Ceramics
I decided that I wanted to make my tea pot out of ceramics. Throughout my research, ceramics have been recommended multiple times for their nice feel, taste-neutrality, good heat retention and the fact that tea pots from ceramics have a long-standing tradition.
It turns out that there are four essential steps to turn a pile of clay into a tea pot or tea cup:
It turns out that there are four essential steps to turn a pile of clay into a tea pot or tea cup:
- Prepare the clay
- Form the clay
- Firing
- Glazing
There are multiple ways to shape the clay.
I experimented with throwing and hand building ceramics for producing a prototype of my design. However, the only way to mass produce cheap ceramics is by slip casting it from a mould. The video below outlines the slip-casting process of teapots at the Emma Bridgewater factory.
- Hand building (pinching)
- Throwing on the potter's wheel
- Granulate pressing
- Injection moulding
- Roller head machine
- Pressure casting
- RAM pressing
- Slipcasting
I experimented with throwing and hand building ceramics for producing a prototype of my design. However, the only way to mass produce cheap ceramics is by slip casting it from a mould. The video below outlines the slip-casting process of teapots at the Emma Bridgewater factory.
The pictures below were taken in the ceramics section of the Victoria and Albert Museum. They give a wonderful overview over the different processes and techniques of making ceramic objects, especially tea pots.