Post #722632 by TikiRootsRocka on Tue, Jul 15, 2014 10:54 PM

Here's how I made my "Pearl de Marquesas" Tiki mug.
The plan wasn't to make a mold of it, I just liked the piece so much when it was finished, I figured, just go for it. I think it was the symmetry in the face.

Anyhow, the original piece was a fully enclosed vessel that I threw on the potter's wheel. It already looks to have a beautiful Marquesan shape. At this point, it is already leather hard. I've also trimmed a foot in the bottom and trimmed some clay off the sides, to give it a more slender look.

From here, it's all carving. I didn't add any clay.

Had I known I was going to make a mold of this, I would've done it as bisque ware, pictured below. Instead, I glazed it, taking away some of the detail in the grooves, then made a mold. I'm not sure how much time this costs me per piece, but in the long run, I'm sure it's quite a bit. Just something to keep in mind for those of you who might want to try making a mold. Another thing that might've cost me some time, was all the sculpting wax, in areas, that looked like they could've had under cuts.

Here, I'm starting to make a mold box. It's going to be a three-sided mold, so the plaster will be poured over this area, once I build the box around this and seal the sides. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of all that.

But, the mold worked! or separated, anyway...

Next time, I'll post how they look coming out of the mold. There's lots of clean-up work. THanks for stopping by!