What is a slip casting mold?

Slip casting, or slipcasting, is a ceramic forming technique for pottery and other ceramics, especially for shapes not easily made on a wheel. In this method, a liquid clay body slip (usually mixed in a blunger) is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer, the cast, on the inside walls of the mould.

What is slip casting process?

Slip casting is a method used to make the shape of a coffee cup, for example, without the use of heat. In slip casting, the slip is poured into a mold that removes some of the liquid from the slip near the mold wall. This occurs because the mold is porous and the liquid wicks into the pores by capillary action.

What is casting slip made of?

Slip is just a liquid mixture of clay or a “liquefied suspension of clay particles in the water” and is generally a little thinner than a slurry. Slip casting is “liquified clay poured into a plaster mold.” The ratios are roughly 75 percent clay body to 25 percent water.

How do you mold a plaster slip?

Plaster Mold for Slipcasting a Bowl

Step 1: Prepare the Bowl for the Plaster Pour.
Step 2: Mix and Pour the Plaster.
Step 3: Remove the Mold From the Bucket.
Step 4: Secure Plastic Bowl to the Original Bowl.
Step 5: Pour the Plaster for the Second Mold.
Step 6: Final Mold Ready for Slipcasting.

Can you make your own casting slip?

Preparing the Casting Slip The process of slaking clay to make it into slip is a simple one. Step one is to have a 5-gallon bucket filled 60-75% with your bone-dry clay then add water until it’s a few inches below the rim (figure 1). Let it slake for 24 hours then mix it by hand a little with a stick (figure 2).

How thick should slip be for slip casting?

Your slip should be between 1.75 and 1.80. If the answer is above 1.80, add water. If the answer is below 1.75, then add a small amount of dry slip. Specific gravity can also be read with a hydrometer.

What is the limitation of the slip casting technique?

The molds used for slip casting usually have a low toughness. They have a high porosity, which lowers the strength. If the strength is increased some porosity must be sacrificed to increase the strength. Low strength gypsum molds wear out with time because the pores are eroded from the water that goes through them.

How do you mix slips?

Use 1 part sodium silicate to 4 parts distilled water (1). Add a very small splash (no more than an ounce) of this solution to your bucket of water. Not all clay bodies adhere to the 0.2% formula for deflocculating slips—sometimes adding 0.2% is too much.

What is slip casting?

This is a step by step tutorial on how to slip cast. Slip casting can be useful for making multiples of one object and to make casts that are hollow on the inside. This tutorial is demonstrating how to slip cast porcelain in an already existing plaster mold easily and efficiently.

How to use slip in molding?

Pour slip into the mold nice and slowly. Fill the mold until it is almost to the brink. 8. Once you have finished pouring slip into your mold you must wait for a certain amount of time for a desired thickness to build along the walls of your mold. Below is a timing chart you can refer to for desired thickness.

How long does it take for slip to dry after molding?

Place your mold hole down onto a piece of paper towel and allow for further drainage for about 10 minutes. 13. Tilt the mold to its side and allow for drying of the slip inside the mold. Wait approximately 2 hours before releasing the mold. 14.

Are You Ready to cast slip?

You are ready to cast some slip! 1. Begin by making sure your slip is liquid and easily pourable. If you are using brand new slip, it should be ready to go. If you are recycling slip, I like to use a blender and a little bit of water to achieve the necessary consistency.