Maui Tiki Ceramics - by TikiRob

Thanks Wendy and Hang10!

OK so I'm totally in love with all of yall's work. Just wanted to say it. My wife and I are getting back into ceramics and my first (and only) thought was making my own tiki mugs. Well I was looking at slip molding info and found this thread. I am so excited about making tiki mugs now! Its been a over 15 years since I did any ceramics, but I still remember the important parts, but I have never personally done slip molds. I HAVE however seen a couple demos of slip molding. but first I need to start with the designs before I can do anything else.

What do you guys use to make the original mug prototypes?

[ Edited by: tiki dan 2016-03-25 11:08 ]

Hi Dan,

if you look at "DanLovesTikis" thread (it should be the number one thread in Creating Tiki) Wendy gives all the instruction you'll ever need. you may have to scroll through her pages as she posts a lot.

I'm still struggling with my perfect sculpting material. Most recently I used "Monster Clay" but I find it to be a little too soft when it comes to making the mold. I keep it frozen during the final sculpting for the details, but it needs to be room temp when mold making, otherwise it sweats. I need to get more comfortable with the plasteline oil based clay, but they seem too hard to easily smooth with my fingers. It requires tools and solvents. I'm going to try plain old clay for my next sculpt. I guess you don't allow it to dry completely and it will work nicely for mold making. We'll see.

Good luck!

Aloha,

TikiRob

MauiTiki

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[ Edited by: MauiTiki 2016-03-25 13:33 ]

Hi Rob, I just bought Monster Clay for the first time. Thank you for all the hints. I found it soft too so I mixed it with Romo Clay and it came out just right. You'll see what I sculpted and cast for the Sacramento Crawl mug when I begin posting that progress in May. I am so thankful to hear about the sweating problem.

I'm sending you a PM. Wendy

That Monster Clay looks interesting Robert. I don't make many molds but it looks good to try out. I like that you can melt it and strain out the crap before using again. I make my first mold original out of a wax pillar candle, it was a sad little tiki :lol: I have used regular ceramic clay slightly dried to a soft leather hard. I have also used fired, unglazed clay originals - you have to be real careful of undercuts and use lots of mold soap.

Would something like this be a good clay to start out with to make a prototype for molding?

http://www.amazon.com/ACTIVA-Blackjack-Fire-pounds-White/dp/B009YXE3KW/

Yes, MadDogMike I'm thinking the way to go is leather hard regular clay like TikiDan has shared above. I believe that this is what MunkTiki uses and is what I did for several of my mugs. I have tried bisque fired clay but as you said it can be really difficult to get out of the mold. I like the Monster clay, but it's just too soft when warm. I mess up the master just removing it from the mold. I guess the regular clay master is lost as well during the mold making process. (that's why I have been looking for another solution). Wax scares me a little because the oils can get into the plaster making is less absorbent. Even the monster clay seems to emit oils that have caused problems with my molds. I'm thinking I may need to spray them with crystal clear or similar before starting the mold.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Aloha, TikiRob

GROG has done wax, low fire water based clay--fired and unfired, and super sculpey. Wax takes several pourings before you get all the waxy residue out of the mold. Water based clay works fine, but there's a chance of messing up the original sculpt when you're demolding it. If the clay is wet when you seal it, the crystal clear will be a film and separates from the waterbased clay and is a pain in the ass to get out of the mold. However, it might work if you let the original dry completely before spraying it with crystal clear, but still a chance of messing up the original. Hoever, if you fire it first, then you definitely need to cover it with crystal clear and it separates from the mold fine. Super sculpey also needs to be sprayed with crystal clear before making a mold. GROG hasn't made any plaster molds from oil based clay sculpts because GROG not want oily residue in molds.

[ Edited by: GROG 2016-03-29 00:09 ]

thanks Grog! Good tips!

Here is a photo of the mugs I've been working on....

I want to make a few mugs before I decide whether or not to dive into kiln ownership.

If I were to buy some of the low fire clay and make some prototypes, would letting them dry be good enough to cast? Right now access to a kiln costs a bunch of $$$ so if possible, I want to do as much as I can before having to fire anything.

So theoretically, could I make prototypes, make molds, and then make a bunch of slip casts and clean them up. And then at some time in the future have them bisque fired. Bring them home and glaze, then take them back for the final firing. Is that correct?

Are there any issues with waiting a while to fire the cast mugs? Anything I need to keep in mind?

On 2016-03-29 12:16, MauiTiki wrote:
Here is a photo of the mugs I've been working on....

Wow! Those look great!

I'd love to have an army of 'em like that!! One of my new favorite tiki mugs. Excellent jorb there, Rob.

I wouldn't let the sculpt dry completely. We like to call it "Leather hard". They will be hard enough to cast but not bone dry and brittle.

Yes, you are correct, you could pour a bunch of mugs and clean them up. Let them dry and keep them in a safe place until you are ready to fire. After they are bisque fired, you'll need to keep them in a dust free environment to avoid any glazing issues.

Good luck! Shared kilns can be scary because you never know what others are firing along with yours. Glazes can put off all sorts of fumes that can discolor or fog up your glazes. Just hope your neighbors art doesn't explode and ruin your mugs.

Good luck!

-TikiRob

On 2016-03-31 09:41, tiki dan wrote:
I want to make a few mugs before I decide whether or not to dive into kiln ownership.

If I were to buy some of the low fire clay and make some prototypes, would letting them dry be good enough to cast? Right now access to a kiln costs a bunch of $$$ so if possible, I want to do as much as I can before having to fire anything.

So theoretically, could I make prototypes, make molds, and then make a bunch of slip casts and clean them up. And then at some time in the future have them bisque fired. Bring them home and glaze, then take them back for the final firing. Is that correct?

Are there any issues with waiting a while to fire the cast mugs? Anything I need to keep in mind?

Thank You!! JenTiki and Kahaka !

I just launched my new website http://www.tikirob.com
Looks like all the mugs have sold but I'll put more up in a couple weeks.
Shirts are still available.

I wouldn't let the sculpt dry completely. We like to call it "Leather hard". They will be hard enough to cast but not bone dry and brittle.

Is there a way to keep it from drying out too quickly, or to keep it damp for an extended period without messing up the details? Otherwise I guess I will just make sure to have some plaster ready to go.

Yes, you are correct, you could pour a bunch of mugs and clean them up. Let them dry and keep them in a safe place until you are ready to fire.

This is really good news.

Shared kilns can be scary because you never know what others are firing along with yours...Just hope your neighbors art doesn't explode and ruin your mugs.

This is why I want to make enough mugs so that I can pretty much fill the kiln with my own stuff, or at least have a shelf of my own in there.

Good luck!

Thanks I will make sure to document everything as I go.

On 2016-03-31 12:30, tiki dan wrote:

I wouldn't let the sculpt dry completely. We like to call it "Leather hard". They will be hard enough to cast but not bone dry and brittle.

Is there a way to keep it from drying out too quickly, or to keep it damp for an extended period without messing up the details? Otherwise I guess I will just make sure to have some plaster ready to go.

Keep it in a plastic bag in a cool dark place (no sun) when you aren't actively working on it. it will be good. I sometimes spray mine with a spray bottle or put a damp rag in the bag with the sculpt.

Good luck, Post progress photos!

Check ebay or Craigslist if you want to find a kiln. GROG's kiln came from searching Craigslist. Got it for $100. Husband and wife were moving to Hawaii, and couldn't take the kiln with them.

Hi Grog, I got my current kiln off Craig's list. Keep in mind I live on a rock in the middle of the ocean, so I can't drive to the next city to pick-up a used kiln. One comes up every few months, but usually they are trashed. My other problem is that I don't have a plug for a big kiln. I'd have to hire an electrician to install a new breaker and plug. It's not going to be easy for me. Someday!

On CL here there an early 90s kiln nearby with digital controller for $500. Its a medium sized kiln, inside dim: 17.25"w x 22"h 10000 watt. If my mugs were 3 1/2" diameter, I could fit 20 max on two layers (though the bottom layer would lose a couple due to the posts. So this kiln could handle 38 mugs in a bisque fire (a few less for glazing) so we will call it 32 total. Doing some basic math, it looks like this would cost about $25-30 per bisque firing.

This would be a nice size from more of a medium production standpoint, but like MauiTiki, I need moar power!

The good part is, I'm already planning on upgrading to 200amp service this year, and I'm building a workshop/shed that will have its own 90amp box. For now though, I would rather find a small 120v kiln that I could run off of my current 100amp service one that could only do 6-8 mugs at a time. And it would be handy to keep around in the future for fixing glazing issues.

When you are just starting out, being able to fire 7-8 mugs at a time is perfect. You learn so much with each firing it's essential to fire a lot. If you have 20+ mugs in the kiln and they don't come out as you expected, it's devastating. If you have 3-4 come out bad, it's not so heartbreaking.