My Porcelain Cube Journey
So, I got this idea stuck in my head – a porcelain cube. Sounds easy, right? Just a box. But working with porcelain, well, it’s its own kind of beast. I figured I’d give it a shot, see what happens. Here’s how it all went down.
First things first, I needed the clay. I went and got myself a good block of porcelain. You can’t skimp on this stuff, otherwise, you’re just asking for trouble later. I also made sure I had my basic tools: a wire cutter, some shaping tools, a roller, and a good flat surface to work on. Nothing too fancy, just the essentials.
Prepping the Clay
Then came the wedging. Man, if you’ve ever wedged porcelain, you know it’s a workout. You gotta get all the air bubbles out, make it consistent. I spent a good while on this, kneading and slamming it down. My wrists were definitely feeling it afterwards, but it’s a step you just can't skip. If there’s air in there, boom, it’ll crack up in the kiln.
Building the Cube
Once the clay felt right, I started thinking about how to actually make the cube shape. I decided to go with the slab method. So, I rolled out several slabs, trying to get them all the same thickness. This part needs patience, let me tell you. Too thin, it’s flimsy. Too thick, it’s clunky and might dry unevenly.
- I cut out six equal squares. Measuring twice, cutting once, you know the drill. Trying to get those edges perfectly straight was a bit of a fiddle.
- Then, scoring and slipping. You gotta rough up the edges where the pieces join and use a bit of watery clay – slip – as glue. I carefully joined them, one by one, trying to keep the angles at 90 degrees. It’s trickier than it looks to get a perfect cube. Mine was… well, it was cube-ish.
- I also poked a tiny pinhole in it, almost invisible. Gotta let the air escape during firing, otherwise, again, disaster.
The Long Wait: Drying
And then, the drying. Oh, the drying. Porcelain is notorious for cracking if it dries too fast. So, I covered it loosely with plastic, then gradually exposed it to air over, like, a week or more. You just gotta let it do its thing. Checking on it every day, hoping for the best. This is where you really learn patience, or you just get frustrated a lot.
First Firing – The Bisque
Once it was bone dry – felt chalky and light – it was time for the first trip to the kiln. This is called a bisque fire. It doesn't go to the super high temperatures yet, just enough to make the clay hard and porous, ready for glazing. Loading the kiln carefully, setting the program, and then waiting again. Always waiting with pottery, it seems.
Glazing Time
After the bisque fire, it came out looking like a hard, white biscuit. Now for the fun part, or sometimes the messy part: glazing. I picked out a simple, clear glaze. I wanted that classic porcelain look. I just dipped the cube into the glaze bucket, making sure it got an even coat. Then, wiped the bottom clean so it wouldn’t stick to the kiln shelf. That’s a mistake you only make once.
Final Firing – The Real Deal
Back into the kiln it went, this time for the glaze firing. This one goes much hotter, hot enough to melt the glaze into a glassy coating and fully vitrify the porcelain. Another long wait, and then an even longer wait for the kiln to cool down enough to open. You rush that, and everything inside can crack from the temperature shock.
The Outcome
So, after all that, I finally had my porcelain cube. It came out pretty decent, actually. Not perfectly geometric, if I’m being honest, but it had character. The glaze was smooth, the porcelain was white and felt good to hold. Was it a masterpiece? Nah. But I made it. I went through the whole process, from a lump of clay to this finished thing. It’s sitting on my shelf now. Every time I look at it, I remember all the steps, the waiting, the little frustrations. And you know what? It feels pretty good.
