What Is Soft-Fire Greenware?

You can use soft-fire greeware doll parts to create unique porcelain dolls.

Greenware is the name given to ceramic items that are dry but not fully fired (heated in a kiln to make them durable and waterproof). Soft-fire greenware is greenware that has been partially fired. It's often used by doll-makers.

Making Soft-Fire Greenware

To make soft-fire greenware, a clay body (item shaped from clay) is created. In the case of dolls and doll parts, this is often done by pouring liquid porcelain clay into a mold. The clay body is left to become bone dry, then fired on a low heat.

Features

Soft-fire greenware can be softened by immersing it in lukewarm water. You can then customize the piece; for example, cut holes for a doll's eyes. The piece needs to be shaped, cleaned and dried, after which it can be painted with china paint and fired.

Benefit

The benefit of soft-fire greenware is that it allows many different versions of an item to be made using the same basic blank. Manufacturers can offer a range of blanks for sale, and doll-makers can then customize these according to their specific requirements.

References

• ZimmerWorks: Ceramics Vocabulary
• Stanec Dolls: What Is Greenware?
• Colorado 4-H: Porcelain Dolls

Resources

• Doll Artisan Guild