Arizona bonsai
Shohin
Randy, will the mold be a one time use or can you remove the pot without damaging the mold?
Tokoname Try-A Cautionary Tale
- Thread starter AZbonsai
- Start date
Fingers crossed it should come out of the mold. No under cuts. It is taking forever to dry. Big piece of plaster.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
The clay should shrink away and come out easily enough. There is a product called mould soap to aid, or corn starch, flour...
The best thing about a slump mold is you can forget it.
Where a hump mold must be removed before shrinkage cracks your peice.
Did y'all buy a kiln yet!?
That one...."don't have room for it"...steal that one! Low-ball!
Sorce
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
P.S.
I would consider filling the "feet", and adding them later. For ease of out. And easy meaningful variation.
Sorce
I would consider filling the "feet", and adding them later. For ease of out. And easy meaningful variation.
Sorce
Not yet. You have peeked my interest.
AaronThomas
Omono
Is it done yet?!?! LOL Can't wait to see!
SquatJar
Sapling
Love this thread, I have recently embarked on a similar endeavour. Dug and processed the clay, bonsai pots and coffee mugs made, going to try a wood firing in the next 2 weeks. No doubt it will end with cracked or melted ceramics but I love saying 'how hard can it be' with the foolhardy confidence only a middle aged white man can possess
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Listening to this crap is wonderful. There's a part of the bonsai black hole I'm not going to get sucked into.
Never say never!
First attempt!
Not successful....but it does give me hope!
I waited about 20 minutes before I poured the slip out. The thickness was about right. Could go a little longer. I had 1 of the 4 legs not release. I did not use a release agent and should have. I ran my wire across the top of the mold to clean off the excess clay I think that may have caused problems with the release. I also let the clay dry too rapidly trying to get it to let go of the mold.
Lessons learned! Will try again!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
WT!
I didn't think you were using it as a slip mold!
I thought you were pressing bagged clay into it.
Why not press bagged clay into it?
Can't spell Crazy without the A and Z!
Sorce
I didn't think you were using it as a slip mold!
I thought you were pressing bagged clay into it.
Why not press bagged clay into it?
Can't spell Crazy without the A and Z!
Sorce
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
When you use a mould, either the part, or the mould, needs to be flexible, hense rubber moulds. Or, in some cases where the part has a natural draft, the mould can be left propped-up, upside-down and the part will fall out of a female mould when the part shrinks as the result of drying. A female plaster will grow off a male mandrel. Here are two principles of materials: 1. plaster(and concrete) always grows/expands. 2. plastics(and clay and rubber) always shrink. This is important when making a mould and choosing whether to make a male or female mandrel(model) or mould. You use these principles to help the female grow off the male mandrel(model), or a male shrink out of a female cavity. Choose wisely and they fall apart. Choose badly and they are locked together, forever. A growing female part can break a male mould if the walls of the female part are significantly stronger(thicker) than the male mould(is thicker). Or, both can break. All of that is separate from design dielocks. A dielock is a condition where the part is larger in some dimension/cross section than the mould, in this case it might be an embossed decoration on the sides of the pot. If the mould is rigid (not rubber), and not split into halves that slide sideways to escape that part, the part will be dielocked. To educate yourselves on how to design moulds, go to any store and look closely at objects that are complex shapes, especially those that are similar to your prospective shape. You will be able to see witness lines where two or more halves of a mould come together. Think about the direction they have to move apart in order to allow the object to be removed from the mould.
Trenthany
Chumono
You sound like me with some weird idea. See my post on my cypress pot idea for an example. Lmao
Trenthany
Chumono
This part I have always been interested in because moulds can be used to cast in all kinds of materials!
NaoTK
Chumono
Hey y'all. I have been making bonsai molds for a few years. At one point I was so serious I went to Tokoname and met with the potters there.
There is a "right" way to make molds of course. I'm happy to help others with the process, but it does take practice and finesse. -Nao
There is a "right" way to make molds of course. I'm happy to help others with the process, but it does take practice and finesse. -Nao
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
They look purchaseable. Got site?
NaoTK
Chumono
My volume is low due to day job, but I'm happy to make the occasional custom show pot. https://tokutakebonsai.blogspot.com/
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Ahhh... an empty suite. Ring me up when you get lucky!
JoeR
Masterpiece
Gorgeous, love the green and blue ones in the second from left stack. Looks like the key is to have molds with multiple removable parts to them
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