All of the 50 mugs I created were dry, except for the first 5. ⠀
In order to add underglaze as well as underglaze transfers to a mug, it is crucial to have the mug at a leather hard stage because it is less vulnerable, and when handling it, it is less likely to break then when it is dry. Also, if you glaze the mug at the very dry stage, the glaze will not apply to the clay body as smooth if it was leather-hard.⠀
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How do I get a dry mug back to a leather-hard stage, you wonder? ⠀
I have created a damp box, which is one of my favorite tools in my studio. ⠀
What is a damp box?⠀
It is a tub with a lid with a slab of dampened potters plaster No. 1, which allows me to store my work in progress and keep them damp for an indefinite amount of time. The damp box also helps us, ceramic artists, to hold different pieces of clay at the same moisture level until they need to be attached, for example, handles.
