After returning home, Zhou Ziwen walked into the yard quietly and saw that Chen Qiaoyi and Yueyue were still sleeping. He did not disturb them, but went to the backyard to try firing ceramics.
Yesterday he had already set up the kiln, and the clay for making ceramics was almost drying. The preliminary preparations have been completed, and now only the final firing step is left.
Zhou Ziwen first checked the kiln cellar to make sure there was nothing missing, and then began to prepare ceramics for firing.
He first kneaded the dried clay, picked out the small stones and impurities in the clay, then added water and stirred it until the clay reached the appropriate softness.
Then he began to knead the clay to expel the air bubbles in the clay and make the clay more dense.
He placed the kneaded clay on a wooden board and began to make ceramics by hand.
Zhou Ziwen's pottery skills have reached level six and he is very skilled in making ceramics.
He first kneaded the rough shape of the ceramic with his hands, and then trimmed it with a scraper to make the surface smooth.
He plans to make some simple tableware first, such as bowls, plates, small jars, etc.
After a while, several ceramic embryos of different shapes were completed.
Zhou Ziwen carefully placed these embryos into the kiln, and then started to fire them.
Firing ceramics requires good control of the heat. If the fire is too high, it will easily crack, and if the fire is too low, it will not be burned through.
Zhou Ziwen observed the situation in the kiln through the observation hole, and added firewood from time to time to maintain the temperature in the kiln.
Firing ceramics takes a certain amount of time and cannot be completed in a short time.
Generally speaking, kiln firing is divided into three steps.
The first step is to raise the temperature. This stage requires gradually increasing the temperature in the kiln to the required firing temperature.
The heating rate should be controlled according to factors such as the type of kiln and the material of the fired items. Too fast heating may cause the items to break. Generally speaking, the warming stage may take anywhere from a few hours to more than ten hours.
What Zhou Ziwen fired were small objects, and the time required was not long, probably only a few hours.
The second step is heat preservation. When the firing temperature is reached, it needs to be kept for a period of time to ensure that the item is fully sintered.
This process also takes several hours.
The last step is to cool down. After the firing is completed, the kiln door cannot be opened immediately. The temperature needs to be cooled down slowly to prevent the items from cracking due to sudden changes in temperature.
The cooling time is relatively long, taking seven or eight hours.
Zhou Ziwen checked the time. It was now three o'clock in the afternoon. By the time the first two steps are completed, today would be almost over.
As for the last step, we can only wait for it to cool down naturally.
When he gets up tomorrow morning, if nothing else happens, his ceramics will be finished.
Knowing that Zhou Ziwen was making ceramics, Zhou Chaoyang, Shen Zhaodi and Tang Yaoyao were also very interested and ran over to watch one by one.
They gathered around the kiln and looked at Zhou Ziwen's busy figure curiously.
"Brother Zhou, can you successfully bake this ceramic?" Zhou Chaoyang asked.
"It should be no problem, I have learned it." Zhou Ziwen answered confidently.
"Have you ever learned this?" Shen Zhaodi was a little surprised.
She didn't know that Zhou Ziwen still had this ability.
“Self-taught.” Zhou Ziwen replied calmly, and then continued firing ceramics.
"You can learn this? Brother Ziwen, you are so powerful!" Tang Yaoyao said in amazement.
"Haha, it's a joke." Zhou Ziwen was not modest at all.
With the AFK panel, he can learn anything quickly and succeed in anything. Even some metaphysical inner alchemy and meditation can be learned.
At this time, the temperature in the kiln gradually increased under Zhou Ziwen's careful control.
He stared at the observation hole intently, adding firewood in a timely manner according to the conditions in the kiln to ensure that the heating process proceeds smoothly.
Zhou Chaoyang, Shen Zhaodi and Tang Yaoyao watched with rapt attention. They admired Zhou Ziwen's ability even more.
As time passed and the sun slowly set, Zhou Ziwen was still focused on firing ceramics.
Although Zhou Chaoyang, Shen Zhaodi and Tang Yaoyao were curious at first, they felt a little bored as time went by.
"Brother Zhou, how long will it take for you to bake the ceramics?" Zhou Chaoyang yawned.
"It will be almost ready tonight, and you can see the finished product tomorrow morning." Zhou Ziwen replied.
"Then let's see it tomorrow. It's time for dinner, and I have to go back to cook." Shen Zhaodi stretched.
"Okay, you guys go back first, I will guard you for a while." Zhou Ziwen nodded.
"Brother Zhou, let's come back tomorrow." Zhou Chaoyang said and left with Shen Zhaodi and Tang Yaoyao.
After they left, Zhou Ziwen continued to stand by the kiln and did not stop adding firewood until he confirmed that the temperature had reached the level he wanted.
“Brother Ziwen, it’s time to eat.”
At this time, Chen Qiaoyi came to the backyard with Yueyue in her arms.
“Here we are.” Zhou Ziwen heard Chen Qiaoyi’s voice and responded with a smile, then carefully checked the kiln to make sure everything was normal, then stood up and patted the dust on his body. Walked towards Chen Qiaoyi.
"Yiyi, you eat first, I'll wash my hands and come back." Zhou Ziwen said to Chen Qiaoyi.
"It's okay, I'll wait for you." Chen Qiaoyi smiled softly.
Zhou Ziwen washed his hands quickly and then returned to the house with Chen Qiaoyi.
The food is already placed on the table. Although it is simple, it exudes an attractive fragrance.
“Let’s eat!” Chen Shiying came over and said.
Zhou Ziwen nodded, sat down and started eating. While eating, he chatted with Chen Qiaoyi and Chen Shiying about the progress of ceramic firing, telling them that they would be able to see the finished product tomorrow morning.
Chen Qiaoyi and Chen Shiying are looking forward to it. They imagine what the ceramic tableware made by Zhou Ziwen will look like.
After eating, Zhou Ziwen went back to the backyard to check the temperature of the kiln. After confirming that there was no abnormal change in the temperature, he returned to the house with confidence.
At night, Zhou Ziwen went to bed very late, and did not go back to the house to sleep until the heat preservation was finished. He even gave up his favorite night activities.
He was lying on the bed, still thinking about the ceramics in the kiln, not knowing what the final product would be like. With such expectations, he slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, before dawn, Zhou Ziwen couldn't wait to wake up. He quickly put on his clothes and walked quietly to the backyard.
He took a deep breath and slowly opened the kiln door.
The heat in the kiln rushed to his face, but he ignored it and stared at the ceramics inside.
I saw that those ceramic embryos had been successfully fired into exquisite ceramic products.
The bowl has a regular shape and a smooth surface; the plate is exquisite and beautiful with rounded edges; the small jar is small and cute, with a uniform texture.
Zhou Ziwen excitedly picked up a bowl and examined it carefully, with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Successful!”
Zhou Ziwen chuckled. Although he could make ceramics easily with his level 6 pottery skills, he was still quite nervous for the first actual operation. of. (End of this chapter)