Handmade TechnologiesThe hand made process begins with the digging and weathering of clay over a period of at least 12 months. The clay batt is placed into a mould, pummelled on by hand, the excess clay wired off and a punch brought down which forms the nib and impresses from the strike plate the company name and the maker's identification mark. Two nail holes and a manufacturing identification code are also struck. A master tile maker will produce 2,000 standard size tiles each day, under half that number if making special tiles such as unders and overs, which require the clay being cut to shape and formed over a wooden mould. The tiles are stored on individual trays for at least 24 hours in a warm room to remove excess moisture and then put into a drying chamber where the moisture is gently removed. During this process, the tile shrinks by 7%. The dried tiles are again checked for quality before being set onto a kiln car which is moved into a pre-kiln dryer to remove any final moisture, being placed into a kiln where the final firing process takes place. The temperature in the kiln is raised to in excess of 1,000 degrees centigrade during this process; the tile shrinks by a further 6%. When cool enough to be handled, each individual tile is checked for quality before being placed into a crate to be transported to the customer. |
