Mold, glaze and fire the “Blume von Hawaii” mug. Mold and other challenges - Other Crafts

T Tiki_Garage Member Germany, Bavaria Joined: Feb 13, 2025 Posts: 1	T Tiki_Garage Posted posted on 02/13/2025 Aloha dear Tiki-heads, greetings from cold germany... I am, as a hobby and small business on the side, always busy carving or sculpting something in Polynesian style. Now I have created a draft/dummy mug for what I consider to be one of the fanciest Tiki - Hawaiian - cocktail bars. You can also see some of my other crafts there – in the “Blume von Hawaii” in Nuremberg. The cup is my very special challenge. The body/blank would be finished. I think it's really well done and beautiful - see the picture here: But now I'm faced with the challenge of a) creating a plaster mold for the actual cup and b) possibly commercializing the part (number of pieces initially maybe 50 pieces, then maybe another 50 pieces per year). I have now made my 4th attempt to build a 4-part mold. I simply lack the practice of working with plaster... and the undercuts and somewhat more complex shape do the rest... Can someone maybe help me here? Is there anyone who could offer something like this? So molding the cup, then creating the clay blanks - glazing and firing? Thank you for your ideas! Thanks!! [ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:02:54 ] [ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:03:22 ] [ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:03:37 ]
D danlovestikis Grand Member (8 years) Joined: Jun 17, 2002 Posts: 9356	D danlovestikis Posted posted on 02/13/2025 Welcome Tiki Garage, I started doing tiki mugs in 2010. I documented all the steps, including the making of molds on my "other crafts" pages. I've been told they were a great help in starting many careers in this genre. I can't tell you what pages these instructions are on, but I posted the steps each time I made a mold. As far as undercuts, just draw lines on the sculpt to show where each mold piece will be cast. Then picture pulling the mold piece off. If you see any area where there's an undercut, then just fill it in with clay. Everything I've ever made is on my Gallery page. I am both danlovestikis and Wendy Cevola. Making tiki art is joyful. I hope you keep at it for years to come. Show your steps if you have time. Wendy

Aloha dear Tiki-heads, greetings from cold germany... I am, as a hobby and small business on the side, always busy carving or sculpting something in Polynesian style.

Now I have created a draft/dummy mug for what I consider to be one of the fanciest Tiki - Hawaiian - cocktail bars. You can also see some of my other crafts there – in the “Blume von Hawaii” in Nuremberg.

The cup is my very special challenge.

The body/blank would be finished. I think it's really well done and beautiful - see the picture here:

But now I'm faced with the challenge of a) creating a plaster mold for the actual cup and b) possibly commercializing the part (number of pieces initially maybe 50 pieces, then maybe another 50 pieces per year).

I have now made my 4th attempt to build a 4-part mold. I simply lack the practice of working with plaster... and the undercuts and somewhat more complex shape do the rest...

Can someone maybe help me here? Is there anyone who could offer something like this? So molding the cup, then creating the clay blanks - glazing and firing?

Thank you for your ideas! Thanks!!

[ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:02:54 ]

[ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:03:22 ]

[ Edited by Tiki_Garage on 2025-02-13 01:03:37 ]

Welcome Tiki Garage, I started doing tiki mugs in 2010. I documented all the steps, including the making of molds on my "other crafts" pages. I've been told they were a great help in starting many careers in this genre. I can't tell you what pages these instructions are on, but I posted the steps each time I made a mold.

As far as undercuts, just draw lines on the sculpt to show where each mold piece will be cast. Then picture pulling the mold piece off. If you see any area where there's an undercut, then just fill it in with clay.

Everything I've ever made is on my Gallery page. I am both danlovestikis and Wendy Cevola.

Making tiki art is joyful. I hope you keep at it for years to come. Show your steps if you have time. Wendy