S
Joined: Sep 26, 2002
Posts: 39
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S
MonkeyPaw---
It's supposssed to be damp. that way the clay doesn't stick when you remove it. A totally dry mold will cause problems with absorption rate. However, it should be allowed to dry somewhat between castings.
Silicon doesn't sound like a good idea to me. (I assume you mean the gooey kind in the tube.) There are several latex products out there which will take a higher detail. Generally they are used for creating other plaster molds, or, for non-hollow pieces with undercuts. Yes, a mother mold of plaster is used for support. For slip casting, you pretty much need something to absorb water, ie. plaster. You can make an unlimited number of pieces to accommodate the undercuts as long as each part is keyholed. Complicated shapes I've seen used as many as six or seven parts for the mold.
There are a couple of consulting services:
http://www.ceramicdesigngroup.net and Contact Reach Molds, 20 Camp Rd. 41, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, (315)393-6065. I don't know what they charge, but your local pottery studio or ceramics supply house might offer these services also.
I have considered jobbing out my mold making to someone, but it really is very inexpensive to do it yourself. If anyone wants me to recommend some books on how to do it, I'll try to dig up a title or two. I just don't have that info right now...
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