Tile Making With Mold

[tluvs2create]

I have made a mold of my tile and now am making duplicates. However, some of the time they come out with little "creases" here and there and I am not sure why this happens. The creases are in areas that I can't always smooth out, like in the text or the reliefed portion of the design. I am smoothing out a "slab" of clay that is approximately the size of the tile I carefully lay that slab over the area of the mold, then cover with a canvas cloth and pound firmly but gently with a rubber mallet - starting at the center and working outward. Then I put a flat board over it and pound with the mallet. I do this a few times then remove excess clay by using a piece of wood (like a ruler) and pull it across (starting again from the center outward). Any idea why this is happening? Why sometimes and not others. Thanks for any tips you can give.

[Denice]

I have made a mold of my tile and now am making duplicates. However, some of the time they come out with little "creases" here and there and I am not sure why this happens. The creases are in areas that I can't always smooth out, like in the text or the reliefed portion of the design. I am smoothing out a "slab" of clay that is approximately the size of the tile I carefully lay that slab over the area of the mold, then cover with a canvas cloth and pound firmly but gently with a rubber mallet - starting at the center and working outward. Then I put a flat board over it and pound with the mallet. I do this a few times then remove excess clay by using a piece of wood (like a ruler) and pull it across (starting again from the center outward). Any idea why this is happening? Why sometimes and not others. Thanks for any tips you can give.

 

 

Is the slab of clay larger than the impression, sometimes that can cause a rounded and creased areas, working with a slab that is slightly smaller works best for me. Also the edges around your letters might be too sharp the clay catches on it and then folds in, you also might try a softer slab. Hope this helps. Denice (Wichita, KS)

[Seasoned Warrior]

I have made a mold of my tile and now am making duplicates. However, some of the time they come out with little "creases" here and there and I am not sure why this happens. The creases are in areas that I can't always smooth out, like in the text or the reliefed portion of the design. I am smoothing out a "slab" of clay that is approximately the size of the tile I carefully lay that slab over the area of the mold, then cover with a canvas cloth and pound firmly but gently with a rubber mallet - starting at the center and working outward. Then I put a flat board over it and pound with the mallet. I do this a few times then remove excess clay by using a piece of wood (like a ruler) and pull it across (starting again from the center outward). Any idea why this is happening? Why sometimes and not others. Thanks for any tips you can give.

 

 

It would apper to me that you are getting inadequate plastic flow into the mold. If you are pounding the pounding may be unequal in force and the distribution of the force through the clay may not be the same therefore allowing some areas to flow more than others. I use a two part mold and a hydraulic press which reslts in even force transmitted through out the mold. Since clay in int's platic state is fluid-like force applied to any part of a closed container is equally distributed throughout the container. Hopefully that may help.

 

Best regards,

Charles

[Marcia Selsor]

You might get some insight from Frank Giorgini (sp) book on hand made tiles. I built one of his tile presses. It works fairly well.

Your problem may stem from not hammering the clay into the mold...or not pressing it into the mold with force of sufficient pressure.

Marcia

[Les]

I make my molds and use the exact same process as "tluvs2create", and I have had the same problem several times. I never found the absolute answer to this, but I changed my process a bit and got better results. First, I cut a template for the tile blank slightly smaller than the mold walls. This allows the blank to be dropped into the mold carefully, without hanging up along the mold's outside walls. I then gently press down slowly with my thumbs from the center of the mold outward, to ease the blank evenly towards the walls and corners, making sure not to trap air between the tile blank and the mold. After that, it cover the top of the clay with canvas, and start pounding away with rubber mallet and a strong wood bland (2x6 usually), no bigger than the mold itself-but it must cover the entire tile area.

 

My original tile is typically 3/4" think before casting, so the mold is 3/4" deep at the edge. I use a smooth blank that is about 1 1/2 thick. I wire away most of the excess clay on the first pass, then do the final cleanup with a wooden straight edge.

 

I agree that a press mold, a converted customized arbor press, or a small hydraulic press is best, because of the steady even pressure they can apply. If you are serious about using press molds, this is the way to go. That will be my next step. Although I throw on a wheel, and hand build, I am hooked on the process of press molds as well. Good luck!!