Tips and tricks

Several of our readers have suggested that we add a Tips & Tricks column to our site where handy tips and ideas can be shared by everyone. This sounds like a fun and interesting idea, and we encourage you to read what the others have to say, then submit your handy tips by way of the comments box. Please do read the other entries first to help prevent unnecessary duplications. Thank you!

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Wet molds
Trouble getting your castings out of the mold? It can take months for a mold to completely dry out once they are too wet, and if indeed they are too wet, they won’t release the casting. Let it set and dry, and it will be fine again. If you just have to pour the piece, sprinkle the mold with a little talc first, and it should release for you. The talc won’t hurt the casting. It cleans right off or burns off in the firing and you can’t tell it was ever there.

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The following tip was in the Ceramics LifeTips Newsletter this week and it looks like it would be interesting to try.

Carving plaster sprigs and stamps.
Pour plaster into plastic containers such as margarine tubs and cottage cheese containers, about 1-2 inches thick. Normally after the plaster has set (about a half hour) it will release by itself, even without any mold release on the plastic. If you wait too long and the plaster sticks, you can always cut the plastic off. Now you can carve designs into the plaster, and use it for press molds.

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Pour mold slip in such a way that the initial contact of slip to mold is in a place that isn’t critical, such as the bottom. At this point the silicates build up and may cause hard spots in your bisque that will not take decorations readily. One method of avoiding a hard or hot spot when pouring, is to insert a tongue depressor or other flat object in the mold and pour your slip against it.

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From Ceramics LifeTips:
It is important not to dry your molds too fast. Store them on slated shelves so that the natural air can circulate around them.
When buying a new mold be sure you always open it immediately to inspect the inside for any damage.
When cleaning the inside of a mold, never use anything other than a brush. If you encounter a stubborn piece of clay simply roll some waste clay into a ball and pounce it off.
Since molds work on the principle of absorption, it is important that you avoid touching the inside with your fingers. You do not want to leave any oil residue that may clog pores.
Be sure that you remove all dried clay from the seam area of a mold. It can dry and when you put the mold back together and start pouring again, the dried clay may warp the mold and eventually cause rust spots on your molds.
You may notice a fuzz on your molds when they are being sorted. This fuzz is caused by deflocculents in the slip that have penetrated the mold. You should remove this fuzz as it will harden and plug the pores of the mold.

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Here is a great tip for minimizing seam lines in your porcelain pieces that was posted by Linda Plaskett on a doll bulletin board. I intend to give it a try, and maybe you’d like to do as well:

The lines on greenware where the mold seams are can be caused by slip leaking in between the joining while you are pouring. You can’t always get completely rid of them, but I take a flat tool and run along the raised seams while the greenware is still damp, and push the seam back into the greenware. The dark seam lines you can get on fired bisque are caused because seam leakage creates a thinner area there in the greenware that shows up dark when the piece is cleaned and fired. Pushing the damp seams back into the piece helps to thicken the greenware so the lines will be less visible when fired.

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Having trouble getting some of your molds to release the casting? Seeley’s has a powdery product called “Popout” that can be dusted very sparingly onto the sticky areas with a soft mop brush or patted in with a small bag made by placing a small amount of the powder on a piece of cotton cloth or old sock, then gathering the fabric up around it and securing tightly with a rubber band. Now just pounce this lightly around the offending area of the mold, and a fine coating of the power with come through the fabric to dust the mold. Kind of like the “Buck Bags” we used back in high school when we were kids to freshen up our “Bucks”, better known as white suede shoes to you younger ones. Any powder that might adhere to the greenware will fire right off!

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Having trouble with blotchy doll cheeks? Try adding “Rose Glow Additive” to your cheek color. You can add as much as equal parts of additive and color. This allows the color to withstand firing without burning off, preserving the pretty color when applying more then one coat without the media from the second coat messing up the first coat. Have beautiful cheeks and washes every time!

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You can either roll a small ball of eye wax into a rope-like coil and place it on the eye where it will contact the bisque, and press the eyes into place, or flatter the ball into a disk and press it firmly inside the head over the eye opening, cut it out of the opening from the front, and press the eyes firmly into place. Either method should give a good seal all around the eye to keep the plaster from leaking through. Adjust the eyes carefully so they are even and aimed in the same direction. Making them look just slightly upward will avoid that “staring” look.

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Out of eye setting wax? Try using toilet ring wax. This is the stuff plumbers put on the floor around the drain to seal the toilet and prevent seepage. It’s cheap, easy to find, and if sealed in a plastic container will last for years, or until you use it all up. Take small bits of the wax on the tip of your scalpel or feathering knife and reaching into the eye socket from the front, scrape it off on the inner rim of the eye socket. Repeat all around the eye. Now position the eyes as usual before the permanent setting with plaster or Fix-All.

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Tired of chipped eyes? A helpful tip found at Becca’s Doll Creations states that using line medium on your beveller prevents almost all chipping when beveling the eyes! Woohoo! Gotta try that!

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Do you already have just the right shoes for the doll your are making – except for the color? You don’t have to order new ones. Tape off the edges and bottoms of the soles carefully with masking tape and spray with your color of choice using Design Master Spray Paint. Several light coats are best. This works well on lace, silk flowers, and straw hats too. The sprayed objects stay nice and soft and look great.

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Oopsie! Have a broken mold? There are several good mold menders on the market, but if you’re like me, it’ll happen when you’re in a hurry and not only don’t have any, but can’t remember what to call it or where to find it if you had the time to order it. Well, a ceramics company shared this one: dampen the broken edges well with canned milk, press back together and let dry. It will hold. Just be careful not to get any on the inside surface of the mold!

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When attaching parts in raw greenware:
1. Do it as soon as you possibly can.
2. Use Glycerin instead of water or slip on each piece. Place them together and wiggle slightly. The Glycerin helps to hold the pieces together and cleans up with water. Makes for easier clean up than slip and the pieces fit better without the added bulk of slip.
from Tisha Ritter of Tisha’s Incredible Brushes

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When stirring your slip, use a round dowl. This is less likely to cause air bubbles.
Slip should be about the consistency of heavy cream for proper pouring.
Many people put several layers of newspaper on the table before pouring to make
the clean-up easier. Rolling up the top layer usually takes care of any spills.