During the years of World War 2 (1939 to 1946) and those that followed, significant challenges to Arklow Pottery’s fuel supply and production capacity are encountered. Importation restrictions on coal and coak used in the boilers leads to the use of substitute fuels like turf, slack and wood causing temperature instability manifesting as ‘crazing’ on the ware. Crazing is a network of hairline cracks that appear after firing when the thermal expansion of glaze is not high enough.
Experts are brought in from Stoke-on-Trent to help develop methods of firing using small bottle-neck ovens.
