Q: How are Jim Beam Decanters Made?

A: Genuine Regal China Jim Beam Decanters lamps. paper-weights and more are made in a six stage process.

MOLD SHOP

In the Mold Shop the process of changing a model to a production takes place.

The model of the item is modeled in clay, plaster, or even wood or foam. This model has a waste mold made which is then filled with clay slip. After the surplus slip id dumped, the shell is cleaned up by scraping and sanding. 

Once all final adjustments are made, the piece is used to produce the black mold. This mold is then used to make the die. From the die Regal China Corporation makes the production mold. Production molds are used to cast from 60 to 100 pieces, depending on the design of the piece.

CLAY DEPARTMENT 

This department is where the molds and clay slips are used to produce the basic piece of ware, whether it be a botttle, lamp or decanter.

The molds are placed on casting benches or on automated equipment where they are held together and the slip is poured into the pour hole.

The plaster molds absorb the water, and evaporate it from the outside faces. And therefore, a skin is developed, At a predetermined time, the excess slip is deumped out and the skin is left in the mold.  This is allowed to dry so it will shrink away from the plaster mold and also develop some stiffness so it can be removed from the mold. 

CASTING DEPARTMENT

This department is where the molds and clay slips are used to produce the basic piece of ware, whether it be a bottle, lam, decanter or anything else.

The molds are placed on casting benches or on aotomated equipment where they are held together and the slip is poured into the pour hole.

The plaster molds absorb the water, and evaporate it from the outside faces. Thusly, a “skin” is developed, who thickness is determined by how long the mold is full of slip.  At a predetermined time, the excess slip is dumped out and the skin is left in the mold. This is allowed to dry so it will shrink away from the plaster and also develop some stiffness so it can be removed from the mold.

The ware is put on boards, placed on trucks, and into dryers.

This cycle is constantly repeated until the mold is discarded because of number of casts. Also, broken molds must be discarded even if they are not fully used up.

Casters are trained for this work and experience is always a desired quality.

FINISHING DEPARTMENT

The Finishing Department is the place where the green [unfired] cast ware is processed for firing in the kilns.

Using a “one-fire process,” greenware and the glaze are fired at the same time. The dry ware has the seam scraped off. Also, other irrregularities are cleaned up using sanding paper, Scotch-Brite, and other abrasive materials. 

Also, hand detail such as features of a figurine or art finishing on a lamp are all done in the department.

KILN DEPARTMENT

The Kiln Department consists of five var-tunnel kilns.

The temperature at which the kilns are fired for glost or body fire vary between 2300 and 2400 farhenheit. This temperature is required to give the bitfified porcelain final product. 

Most of the over-glaze decorations are fired off at lover temperatures.

DECORATING DEPARTMENT

The Decorating Departmen, which is closely allied with the final Inspection Department, is where the over-glaze decorations are applied. These are in the form of fired details, precious metals, sensitive colors, and additional details which are not practical to perform in the Finishing Department.

A vast majority of decals are made using a slik screen and are water slide off. 

Some decals, such as the Lockhart animals, are made by a reather complex lithographing method, and they are bought from people who specialize in this type of product. Some of the Lockhart decals will have as many as eight or nine different colors used in half tomes to creat the desired final product.