How to make a plaster mold for ceramics (slip casting) | Pau Stephens | Skillshare
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How to make a plaster mold for ceramics (slip casting)

teacher avatar Pau Stephens, Mexican Monster Maker

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Lessons in This Class

    • 1.

      Introduction to the class

      0:57

    • 2.

      Materials

      4:23

    • 3.

      The model

      5:38

    • 4.

      Soap

      0:41

    • 5.

      Planning your mold part 1

      7:08

    • 6.

      Planning your mold part 2

      2:13

    • 7.

      Making your mold part 1

      11:48

    • 8.

      Making your mold part 2

      5:29

    • 9.

      3 y 4 part of the mold

      6:47

    • 10.

      Last part and conclusions

      4:31

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About This Class

Hello everyone in this class we are going to learn how to make a plaster mold for the slip casting technique in ceramics. 

With a plaster mold you are going to be able to make replicas of the same design in ceramics. The life of a plaster mold is around 90 replicas. 

In this class I will teach you how to make a good model for making your mold, how to plan your mold and the process to make it.

Meet Your Teacher

Teacher Profile Image

Pau Stephens

Mexican Monster Maker

Teacher

Hi, my name is Pau and Im a Mexican monster maker.

I studied Industrial design at IED Madrid and after graduating in 2012 I started inquiring in the ceramic world, first producing my own projects and after manufacturing for other people.

I moved to Poland early in 2017 and started pursuing my artistic career making ceramic sculptures and experimenting more with shape and materials.

Currently I live in Bielefeld, Germany with my family. 

If you want to see more of my work please feel free to visit my web and my Instagram for more work in progress!

See full profile

Level: Beginner

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Transcripts

1. Introduction to the class: Hello, my name is those defense into their Did you help to make a plaster mold for you to sleep? Custom is, it doesn't technique husband along for a while. It's something that it's being used for. Making replicas off the same design in ceramics for today slash We're going to make a plaster more off one of my monsters. I will teach you how to prepare tomorrow how to design the ball. How could see how many pieces do you need for more help to divide it? And when we have our world already and divided, I will teach you how to prepare the boards, hold a cussed the cluster and how to make all the pieces of that for you. Making malt is a really tricky thing. It takes a little time and patience, but again, it's totally worth it. Because you when you have your mold, you can make a little replicas of the same design and save a little time. So please join me for this class and let me know what you think 2. Materials: Okay, So materials for this class we're going to need wouldn't warrants. I recommend that they are, like, smooth on the surface so that it doesn't get stuck to them. Okay, uh, court, I recommend this type. Of course, that is quite flexible. And you can put it however you like, So yeah, this is a good one. We're going to need play. You can do so ironically, if you're going to make one or two miles is a good material. But if you're going to make more than five miles, I really recommended to get, like, these plastic play in medical. We call it the Selena. And yeah, it is a clearly liquor use as many times as you want. No longer completely different colors. And it's what kids used to moral little stuff. So I don't know the name in English. Sorry. I look all right, but I couldn't find it to take place, so that was weird, But yeah, you can use this claim and you can use it as many things as you want, and you can clean it afterwards. And it's better both for this Romney play. Yeah, it's better for making one mold or two malls, and then you kind of use it again because it will be contaminated with cluster. So I don't actually recommend that you use this. Clay is running play for making something afterwards within because it will probably have some pieces of plaster and you were exploding. We also want to leave so special soap. I will. Did you help to make? These weren't. There are other types off so that you need to put in the cluster and the model so he doesn't get stuck. So it's really important because if they don't moan, gets stopped one part with the other and you can remove it. It's a nightmare. So is reported to have these. I made my own my own. This is the mordant, but you can buy anything that wasn't already made the ceramic shop. So maybe you should ask, and this tool started for poaching our mold and for moving ceramic that has left in our table or number boards. Our legal table. That doesn't move so much so you can manipulate them old and you know that you have like a wobbling table. That's really we also need a bucket. I have one that I recycle. There are some special buckets that are more flexible, and that's really cool. When you have, like the cluster, the pleasure is dry in the bucket, and you just and it comes off. But you need to spend up the most money. These were making over Cluster and the cluster. The cluster is a special bluster. You have to get out there ceramic store, your closest or store because, yeah, it is not a construction cluster. These specials cluster that Kobe is better. The details and its list rob and can handle like a little. But you should let so many times in. Yeah, it's like the heart. It's it's harder than the other one doesn't have, like that much little pieces off Jamaat. I think there's go or yeah, so basically, it's a special cluster, so you should ask your ex player. I want to come in and you get a Robert Hunter. There's already going to take out the walls and he says, Yeah, comfrey handy And finally, a lot of patients making malls. It's really it's not difficult, but I think that you need a lot of patients in time, so I would recommend that you are really prepare for spending as much time says you need. I recommend that you start with a really simple model like not too complicated, but not so many, he says. And I think that with this no, the most important, we need your model. In this case, I'm going to use this little guy. And now I will explain where this justifications that you need for your in order their project to work because you have a really complicated model. This will don't work. Okay, so let's go to the next chapter. 3. The model: Okay, So in this case, I made my model with Germans. I am have, like, design ceramics, and you generally came out okay, but I have to polish it more. So what I do normally with my to make my model looks like more smooth. Did I put the bluster ago this construction plastered to feel holes in these things And I put him in my morrow. I went for it to dry, and then they hear the Westies. The your modalities, as perfect as it can get. So then you don't bring those details in those nasty things to your moral to two years old . The moral compass will be made with. Basically, it can be made with whatever you want, as long as it's hard. A lot of people just play like this kid's clay toe, make their models. But that's that's not good, because you have money toe above the move and with the plaster and all these layers and moving and rabbit and everything and it its shape. So I remind you something that is hard. You can do something with it with war and then covered with something, and you got I don't know what bluster or whatever, like super school you want. Basically, everything is possible. As always, it's hard. It's not breaking and falling into pieces. That's what I recommend in this case, that you have to be resourceful and creative to make your your model goes over something that already exists. For example, I grew up. I bought this one to show you a little example, something that you can do and this model will be. This model will be really simple to make. So this is like a relief like, Yeah, like Russi meant for peace. So you just have to cut it in half and maybe more so I will show you that later. But this one, for example, is a little bit more complicated. Ramada Dawson has to have any counterparts, and I will explains withdrawing anything is better with example for a couple of these one. Well, this one is no this possible. Making a model from this monster will be really tricky because it has a load off counterparts or like with. But basically it's really difficult because you have to do by the peace because the mold is in different parts and this day will be really tricky. You don't get it. And there's actually people that makes Ricciuti moles. I will put a link of the video general, others like a Spanish ground that makes person line pieces, and they all come out from moves. But for every piece they like a little more for the hand, and then they need a little more for something else and they put them back together. It's a lot of work. That's why Jen Roy is super expensive, not only because it's porcelain, it's hand painted and they have sculpture doing their stuff everything. But it's also because it's a lot of work off animals that are different parts of the body. And then they put them back on one so they didn't down low, so you can see a little bit of that. But we don't want, and I don't recommend getting treaty pieces right away. Actually ever committed to start with this? I don't scare you both. Yeah, it really tricky so you can make most uncle forget it. But in this case, for Temple, that is not symmetric and everything. The pieces will get stuck. You have to remember that cluster it's hard and it will get stuck. No, you may be wondering, like, why do we need bluster and not silly home That is flexible. And the reason East Coast The bluster absorbs the water off this leap custom Klay. So your name, the ferocity of the cluster for making your peace happened. Like with silicone, you will stay liquid forever and you will never get the shape. So you will understand that later in the next, probably the next class, because I will. This not only about making the wall with next last going to be about Sid cussing, so I promise that I will not take that long to publish it. But yeah, everything will have says very soon. But basically, now I'm telling you, is don't the super complicated shapes try to get something that is point symmetric. In this case, I chose this one because this one is a more off different pieces that make liver pieces. But it's not a complicated at something like this, for example. And actually, that's why I'm smoothing this because I don't want anything to get stuck. So that's more it is that there Well, I think that when we start making the pieces left. The constructing hope is going to be the wall. You will understand what I mean. Okay, so I have my my peace, my my model. I will fix it so it gets, like, really nice and smooth And then we'll start planning normal. Well, I finished my monster living, however, make officials. 4. Soap: So for this up, we're going to need laundry soap. The reason we used laundry soap. I think that is because it's a little bit more oily than the normal body soap. So that's why we use these one. And what I do is that I could have the little pieces, put it inside a jar, boil some water, aim pouring on top, and then I add a few drops off oil. It can be like the normal all that you use for cooking and let it chew for a while. And when it's a little bit dissolved, what I do is I mix it until it gets like a creamy consistency, and that's it. You have your special soap for your molds. 5. Planning your mold part 1: Okay, So, no, I'm doing with my model. I think we're gonna start applying. Help me normal. This part is really important. I think that you have the materials that you use and you have like, and Grady off. How it's supposed to work. Makes it process where much easier. It's another. Have my model. I need to see how the most is going to work the home in pieces. And what part goes first and always things. If we're gonna model of this blow, it will be quite easy to know how to make it work. Basically, you have to do this one make a line that divides half of it in this case actually goes around electricals. The money is used to produce this bottles. So was it was like half like this. And then this far he's in a little park. Okay, so it is not would be like a three part mould. And it will be like this half this half and then the bottom. Why? Because we do. You might never do it only off two parts this half till here. And these other half till here. When you try to the mall, you will get stuck here in this hole we like. So this half putting it out, I explain myself, me myself clear. But basically you need to be careful with these things. Like the the cluster work over all these half. So doesn't that means that this would get stuck like it will get inside here and you will get really stuck so you could not make it go out. So that's why we do this way. We make this half this half and then the bottom, so this will be another part of the I will make a little drop in six months. Things there is our machinery that this would be like this. So in this case, the more would be here, here and here. So this goes these way. He's way in that way. And here it wasn't poor. The drunks. So everything go up here the drugs. So basically, that's the way this model works. So it's one based on this and the bottom, and then here to put this right so that, you see, it's quite simple time. Well, this Roland maybe not the best, um, exploration with yet is a simple way to make them all So I recommended this troubled most like this. Like something like, Do not do this like an example with this one. And I will probably be really ignore. It is okay. Nothing. That is just what I do. Normally, this looks like a kids project. We wanted to make him all of this. What I'll do is I would feel these part with with Clay. So we don't have, like, this whole. And normally you have to have the a little step here because we need to be able to clean the bottom. I think I ever explained that before. I show you here. So this is a piece. This was my by. We'll turn. So you know the same thing. What did you see? This part? It doesn't have any place. And that's because here to put, like the glistening on the piece, I think all the peace. And then here you use Pete. So this part is the one that's going to have contact with the kill and will not get moved. So normally you need to have something like this here. So here what it is that I didn't took place, so you don't get stuck. But normally the group decent way to do it is to have something like this. So what does this mean? The most of this will be the Cordis Make a little circle here and then you have off this we have half and then you have, like, take on the a little step another have these. So my little this is my super. Then what I will do is I will feel all these quickly. Then I will directly. It will be also clear because you have to think also that you have to. You have to also have that there their mouth level together like this. This is the part where you have to poor that surrounds. So I really think that better with moral but here in the drawing more before the leave it ceramics. So the more for this would be half its available. It will be like you see like profile. You will be like these half in the bottom. So it will be one part. Maybe I will do it like you here been. You know how in the movies and then they're both would be another part. So this would go this the other side and then this don't in part part in the bottom, so many now it's confusing with drones and all these things because you need to see how this looks. But in general that's the main idea so that I have to do with making a drawing or do rubber piece, and you start making the lines to see where these would hold is. How are the pieces of these mold? 6. Planning your mold part 2: Okay, so now my piece and I need to check how I'm going to make this work. Okay? So the way that I was thinking that this would be like the first time that I don't think it will be like one piece here, huh? Half in the bottle, The signs moster. I wasn't getting all the time. Him They will get me. Doesn't here where to make this piece? My The trick is I have ever by myself versions book. You better risk a part of this. Okay, so now I have my the way that I planned. This mall is 12345 pieces. So, really, what I recommend is that you don't complicate yourself. You start with something. Might be some time before, and I already looked over. Next. Listen, let's prepare the first part. 7. Making your mold part 1: here. I have my wood I know about I want to play something about the good parts that you use. Something like that is almost the same size than your most under your piece. And that is to 70 metres bigger. You know, like the board is all of this inside and it's only two centimeters off space between your piece in the end of board. What here, like this way, we can say months real, more, more will be like smaller and also it will be faster for it to dry within two centimeters. You ensure that the layer is not super thin layer of bluster and bricks. So, like this is like having a perfect size and every recommended you caught your your your boards, not all of them off the base. This thing that's that's like this special size, and then the other wants a little bit longer. So there's a way that I normally arranged this I make like a t. And as you can see, this size is what I mean that you are left only with like, a little bit. And with the baseboard that is this one. Do the limit. You mark the limit off the of your mold. We'll see this later. We make our first, but it so let's do okay, this is normal. Clip the first thing if that things would get slack, um, level and where we're going to do, It's finished. I called it is difficult to say like a bit like I know we would make a bit for our peace, my logic, And I want to I hope that I'm right is that this is the first side of the hole is the first part so first or to do with the very that you just trouble make a the 1st 2 or three parts are more because then you have some cluster. You have to use this clear list it But the 1st 1 you have, you know that it gets other than under them on top after the first part will understand why , with your boards, you can get some help for this part will be better. Here I have the work and I do like a not his way what I do, ladies, I guess tight as I can. And then I put stuff, Yeah, something first. So this is how it looks now we don't just think there are better ways to do this. But this is the way that I have been doing it since Isler. But there's people that have like these things for I'm touching their roots or whatever. So maybe you can do some research on Google and find out a better way. But this is there. Let's call it the traditional way, the Mexican traditional way. And not what I will do is that I will put here I will feel and feel everything. - So I love with our bet in the first part, we got our super so queen or these purchase I put it here Brush. Be careful, because also, if you put a lot off but this the the less there is to cook. Okay, you know, I'm going to prepare my cluster. Some people have a friend way to calculate home cluster duties in the two week matters and all those things your way to do it is Mexican way. So I just put warlike by our Yeah, so we're just calculate how much more of the menu and then we put I don't know what this for being, you know, because it would also be more when I could mythbuster. Okay, so what? I do it you that I wrote the cluster with my hands and then I put it and I dont move these no matter what. Don't move it. Just do this and then you have to go pour the bluster until you get a little long time when you see the tip of life. That's when you know that you have to start mixing. Okay, so now you see, that is no sinking. The first, then there were We're basically making the tip of the iceberg. I like this one. I will put on you this. I would prefer that it's a little bit more. And what is their doing? This I recommend that he was doing. And don't putting more and more more the bullying from the sides. No, no, no. Okay. And now I would give a little bit off some point just so I can get the bubbles out. This punching party Very difficult if you don't take well. Your pieces. It has happened to me that when I give the new punches like so I only something happens. Everything falls and in tight Suster If this happens to you the first time that you're making more. Don't worry. It happens to all of us being there at school because did you bubbles and then you let it rest and you're free to go and have some lunch. There's no moment. Takes 15 minutes, maybe toe. You know, before the pluses to be ready. Both my was like I landed. There are chilled joined. Hurry. This is the work you need to be like chilled. Com Go have patients in time because this is the tricky part off making molds. So I will do it here risk for a while and then I will open it with a second part. 8. Making your mold part 2: - So now that we remove our first part, it goes like this. We just remove it. We have to make these more as perfect as we can. You can do this or you could do this and try not to invade his line. That's really tough. You can see that The play that I usedto for publishing my ceramics got a little bit stuck. But it doesn't matter. Because then afterwards, when I finished, I can kill. I want to meet this tool. I was born a big so I will make that keys. Well, I don't know if it's this, then Hey, in English. But in Spanish is job. That means King, actually, no. Yeah, really need more really made in this part for now because he's the only party will have contact now. So we're living like this because he will recover and he will be covered, included, covered. So this is the only part that actually needs the keys now? No, the second part of the mold. So now we have our keys. We make sure that it's really clean everything. What I do is I put also insight because you never know when the closer gun you decide and get stick to these? No, you have. That is part of the more. It's easier to make the second and the third and fourth and everything. So basically, you have to repeat the process every time. Basically the same. The first part is the most difficult one, putting the claim, putting the soap, putting the boards in the cluster. So single room you can say that the difficult part is to find out which way the mold should de mold. And once that you find that you if you're correct, you're already on the other side, then you just have to have a lot of patients now. I would put the next works and finish a little bit off this now for the bluster the same way as before and pour it inside. You know you will punches to get out of the bubbles and wait a little 9. 3 y 4 part of the mold: So the next part is going to be making this. So the keys that you are, if I'm not wrong, are a different type of keys. So again with you no more. I already made the I'm you. He said a little different and you will understand why in a moment. - So that is the way it looks Now. I feel like this could be a problem, but I will risk anyway and see what happens. - So now we're missing two parts of the mall and to make a I wasn't me. There's something weird about visible and, I don't know, except ready. Maybe I'll find out later, and I honestly But now that I see for simple part of the whole of the legs make this part, normally it's here, and you have, like, a block here and you can move it. But if it's because of the shape off this morning of this off the monster that it's not actually feel that way, because if I don't like these, I don't know, instead of having all these things away, this and the space, so at the end you will you will see how it looks like, but I think that anyone verify? Let it be. Must cut here. This part. And you have a blood that goes in cure Dick. Well, I think that he will still work. It was still work out, but yeah, you never know. Yeah, So you can see here is going to be like the last park. And I find it a little bit weird that it's a scientist so lonely. It's a blow that goes all the way here into politic keys. And you have, like, a block on top. But right now, the way I make this, moles have, like all this space, so it will fit inside here. And for that, that's where we like this. So it goes out. Yes, I imagine it should do. Making malls making want is a really tricky process. And you have to develop like this where you're seeing like, a negative so you can anticipate how the mold is going to be and how to be. Don't feel frustrated if it doesn't work at the beginning or whatever. Having making holes for a while. But it's not my fault, because so yeah, I have to say this disclaimer. I'm not an expert. Both I think they match to make what I need for proved undoing. So yeah, right now, this far now with cluster again. 10. Last part and conclusions: Okay, so for this part is the last part, I'm going to make a little thing that is the one that is going to make, like the whole or like a tunnel where the sleep must get inside. So, no, me, it's good to make a like a cone shape. Be careful on the size because that's the size that well, actually the the whole that will be left in your final piece. And then do you repeat the process with Tiger last party easier. This is way much easier because I already have the fourth sides. And then we repeat the same process. Have a good the soap and pour the cluster. - Okay , so now we have over mole. What you that the Andes and I polish? I would be the ages and came amid the all time. Make it and try to make it smooth as possible. They go on yours and your moles do moving during with clay or whatever, and it's easier to clean us. It's Reese move also, as you can see, like the model die If I polish it and everything, it's like, really. That's why I recommend you something hard. Like I know What? But whatever you use for making your model has to be. Yeah, like I was, he said, material normally what? People lose his Plesser and they make a move off plaster. Sometimes they do it like where this will turning machine, and they do like that. And then they had some stuff or they make a cube with the plaster in this up carving. There are a lot of waste that you're coming tomorrow. And so yeah, but you have to be resistant. I made a few mistakes with this mall and I realized that us, You know, Sammy, for example, built home should be covering the whole part because now it's stuck in the meeting before before pieces. And it will be, I think, difficult to use. But in Jena Dural. But in general, I think they will work no clean a little bit If Bob were so blessed, are keen and everything. And I will let it dry for a long time because this small has to be really, really, really drive to use it for the sake gusting. So that will be the next less How do you lose custody? Yeah. No Mommy. Their life off moments. About 90 pieces. Prose. So, this mole, it's possible to get 19 off these monsters. I will see you in the next class to make some monsters with our more and show you how this technique actually works. Let me know if you like these tutorial. Even it's perfect if you make a hole this and will be nice if you could share so pictures with us at the product section. And also I invited you to share your comments under thoughts or you have any tips. You are always welcome. We are all the time. You go to news, uh, learning. So yeah. I like also to learn something. Yeah. Thanks so much for watching. And I hope that is you.