The Witness

I usually put one cone and a small test piece for firing. In the picture there are two cones where one of them is just for test. I make my own cone, so every cones running out and make a new one, it must be tested by firing for temperature accuracy.  For small test piece, I made it from bisque ware which have been glazed and a hole in the middle, so you can draw it out by a steel rod.

The position of cones must be seen clearly enough from peep hole. In the bottom picture, you see the silhouette of the cones. Sometimes when temperature reach vitrified point, cones are not clearly enough to be seen by naked eye, it's a like the heavy fog around the pot. So to figure it out you can blow gently the peep hole by mouth in several times until the chamber atmosphere clear again. Remember to not get too close to the peep hole when you blow it, otherwise your mouth will be burned.

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

My Workshop #1

My workshop have many trees around. You will find birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, bats, etc. The trees are coconut, eugenia aquea, psidium guajaya, litchi, etc. My workshop place is in northern Bandung, so it's cool enough on rainy season.

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

Plate Mold

This plate has diameter 28 cm. and height 3 cm. May be if fired at 2246 F, it will be 24 cm. and 2.5 cm. The plate was my friend's design. We tried making a clay model for making this mold, but usually I use wooden or plaster material for model. Our consideration is the textural motif on the top of plate. We thought carving the clay (soft material)  is  easier than carving on the plaster (hard material). Carving the plaster is quite difficult and needs excellent skill.    

As you see, this mold used solid casting not drained casting method. Usually when you have appropriate thickness, the remaining of slip is poured back into container. Meanwhile solid casting just pour back the slip just little bit for making the foot. The principal difference is solid casting can reach two layers of the piece, inside and outside, drained casting only reach the outside section.    

1. Prepare for pouring the plaster
(bottom side)

2. The plaster near the edge of sphere

3. Strew the plaster into water

4. Making "island plaster" indicating
 stop for strewing. Just wait for 1
to 2 minutes the mixture is ready
for stirring

5. Prepare for second pouring
(top side)

6. Two parts of mold have been
released

8. Complete mold 

7. The model has been released 

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

Lovely Bandung

Gedung Merdeka, 
the place where the international conference 
Asia and Africa had been held in 1955

The legend of Braga street

Another legendary hotel

Bandung is my home town, I was born here and i really love this city. Bandung is one of metropolitan city in Indonesia, besides Jakarta and Surabaya. If you visit Bandung, you will find many uniqueness, like the panorama, historical buildings, shopping, good culinary, and friendly people. Bandung has a cool climate, especially in northern Bandung. Also many good universities are here, like Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Padjajaran University (UNPAD), Catholic Parahyangan University (UNPAR), Indonesia University of Education (UPI), and many more...

Legend hotel in Bandung

Historical buildings in Asia Africa street

 Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

Tasikmalaya Trip

 

This is another lovely place of Indonesia. The place is called Tasikmalaya city, West Java provence. From Jakarta it takes 5 hours by car. West Java is well known about lovely landscape and a rich soils. Likes proverb you just put the branch and grown up.  

Tasikmalaya also known in rattan handicraft. The products most are basket. The quality has standard for export, especially to America, Europe, and Japan.     

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

Make a box mold

1. Wooden model dressed

2. Set up the board walls

3. Divided into a half

4. Pour the plaster

5. First side

6. Second side

7. Last side (bottom side)

8. Complete mold

I tried making a box mold. The model was made of wood. You must give the model sphere (additional height according to the shape) like the pictures above. I made my own separator, a mixture of white soap and coconut oil. They were heated until homogenous mixture. The system of this mold was drained casting. I didn't have to pour back the waste slip into container, I just made a six holes for valve in the bottom. You don't have to drill the dry mold, just use wet clay when you are making the mold (fig. 7). 

If you try for slip casting, you should put the mold aboard the container using wooden props. When you have appropriate thickness, you just withdraw the valve from the bottom of the mold, so the slip will run down into container. If you have to lift and upend the mold that contain slip, it's too risky and potentially have different thickness.   

I've made some boxes from this method. But actually I felt this demonstration is too much. Beside the shape also the size. I thought, I've made something mission impossible. May be it has a good shape in drying or bisque state, but in high firing it will be collapsed or badly deformed. But the method of using valve in the bottom of the mold is applicable to the other shapes. Remember just for a big one. But if you like challenges and have better method, a box shape is a good choice.                

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior

Bali Trip

These pictures are Balinese traditional roof tiles. They are made by traditional craftsmen in Pejaten village, Tabanan, Bali. From Denpasar, it takes 45 minutes by motorcycle. In Indonesia language, the roof may be called "genting". It's made of local red clay. In Some Asia countries, genting is still used for building the house. Genting like a module and stacked each other tightly. For decorating, there are special forms. Those on the middle picture are usually put on the top of roof and the below one for edge of the roof.            

Specialized in table ware and interior element ceramics Spesialisasi membuat keramik table ware dan elemen estetik dalam interior