Greenware cleaning should be one of your main concerns. A well cleaned piece is the foundation upon which a beautiful doll is built.

However, it is not only the beautiful doll that is of interest, but also the health and well-being of its maker. More and more we realize that the dust created by greenware cleaning is, to many people, a major problem. We think the following method might be the answer to the problem.

We call this The Dust-Free Cleaning Method. It is revolutionary because you work with soft-fired pieces. And, your tools, scrubbers and soft-fired ware are all wet with regular tap water during this process.

Soft-firing is essential. Just to quickly recap soft-firing:

We recommend wearing a pair of vinyl surgical gloves (especially for people whose skin gets irritated by the porcelain). Fill a small pail with water. Slowly immerse the piece totally in water for about 5 minutes. ( Note: pieces have been immersed in warm water overnight with no adverse reaction). Warm water is recommended because it is more comfortable for your hands. Immerse holding piece in such a manner that no air pressure builds up in piece, (don’t glug).

Rub and sand the ware while thoroughly wet. Instead of dust, you will have a paste form from this sanding. This paste acts as a scouring powder. To "sand" we recommend a wet, Wet Scrubber (WSCRUB). Use wet Green Clean Brushes in various sizes to clean intricate parts such as nose holes, around ear detail, etc. The piece is much less likely to crack when wet, and it is very quick and easy to remove the seam line and do other surface cleaning.

Eyes can also be cut easily, using a wet Diamond Perfector. Beveling should be done using a wet beveling tool. Dip the beveling tool in water and bevel away. Wipe the resulting paste away with a wet sponge, as necessary.

As the item dries or a lot of paste accumulates, rinse it in water and continue polishing with the white side of the Wet Scrub as required. Give the piece a final rinse under running water, wiping it with a sponge. Let dry. Re-inspect before it is completely dry, and do any final cleaning while it is still damp. This way, dust will not blow around. Let dry completely. After drying a final polishing with a piece of china silk wrapped around cotton balls will remove any remaining imperfections.

For shoulder plates, soft-fire to cone 017 and proceed as described.

We have also discovered that the wet, soft-fired piece shows any hairline cracks or imperfections that otherwise would only be apparent after bisque firing. Additionally, soft-firing seems to strengthen the ware, and a wet piece is much less susceptible to cracking than a dry piece.

No ill effects resulting from an initial soft-firing have been found during the bisque firing. However, it is very important that the soft-firing is done exactly as described and not accelerated. Any pimples or bubbles after firing are the result of too fast soft-firing.

® 1993 Seeley's Ceramic Service, Inc.