Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Submitted by Mal of L’Oie Peintre in France:
In writing this article I have made two presumptions, rightly or wrongly, that you are already familiar with the firing process of an electric kiln fitted with a kiln sitter, or that you are investigating the possibility of purchasing your first kiln fitted with an electronic controller and have already read Majik’s article on “How To Fire Your Kiln”. By saying this it will save a lot of repetitive comments on firing techniques.
I also wish to make it quite clear that I am in no way associated with, or connected to any kiln or controller manufacturer.
So firstly what are some of the advantages of electronic controllers?
1. Firing to whatever cone temperature you require can be done without the use of pyrometric cones. So, you no longer need to have a wide variety of cones to fire at different temperatures. You simply pre set the cone number that you require and the kiln will cut off at the appropriate temperature. This is very useful if you are like myself and experiment firing glazes to different temperatures to those recommended by the manufacturers, or if you want to use potters glazes which are not always fired to the more commonly used cone 06.
2. The start time can be delayed to suit your personal needs. If you have a studio or shop that is open to the public you don’t normally want to have the kiln firing when you have clients or students present. So the start time can be pre set to when you are closed and you don’t have to be there to start the firing process. It will then run through the firing cycle until the pre set cone no. is reached.
3. This facility can also be used to take advantage of “off peak” electricity, thus reducing energy bills and helps to make you a little more Eco friendly
4. If you wish to change the rate of fire or ramp normally slow, medium or fast, this can also be done without your being present.
5. There are certain glazes and techniques that require a “hold time”; again this can be pre programmed into the firing cycle according to your requirements.
6. Choosing your firing time carefully enables you to fire the kiln according to ambient temperatures. By this I mean that if you are working in a warm or hot environment, i.e. S. California, Texas, Caribbean etc, then the kiln can be fired overnight and not in the heat of the day. Or on the contrary if you live in Alaska, the firing can be timed to finish just before you start work, so that the kiln heat has already warmed the workplace.
To read the rest of this article, click here.
Monday, October 26th, 2009
At some time during every ceramist’s career, they will want to make a mold of something. Sometimes it is just the challenge of learning how, other times it is to be able to reproduce something they created multiple times. Mold making is in itself an art form that takes some skill and practice to master.
The best place to begin is to learn the basics with a one piece, or open cast/press mold. This type of mold creates a product that is detailed on one side and flat or plain on the other side. Most often these molds are cast solid, but can be cast as a ceramic shell. Open, one piece molds can also be used as press molds for use with various clays.
Like the negative of a photo, a mold reflects the opposite of the product, so everything is in reverse until you press or cast it then the resulting item will be the positive match for the original piece.
Disclaimer – The approach I am about to lay out is but one way to make a mold for ceramic and clay use. The general principles may be the same, but some of the materials and steps may vary from mold maker to mold maker.
My approach is to teach the novice the principles of ceramic mold making in its simplest form
To read more of this article, click here.
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Making things from molds has dated back thousands of years, Historians have found evidence of the use of molds dating prior to 3000 BC. Among the earliest forms of mold use was evidenced by the finest pottery of the time crafted in Babylonia.
So what is a mold? Quite simply it is a form or shape with a cavity or pattern that is filled or pressed with a substance which once the substance is dried or mature, it can be removed and used.
The development and use of molds is as varied as one’s imagination. Stop and think for a moment of all the things you use daily that come from molds. Soaps, cookies, candies, butter, cheese, car parts, candles, machinery, dishes, even shoes and hats and of course ceramics. You will find molds made of rubber, plastic, wood, stone, glass, metals, cement, and plaster – all with the purpose of making repeated castings of a desired item.
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Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Not a “new” product, but one that may be new to you.
For an easy unfired marbleized finish on ceramic bisque or most any other item, you may want to give a try using Magic Dips.
Simply float specialized paints on surface of water and lower your piece into the surface, twisting your item as you submerge it.
Anyone, any age can make beautiful, decorative pieces.
Try combining this product and technique with other fired finishes and come up with some really spectacular designs. Use your imagination.
Have some pieces that did not quite turn out like you want or cannot be fixed? Just marbleize them, it will cover most any errors.
For more information on this product:
http://www.bcdservices.com/magicdip/store/commerce.cgi?next=42&cart_id=1246559281.54984&product=Individual_Colors
Friday, February 13th, 2009
The process of pouring ceramic molds is called casting or slip casting. Before you begin, it is a good idea that you know how the mold works. Ceramic molds are made of plaster as opposed to other molds being rubber, sponge, metal or plastic. The reason is that plaster absorbs water.
Slip is liquid clay, it has a lot of water in it (see “What is Ceramic or Clay Slip”) and in order for it to hold a shape, the water needs to be removed. Enter the plaster mold.
There are many kinds of plaster molds, ranging from one piece to two piece to multiple pieces that fit together and form a cavity to hold the slip. Most common, and addressed in this article, is the two piece mold. These molds are designed to fit together tightly to form a cavity with a single opening that is used to receive and expel the liquid clay. See “What is a Ceramic Mold”.
When you fill your mold with liquid clay, the plaster begins to absorb the water and the clay platelets begin to stick to the sides of the mold. This creates the shell that will ultimately form your finished item. The longer you leave the slip in the mold, the more water that will be drawn out and the thicker the shell will be. When the shell is as thick as you want it, you then drain off the excess slip and you are left with a hollow item.
To read the rest of this article, click here.
Friday, January 30th, 2009
Primarily, ceramic slip is clay that has been thinned down with water and sometimes additional chemicals to be used for various purposes in the field of clay arts. It is clay mixed with water to a smooth gravy-like, liquid consistency.
In pottery, it is used for decorating or coating the crafted items as well as acting like a glue or paste to adhere parts together. In ceramics, it is used to cast plaster molds creating images and shapes as well as various finishing techniques.
It is called slip because of its smooth, slippery consistency… a texture without roughness, smooth to the touch. The term comes from Middle English: slime, from Old English: ‘slypa’ or ‘slyppe’ and also has Indo-European roots: sleubh. Just step in the middle of a puddle of it on your floor and you will understand completely. It is well named.
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
The most important thing about caring for your mold is to understand that they need to be kept clean and dry.
When you get a new mold from a manufacturer, it can often arrive wet. You need to make sure they are thoroughly dry before you begin casting them. There are several ways to do this, but the best way is to let them dry naturally. Options to speed the process would be to set the unopened, still banded mold on a pad of thick paper, or chalk board, or carpet. These ‘pads’ will help absorb and draw the moisture out of your mold. Every few hours, turn the mold over to one of its sides. Repeat this for a day or two. Your mold should dry by then. You can also set your mold, again banded and unopened, in the sun, rotating it every hour or so. DO NOT leave it in one position in the sun all day, it will dry unevenly and could warp.
DO NOT – open the mold and dry it with the parts separated
DO NOT – put it in or on your heated kiln or oven to dry
Drying your mold too fast will only result in warping and/or stress cracking the mold.
When not in use, you should clean the mold inside and out and store them tightly banded on wooden shelves. If wood shelves are not possible, then line the shelves with thick layers of paper, chalk board (what is used for walls-cut to fit) or other absorbent padding. Store the mold with the pour gate (openings) down if at all possible. This will prevent dust and little critters from crawling inside. See casting instructions to learn how to clean your mold. If you can, you might want to use cut up boxes or card board and cover the pour holes, anchoring them in place with your bands.
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
A ceramic mold is made of plaster. It is made to create a shape or object using clay or slip (liquid clay).
A mold can have one piece, referred to as an open pour, open cast or press mold. Most commonly, molds have two or more pieces which fit together like a puzzle creating a casing to hold liquid clay or ‘Slip’. Open pour or press molds are one piece molds that can be used with slip or by pressing clay into them.
The clay takes on the shape of the cavity of the mold and is then removed, processed and fired.
To read the rest of this article, click here.