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Plaster Mold Making & Some Ceramics |
Bowana
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Nov 10, 2006
Posts: 947
From: La Mesa, CA
|  Posted: 2008-07-12 3:59 pm
Right on, MadDog! You've picked up the ball and carried it for quite a distance!
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Babalu
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2044
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2008-07-13 07:55 am
Mike,
Very nice job! The two mugs I have over here that you glazed turned out just like these. Dude, I am quite impressed with your "go for it" style. For those of you who may not know Mike, he is just a great guy....plus he takes the snap and runs full tilt boogie with anything you can throw his way. Most importantly, he's not afraid to fail. Mike lives out in the middle of bum f**k nowhere...when he can't find a store (all he has is a Walmart and a Target) that sells something he wants, he improvises, and with great success I might add.
Mike you are a true ceramicist in the making...I'm extremely happy that this thread could benefit you. Your blazing trails brother!
Best to you and your wife...Have a killer time on your vacation!
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[ This Message was edited by: Babalu 2008-07-13 08:05 ]
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 1777
From: Mexico-15 mi Arizona-60 mi Hell-100 ft
| Posted: 2008-07-13 09:43 am
You're makin' me blush 
Thanks guys!
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Maddog Mike's Tiki Laboratory
Clay, the original and most divine art media - Genesis 2:7
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 1777
From: Mexico-15 mi Arizona-60 mi Hell-100 ft
| Posted: 2008-07-17 06:52 am
This "Headhunter Stew" mug was inspired by "Dani's Deep Sea Barrel". I know now that this is a knock-off of Rum Demon's "Cannibal Pot", but I didn't know that when I sculpted my model. So I went ahead and made up a few (for personal use only) because I needed the practice. I learned a few things on this project: I learned you can't leave unfired clay outside to dry when there's a thunderstorm on the horizon, it melts in the rain. I learned that you can glaze-bond something to the bottom of a mug, but if you get too much glaze on the inside walls it "slumps" down. I glazed and fired the bones, lettering and flames first, then went back and applied the black glaze. It was easier to wash off any mistakes that way, then I refired it for the black glaze. I guess after I make a few more ceramics pieces, I'll have to make my own thread and stop glomming on to this one 
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[ This Message was edited by: MadDogMike 2008-07-17 11:49 ]
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pwest71
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 19
From: Pittsburgh, PA
| Posted: 2008-08-26 12:14 pm
If anyone is interested, I've taken most of the basic info in this post, along with the images and created a print friendly version, just PM me with your email address and I'll send it on.
Thanks by the way for all the great info in this post, it's inspiring me to give making my own mug a shot...
Paul
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GO TIKI
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Feb 21, 2004
Posts: 519
From: SURF CITY HUNTINGTON BEACH
| Posted: 2008-08-26 3:27 pm
Hey MadDogMike, Thanks for mentioning us as an inspiration, Go Tiki's "Dani's Deep Sea Rum Barrel" Keep it up and have fun! Gogo
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=25817&forum=18&56
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[ This Message was edited by: GO TIKI 2008-08-26 15:28 ]
[ This Message was edited by: GO TIKI 2008-08-26 15:28 ]
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 1777
From: Mexico-15 mi Arizona-60 mi Hell-100 ft
| Posted: 2008-08-26 3:37 pm
You're most welcome
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Tiki-Atari
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Aug 06, 2007
Posts: 61
From: Atlanta
| Posted: 2009-03-02 12:02 pm
My wife and I just decided we're going to pick up mug making as a hobby for awhile and see how it goes. Any comments or advice on these, our freshman attempts?
Mine
Hers
In particular, do you think the eyes will be able to slip cast?
How about the lips?
How can I make this waviness smooth out? Is that the "thumbiness" that window screen can help with?
Thanks for looking!
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JonathanMChaffin.com
All Things Designed.
Kazatari.com
Raygun Gothic Retro-Futurist Design. With monkeys.
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OceaOtica
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Sep 29, 2003
Posts: 727
From: la, home of Tiki Ti
| Posted: 2009-03-02 12:58 pm
Hey Atari, the first question i have is are you going to mold this to pour up? I see you have a pvc piece in side, so it is a bit confusing as to whether you intend to fire the finished sculpture or this is a master sculpture to mold.
If you intend to fire this, the piece looks pretty thick. Dry very slowly, very carefully. My foray into the handbuilt pieces has been a mixed bag thus far of success and failure. Babalu should bounce in on this if you intend to fire these.
If you are using these as a master sculpt to mold, one thing i can see off the bat is problems in the area under the brow. You need to make sure that plane is flat and does not have the crease at the base which would be an undercut. Go back into the base and fill in the crease and make sure you have a pretty smooth clean plane.
General smoothing out can be done with various rake sizes, then you can do a smoothing with some alcohol and a powder puff (the large pinkish colored ones), final smoothing with a foam rubber makeup sponge. Being that these are water based clay sculptures, i hope you are keeping them wrapped up in plastic when you are not working on them, or they will dry too much and crack. When you have completed the sculpture and it is ready for molding, let the clay get a bit firm, no sludge or heavy moisture on the surface, and seal it. The sealing will generally not prevent the clay from continuing to dry out, it will slow the process down a bit, so if you seal it, then have to wait some time before molding, re bag the piece. Also, when you do a sculpture to mold, always keep in mind the parting lines of your intended mold,i.e. if this is a 4 sided mold, make sure the drafting to each parting line is clean.
Hope this helps, hope you have fun with the craft, and look forward to seeing the finished pieces.
[ This Message was edited by: oceaotica 2009-03-02 13:22 ]
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poptiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 05, 2005
Posts: 147
From: CO
| Posted: 2009-05-09 8:48 pm
I hope this keeps rolling on. What do you guys say?
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 1777
From: Mexico-15 mi Arizona-60 mi Hell-100 ft
| Posted: 2009-05-10 10:23 am
This thread is an awesome resource for anyone wanting to give slipcasting a try. But seems like, since Babalu converted everyone to handbuilding, there hasn't been much casting going on.
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Maddog Mike's Tiki Laboratory
Clay, the original and most divine art media - Genesis 2:7
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poptiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 05, 2005
Posts: 147
From: CO
| Posted: 2009-05-12 02:28 am
I've not done hand building and I hold a very high regard for the folks doing it.
I guess I'm a slip caster. For me the challenge is to make the piece repeatable, even if only doing a small number of pieces.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 1777
From: Mexico-15 mi Arizona-60 mi Hell-100 ft
| Posted: 2009-05-12 06:44 am
It is very rewarding to make yourself a set of 8 matching mugs, but hand building appeals to my sense of "instant" gratification. In as few as several days, you can go from "lump of clay" to "finished product" whereas sculpting a master, forming a mold, waiting for the mold to dry, etc seems to take so much longer. "Lord, grant me patience...RIGHT NOW!"
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Maddog Mike's Tiki Laboratory
Clay, the original and most divine art media - Genesis 2:7
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Babalu
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2044
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2009-05-12 07:38 am
Quote:
| I guess I'm a slip caster. For me the challenge is to make the piece repeatable, even if only doing a small number of pieces. |
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and boy howdy do you ever do it well!
Yes, I think we should keep this thread going. I know Bowana just made a new mold, and I'm working on the master for a new one now...I have to head out of town tomorrow, but I'll post a little in here when I get back.
Pops, I have to be at a wedding in Boulder on June 27th...I was thinking of gathering some old clay pals of mine together for a Clay Jam in Denver somewhere around that time...you interested? Just drop me a pm if you are. It will be fun! These are some really great people. I'm sure you and I can learn a great deal hanging out with them even if its for a day.
[ This Message was edited by: Babalu 2009-05-12 08:08 ]
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NOTCH
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 23, 2006
Posts: 435
From: San Jose.Ca
| Posted: 2009-05-12 08:28 am
Hey Babalu! Thanks for all your info on making slip casting Molds, Ive been workin in my laboratory
late into the night using your techniques and I'm proud to say that I have mastered the art of plaster molds..
I just want to say thanks for all the info you posted here, Big Mahalo!!!
I will post some pictures of Molds and mugs I made using your techniques very soon
Thanks, Notch
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