for the glost Here in America where fuel has always been plenty we have stuck to our old-fashi+oned brick ovens in spite of their expense I a nation”
”Father says that after this war is over we shall have to be ,” said Theo
”I believe that too,” confessed Mr Marwood ”We never have learned to figure things down to the lowest cent We shall have to do it; and it won't hurt us, either On the contrary, it will be a good lesson If each of us would use the least possible material in the ho aht to do it,” affirmed Theo soberly
”So do I,” rejoined the elderuses for stuff they previously considered waste They are using up their by-products, thereby not only enriching thes that are needed It is an interesting and ingenious problem If ere to employ the same principle everywhere we should find it orthy of our brain power Now shall we go back and hunt up Mr Croyden, or have you still questions to ask?”
”I have a thousand questions,” laughed Theo, ”but I don't think you'd better stop now to answer them Mother says I always do have questions; she says no sooner ah with one than I aent, thoughtful questions I a them,” Mr Marwood replied ”How else are we to learn? The man who is ashamed to ask questions and confess he does not knoorth little in the world When I spoke of questions, however, I ”
”Oh!” exclaimed Theo ”No, I don't think I have any laze is put on the biscuit ware”
”That certainly is an intelligent question, and one I shall be only too happy to answer,” Mr Marwood said ”We could go down into the dipping sheds if we had more time But perhaps since there is not I can tell you about thein with, these sheds have celaze, or slip, spatters all about and dries upon them It is therefore practically impossible to keep wooden floors clean, and we do not wish our workmen to inhale any more of the dried flint dust than is absolutely necessary”
”I relaze round up while dry and very carefully sifted,”
went on Mr Marwood ”Afterward it is laze is required; and then pumped into tanks where it is kept well stirred When ready the ware is dipped into this glaze and again fired This time, however, it is a ers since it er nor coht of that,” owned Theo ”Of course, now that you speak of it, I can see that when the glaze melts and fuses with the clay it would show any mark”
”Exactly”
”It must be an awful job to keep each piece separate”
”It demands extreme care,” returned Mr Marwood ”We use all sorts of little clay devices to support the ware, and keep it in place while it is in the saggers”
”Does it take about the salazed porcelain as for the biscuit?” inquired Theo
”No The glost firing usually takes only frolaze projecting fro to it are chipped aith a steel tool and the piece is exa room to be shi+pped, or back to the factory, in case additional decoration is to be put on over the glaze You laze and an under-glaze method of decoration”
”Yes, sir”
”Are your questions answered now?”
”I believe they are, thank you”
”And you can now make china without trouble--whatever kind you like best?”
”I shouldn't want to start doing it to-in on earthenware”