Post #632304 by danlovestikis on Sat, Apr 14, 2012 9:09 AM

The Friday the 13th deadline has come and thank you to everyone who signed up for the next ride. As I do your work I will post photos.

LoriLovesTikis was the last to sign up, thank you Lori.
hang10tiki that sounds like a good song title.

YESTERDAY WAS FRIDAY THE 13TH AND WE HAD A DISASTER DAY BUT WE STILL HAD FUN. Because of the problem I didn't paint the Zombie Torch mugs so today I will do nothing else but paint and bake.

This is the original Missionary's Downfall bowl with the woman who caused it.
The woman and bowl are clay. The woman has been molded and I've made some. Dan gave me his bowl so that it too could be molded.

I decided to make a one piece mold. That was the first mistake.

I drilled holes into the bowl and added a pulling cord.

Dan set up the garage for this messy work.

I wanted to modify the bowl so that I could pour it in different ways. Same as the original or with taller sides and a deeper bowl. Clay is stretchy and I could press the bowl bottom down to deepen it after casting. I made a clay base. I pulled the chords through to the center.

I put in more clay.

I put the bowl on top and cut away excess clay.

I smoothed the clay and filled holes.

I put tape over the chord so that it wouldn't get stuck in the plaster.

I formed each piece of bamboo.

Front.

Back. The detail will be added after a bowl is cast.

The sides are added and the clay ropes are placed to prevent leaks. I measured how much plaster was needed for 2 inches above the bowl.
SECOND MISTAKE. DAN ASKED IF I WAS USING MOLD SOAP AND I SAID NO THAT GOES BETWEEN PLASTER PIECES AND THIS IS ONLY ONE PIECE. I should have used it.

It's time to mix. I add the water and plaster.

Dan is the mixing man.

It took three batches to fill the box to the right level. Ten years from now neither of us will be able to make a mold this heavy and still be able to lift it.

Once the plaster hardened I removed the sides and Dan flipped it over.

I removed the clay.

I'm just showing the chords Dan tried pulling them and it didn't budge the bowl.

Watch out for me I swung that hatchet with force.

I chiseled too. What had happened was the acrylic paint that was on the bowl became super glue when the plaster heated. It fused to the plaster. A regular sculpt would not have this problem.

Shop vacs are nice.

I chiseled on an off during the day. My right arm has a metal plate from a fracture so today I will take it easy and paint the mugs. No more chiseling until that project is finished. I will save this mold one whack at a time.

We poured the day before and it was time to open them.

I'm stock piling the Bob's for the wish list projects. I wrap them in plastic so they don't dry. When the ZT mugs are done I will have these ready to work on.

Sweeping is a no no but with so many chips flying before we moved to the yard it was needed. Mask up or die.

End of day the mopper man comes through.

There is no way I could do this without Dan.

Now it is time to get busy on those Zombie Torch mugs. A relaxing day ahead.

Cheers, Wendy