Making a Slipcast Mug pt3: Silicone Mold Making! - Tiki Technical Tuesday
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- In part 3 of the Rhinoceros Hornbill Mug adventure we learn all about SILICONE MASTER MOLDS! Why do we make them? How do you make them? What happens if you accidentally drop one? All these questions and more will be answered! Put on your rattiest studio clothes and hit play - things are gonna get messy!
Thank you all for watching Tiki Technical Tuesday - As always, put questions in the comments and I'll do my best to answer. If you haven’t subscribed yet - please do!
VanTiki's web and social pages: linktr.ee/vantiki
Links! (please note, I'm using the Amazon affiliate program - If you buy something via these links I may get a small share of the sale)
The Essential Guide to Mold Making & Slip Casting amzn.to/3q2rkP1
Kreg K5 pocket Hole jig amzn.to/2N9T0CQ
Chapters:
00:00 - Making the Boxes
05:56 - Time To Pour
13:52 - Final Touches - Jak na to + styl
VT I have the greatest respect for you as a craftsman who's got his own method and made it fly. Thanks for the guidance
Thank you so much!
Cabinet shops or your own old drawers (pun intended lol) makes great mold boxes. You're so dedicated to detail.
This is what OCD looks like. I wasn't inline when God dished this out. I was in the vineyard collecting grapes to make wine! lol. Love it - thanks for sharing, as always. I've adopted your method and it's a game changer!
Thank you! Funny you think I’m OCD - I wish I was more organized! 😄
@@vantikistudio I didn't say organised lol! - overall just kidding but love your work and execution
Ever since you called attention to the sound the silicon makes when pouring in a previous episode, I'm always keen to listen for it. Glad there was a dedicated portion for us all to enjoy it! (the bubble removal with the forceps was also quite satisfying!)
Thanks! I wish the laser wasn’t humming away in the other room so I could have gotten a cleaner capture of the sound - but the laser has work to do, and I never interrupt it 😄
A new Tiki Technical Tuesday is always a little party but now even more: 7:37 what a cutie!
Right?! I love my surprise studio visitors! 🦌
13:57 - Near perfect color-match with that shirt. It's as if Garanimals has a silicone edition of clothing. LOL
I didn’t even notice that! Now I want to make a moldmaking aloha shirt pattern!
@@vantikistudio You may just have inspired making a Garanimals aloha pattern knock off! lol
I just love watching your content. Thank you for sharing your process. You and your wife need your own show. I’d love to see her work, especially with the laser you guys have! 💖💝
Thank you so much! Hope to have a laser episode soon
Yay! tiki Tuesday! It has been so fun to see your adventures but I’m happy to be learning more about mold making 😄
Thank you! I’m happy to be back in the studio as well 😄
LOVE IT!
Thank you!
These videos are so generous! Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!
You're the BEST! thank you so much for your amazing content 🙏🏼🤘🏼🌟🔥 Bevel-Master!!
Ha! Thank you for watching!
I can watch this for hours ! Thank you a lot for your insights :) makes me wanna do things ;)
Thank you so much! I love inspiring folks to make stuff!!
Just went back and rewatched and I noticed you didn't talk about the the splits in the smaller silicone mold and why they are jagged rather than a straight line cut.
Love these.
Good question! I do a zig zag cut to help the the two sides of silicone key together when they join. A straight cut lets the two sides slide too much and risks a misaligned mold (and a bad seam of the casting)
Excellent video, as always, and I love how you show the level of detail and craftsmanship that goes into each mug. Great tiki mugs are all functional pieces of art, and yours are top of the list. Very well done!
Thank you very much!
Your videos are truly a series of master classes in mold making. Many many thanks for them. I've been using silicone molds to cast resin for a while and am now in the process of trying out slip casting. After watching a few of your vids I feel like I know all I need to give my first plaster mold a try. BTW, I also use Rebound 40 and you may want to try mixing it with a steel spiral mixer, they're easier on the arms. Again thanks so much!
Thank you for watching, and I’ll give a spiral mixer a try!
Yay! I was excited to watch the latest episode of my favorite art show! Thanks for teaching us all Tiki Technical Tuesday.
thank YOU for watching!
@@vantikistudio It would be a bonus if I could count it as professional development lol. I’m super excited for my Hornbill mug!
Great video!
Thank you!
I bet a Y shaped vegetable peeler would trim those unevern chunks of silicone off the flat edge really nice and smooth.
Ooo - that would be worth a try. It would have to be sharp and sturdy, the silicone is tough!
I did leather work for decades and would recommend using a new flat utility razor blade, shaving top nubs off.
Love your videos. I always try to do something you do and keep notes, specially in the modeling process, it is very precise and beatiful to watch. When I wanna save some silicon, in a not very detailed work, I use some cornstarch, it will give my silicon more density, without loosing its flexibility, I do it to small things, I saw people using plaster but it dries out de silicon. Thank you for your videos, always nice to watch. Greetings fom Brazil.
Thank you! I’ve never heard of using corn starch - good tip!
Another great video. Thank you for the knowledge and humor. I love that this mug you are doing a step by step video. I was lucky to score one of these amazing pieces of workable art. I think it would be great when you are glazing you say “ This is yours Chris”. 😀
Have you ever broke your plaster mold before silicone stage?
Thank you again. Cheers
I haven’t broken a slipcasting mold (yet), but I have had one erode to the point where I was having to put A LOT of time into cleaning up each casting (this was before I made silicone masters). I’ll try to remember to give you a shout out in the glaze episode! 😂
I absolutely love your videos! I only recently discovered your channel, and it has been a joy watching them in order over summer break. One thing I would love to see is how you create the mold for the bottom of the mug with all the lettering. The initial sculpture when you cast the first plaster mold doesn’t seem to have it. Do you cut stencils out on the laser?
Good question! That is one part of my process I like to keep a mystery. There are lots of ways to do it, and I’ve gone through many techniques before arriving at our current process.
@@vantikistudio HA. I love a good mystery! You go into so much detail on everything else I thought maybe I had missed an episode somewhere. Whatever you're doing, it really looks great!
Thank you for these incredibly helpful videos. I need to make silicone moulds for a round, one piece mould. What would you suggest using for the casing in place of the plywood please?
Anything round will do! It all depends on the size of your model. I’ve used PVC pipe, plastic cups, and even a 5 gallon bucket:
czcams.com/video/X2JS8uCPVWw/video.htmlsi=WGAQ2lvchNOlm3v4
your process and work are amazing thank you soo much for sharing your expertise!! i have a question at timestamp 10:57 you can see a very small drop of the white agent fall from the bucket, im assuming as all is well in this video it didn't get into the blue bucket, but what if it had would that bucket of blue have been ruined? Thank you again and I cant wait to take this tiki journey with you again and again.
Eagle eyes! Yes, that wouldn’t have been great to drop a bit of the A into the B - although I used the whole bucket to make the mold so I would have been mixing that bit shortly.
Can I ask u something? why dont u degas yr molds an why u dont use jacket molding to save silicone. Thank you is aways pleasurable watching your work
Good question! This silicone doesn't need de-airing (it sets too quickly), and that is great because I'd like to not give up the studio space or $$ for a good vacuum system. As far as making a jacket - I'm thinking you mean going the route of thinner walls and a more conforming jacket - something we called a matrix mold back when I worked in a mold shop. I find the plywood jackets I use are fast, sturdy, and cast well. They do use more silicone - but I make up for that by recycling old molds. In the end, my time is the most expensive thing in the studio, so I use it wisely :)
Aside from learning new techniques, I've become enthralled by your creations. Looks like they're quite popular as they're more or less unobtanium?
Add: While I used smooth-on for a long time, eventually the cost outweighs the benefit and you figure out how to do it cheaper without ordering it by the train car. For smaller projects, you can use 100% silicone from the hardware store and a good solvent to thin it for pouring; I tend to have MEK around for composite work, but acetone works well also. The aroma from hardware variety is acetic acid (the vinegar smell) that vapes off when it cures; MEK gases off much quicker than that. Depending on what you're casting, you can go anywhere from 25% solvent to silicone if you need bombproof molds (or like to brush on a surface coat for things that need to resist gravity), or 1:1 by volume for thinner, pourable stuff. It usually sets up as fast or faster than smooth-on, is very durable, and retains all the good properties of the two-part products. MEK should be used with a respirator, however, and lots of ventilation. Also be wary of heavily arcing power tools when you're in a warm environment. I've never had it happen, but doing this in an enclosed/small space where fumes can build up could be a flash-off concern.
I wouldn't bother with paint mixers for silicone, I've tried it and they either destroy themselves (the mixing apparatus isn't stout enough for viscous fluids) or the ones that fit on a common drill will burn out. Go straight for the concrete paddles and a nice, lumpy 8 amp or better drill for mixing. I have a dedicated drill and paddle for doing 5 gallon bucket quantities with the above method doing large composite panel molds. Other than saving hundreds of dollars on the molds themselves, which is a cost savings I can pass on, I don't have to worry about leftover shelf life nearly as much if I have a partial tube remaining. There's always something around the house than can use a new bead or two!
Wow! I used hardware store silicone back in college - now I want to experiment with it again! Thanks for the info!
@@vantikistudio While I'm thinking about it, I forgot to mention that getting a quality 100% silicone is the important part. The 6-pack GE brand has been very reliable for me, though color isn't much of a consideration as it's either white or clear (though I suppose if you wanted, they can be colored by pigment quite readily if you chose to color them for identification purposes in library use for instance). Also on the solvent front, whichever you use can be handily adapted to working time. If you just want to pour and have it done that afternoon, MEK and lots of mixing is the way to go. If you need more pot time, Acetone extends this by about 50%, with some wiggle factor depending on ambient air temperature.
As silicone goes, though I'm sure you're well aware, the temperature is very finicky in the cure rate. If it has to be done outside, 60*F is my rule and the lower the humidity the better when feasible. Not always an option if you have to work outside of course, but ventilation/window ducted fans are a marvelous gap-fill during winter and such.
At any rate, definitely have a go and see what 'ya see. Not too long ago, you could get the 6 packs for $11 or the contractor special (basically a case of 24) for round about $80, though I'm sure it's gone up since then. Even still, that's nearly 2 gallons without solvent for practically peanuts compared to smooth-on prices. I suppose if you have a vent hood and the capability, you could even recapture the solvent, but that's a bit of a process and maybe not worth it for an $11 a gallon product (last price I remember paying for acetone).
@C-M-E your process is very interesting to me, as I'd love to be able to make copies of the few molds I've made but the smooth on prices have deterred me. Do you have any videos? And if not could you clarify for me some of the details such as the amount of acetone (or what is the other solvent) I'd need to add to any 100% silicone and how long do I have to mix it and pour it? So many questions sorry!
Hey Henrik, do you put mold soap on the plaster mold pieces before pouring the silicone?
Aloha! I do like to put a coat of mold soap on the plaster pieces prior to molding in silicone, but it probably isn’t necessary. I find it helps release the parts a bit easier.
Yes!
😁
I’m a mechanical engineer just getting into pottery. Have you messed around with 3D printing for making molds? I’m trying to mass produce ollas for my garden and I started with a 3D print that will now become a silicon mold that will then become a plaster mold.
I haven’t tried it (yet), but know many artists who do exactly what you’re describing. Check out Hammerly Ceramics on Instagram:
instagram.com/hammerlyceramics?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
i'm new getting into ceramics and pottery, so question: if slip sits long enough, is it able to be thrown on a wheel?
No - it’s a different formulation than standard clay. In addition to having much more water, it also has a deflocculant. Here’s more about slip:
How Slipcasting Works - Tiki Technical Tuesday 49
czcams.com/video/2tU6sBD9r_I/video.html
How did you end up picking that particular silicone? What properties make it your go to? (And thanks for sharing all of the details as always!!)
I like the fact that I don't have to de-air it, that it sets quickly, has almost no shrinkage, is durable, and is a good firmness for plaster casting. You may feel differently, though, and that's why I suggest getting samples
@@vantikistudio Thanks a lot! That is helpful for knowing what to look for in a silicone.
I may have missed it: Did you add any mold soap to the plaster molds you were casting? Also, is that straight Murphy's Oil Soap, or are you adding to/diluting it? And if you are adding mold soap, how do you clean it from the original plaster without softening the details on the plaster?
Thanks -- MUCH(!!!) appreciated. I am loving these videos!
Great question! I do use mild soap (Murphys oil soap undiluted) as a release between the mold sections as i pour new pieces while making the plaster master mold. Since I make a silicone mold of the plaster master, I don’t bother cleaning off the mold soap. If I was to use my plaster master for casting, the mold soap a can be carefully cleaned off using vinegar with a soft brush. Let it soak, then rinse well.
@@vantikistudio fantastic -- thanks so much!
Oh man this is great. I am wondering how you refine/build the bottom mold section that has the logo and inset food? Before casting the bottom ,after the sides sections are cast and still attached do you build out the foot section?
Thanks for watching! My method of making the base of the mugs is something I like to keep a mystery. There are lots of ways to do it, and I’ve used many different techniques through the years.
@@vantikistudio sounds good always good to Keep a little of the secret sauce. I guess I will have to do some experimenting :)
Love it - Thanks for making! Keep going!
Ps. I would totally buy a course on tiki mug making. I’ve been wanting to learn, but don’t know where to start.
Thank you! Before the Oregon move I taught a few hand building classes at The Hawaii Potters Guild, and tiki mugs just may have been a reoccurring subject 😄
Do you put mold soap on the plaster mold before you pour the silicone?
I do! It may not be necessary, but I like to play it safe.
Do you use mold release before casting the silicone?
I use mold soap on the wood frames and plaster model to release the silicone. When casting plaster into the silicone molds, no release is needed.
Is your method for use of molds the same with molds made from mold companies? They do use a different plaster than we use but wanted your opinion. Thanks so much.
It’s hard to say, as many companies/industries make molds differently. The methods I use are adapted from the moldmaking techniques I learned in the make up effects industry, along with what I’ve read and learned about ceramic mold making over the years. If a mold is made for slipcasting, pottery plaster is usually your best bet. What plaster have you seen other companies using?
@@vantikistudio I went to a company years ago that made molds and they made their own plaster. I asked about pottery plaster and they said they wouldn’t use it because they have their own formula and pottery plaster wasn’t made for making hundreds of slip cast pieces with.
Will you be at Tiki oasis???
I wish! Not this year, but we’re thinking about attending next year. We haven’t been in a decade!
Can we use plaster molds to make resin items
No - to cast resin you need to use silicone mold materials
Enjoy the series but it's taking so long! Wish you did them weekly. Having to wait weeks and weeks between episodes really takes away from it.
I wish I could do them weekly, but we just don’t have the time to get the studio work completed and shoot and edit the videos. It’s just the two of us 😁
Question : how can i use my wet clay to become a slip? ( i have an immersion blender so its not an issue for mixing ) i just dont know if the work flow would be different
IM A NEW SUBSCRIBER!!
Thank you so much for subscribing!
Slip can be made from wet clay/throwing clay, but it needs some additional ingredients. I go deep into slip here:
czcams.com/video/dmj7XiOd1K4/video.html
Was pondering your question more, and wanted to say if you’re new to slipcasting id suggest buying a prepared ready to cast slip to start out. This way you can learn the casting process without the additional challenge of balancing and troubleshooting your slip. Laguna Clay makes excellent prepared slips, and you can buy just a gallon to start with.
@@vantikistudio Hi, i watched the vid however it didnt show me how i can turn wet clay into slip without the machine slip casting you have. would you happen to know or have a video on turning wet clay to slip cast?
Every mold making videos... the process for the bases is kept hidden. What kind of trade secret is kept away from us!?
Well spotted! That is indeed a part of my process I like to keep a mystery. 😄
There are many ways to do it, experiment and find a way that works best for you.
What's the deer's name?
😂
Why can't you just make a silicone replica with your slip mold? It seems more cost effective. Once you had a silicone replica, you could then make a plaster cast without the investment of money and space necessary to mold your slip casting mold.
Hmm - not sure I follow you. The big time sink for me in making molds for slipcasting is setting up all the parting lines of the mold pieces to avoid undercutting. This is why I mold the plaster parts once I’ve done all the tricky work - I can replicate them quickly and cheaply.
I envision you offering an onsite multi-day tiki mug workshop (camp) and me attending, haha! I love these videos.🏕🦌🔥👨🎓🍹
Camp VanTiki!
Sounds like it would be a blast. Might have to be careful with too many tiki enthusiasts and mixed drinks in one place. 😆