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I am entirely new to ceramics, as in never touched a piece of clay in my life, at least not my adult life.  It looks like fun though and I love exploring new hobbies, so I'd like to give it a go.  Specifically I want to start by slip casting some small cylindrical pots for some of my succulents (another hobby).  Basically I want to make a smaller version of this:

 

Succulents-in-Low-Cylinder-Ceramic-Plant

 

I watched a few YouTube videos on mold making and slip casting, and then ordered this book and read the whole thing.  I've since spend quite a few hours reading all sorts of info on this forum.  I plan to use some PVC pipe/fittings as the prototypes to make cylindrical plaster molds, which I will use to slip cast the pots and then fire (bake) in my oven.

 

I'd like to get into this for as little money as possible so I can see how I like it.   I plan to buy a bag of #1 pottery plaster, a gallon of doll composition slip body and some basic clay to seal the edges of the mold form.  Hoping I can use the doll comp slip to avoid getting into kilns yet (although the abundance of used kilns on craiglist nearby combined with my ample (pun!) electrical knowledge is oh-so-tempting).

 

Sound like a plan?  I have stuff to build the mold, buckets/drills for mixing plaster, work surface, etc.  The ceramic supply store is an hour away so I'd like buy anything specialized I need (for now) in one shot.  Anything else I need to get started?  Maybe some little scraper/sander type tools?

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The potter plaster and mold making will work fine.

As to doll slip which is oven baked -this product is not what planters are made of. I have NO knowledge of actual use of doll slip but its made for doll heads and such that do not get wet. Planters get wet then dry then wet then dry over and over. I think as its only baked that this material will not suit this purpose.Planters even low fire teracota ones are fired-you could pit fire them which would be better than oven fired.

Thats my 2 cents.

Mark

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Another idea is to maybe get a small test kiln and some low fire clay and slab build the pots- Slab building imo is the cheapest and easiest way to make something like you have in the picture.. the test kiln can be found on craigslist etc.

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You are actually looking at a very simple form. There are other approaches than slip casting. Coil and slab method are basic and would yield similar results. If you use an earthenware clay you probably could use it once fired with no need for a glaze. Finding someone or somewhere you could fire such a pot would be simpler than accumulating all the equipment necessary.

 

Check with your clay supplier, they would know plenty of folks with kilns that might fire it for you quite reasonably.

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I was considering rolling out slabs and forming them into circles until I learned about slip casting.  I am a bit of a perfectionist so thinking slip casting will be a shorter path to perfectly cylindrical pots.

 

Today I went shopping  :)

 

First I bought a used test/doll kiln off craigslist.  Tiny little thing... inside is about 11.5" x 9.5" and marked Seeley-Olevia 119T.  Can't find much online about this particular brand but searching for "119 doll kiln" produces some results.  L/M/H control and kiln sitter and claims it can reach cone 8 / 2372F.  Looks barely used... the bricks are intact and it gets hot when you turn it on.  The one thing that is missing is the cone supports for the kiln sitter, but I imagine I can track down replacements.  Can't fire too much at once but gets nice and hot, no need for new wiring, and was only $50, so I think it's a good place to start.  Is there anything I need to do to test this out before I use it?

 

 

th_IMG_20141025_211020_412_zps2bf6d40b.j

 

th_IMG_20141025_211058_770_zpsa2285947.j

 

th_IMG_20141025_211205_564_zps34138f70.j

 

Next stop was the ceramics supply store.  The nice lady there helped me find a bag of #1 pottery plaster, 25 lbs of slip, some mold soap, small 05 and 6 cones and a chunk of clay.  They also happened to have shelves that fit the tiny kiln so I bought another and three supports.

 

Okay enough typing, I've got a mold to make  B)

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you got a great deal on the kiln.  wish i had one like that.  the white stuff on the kiln sitter rod is leftover kiln wash.  it should not, NOT be on that rod.  clean it off before you fire.  you still need the cone supports before you can fire it.  

 

if you are doing all this just to get flat cylinders for your plants, why not shop at a "Paint your own pottery" place?  bet they have them in several sizes.

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you got a great deal on the kiln.  wish i had one like that.  the white stuff on the kiln sitter rod is leftover kiln wash.  it should not, NOT be on that rod.  clean it off before you fire.  you still need the cone supports before you can fire it.  

 

if you are doing all this just to get flat cylinders for your plants, why not shop at a "Paint your own pottery" place?  bet they have them in several sizes.

I always wondered why these places are not called paint someones else,s pottery as the painter never made it?well so many things wrong here glaze not paint etc.

The nearest one for us is over 200 miles-not far enough but thats another story..

Mark

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First mold complete and drying!  Everything went more or less according to plan, however I did manage to chip a corner of the mold trying to get the PVC prototype out.  I had to drill little holes in the walls of the pipe and screw in eye hooks to have something to pull it out with.  I think next time around I'll maybe drive a bolt through the center of the pipe ahead of time.

 

th_IMG_20141031_113138_342_zpscc959f58.j

 

th_IMG_20141031_121959_759_zps74e46e95.j

 

th_IMG_20141031_135008_569_zps38b706b0.j

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  • 2 weeks later...

First casting complete!  Everything went more or less according to plan, although I did fudge the lip a bit by not waiting long enough to cut off the overpour(?).  I let it sit (cast?) for 10 minutes, will probably try 15 next time to get it a bit thicker.  

 

th_2014-11-10_20-34-18_447_zps1f9d8348.j

 

th_2014-11-10_20-44-42_83_zpsfb9e1db9.jp

 

th_2014-11-10_21-29-26_209_zps31941bfe.j

 

How long does this need to dry before it reaches leather phase and I can round over the edges and smooth out some of other imperfections?  Also when can I re-use the mold and make another one?

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First casting complete!  Everything went more or less according to plan, although I did fudge the lip a bit by not waiting long enough to cut off the overpour(?).  I let it sit (cast?) for 10 minutes, will probably try 15 next time to get it a bit thicker.  

 

th_2014-11-10_20-34-18_447_zps1f9d8348.j

 

th_2014-11-10_20-44-42_83_zpsfb9e1db9.jp

 

th_2014-11-10_21-29-26_209_zps31941bfe.j

 

How long does this need to dry before it reaches leather phase and I can round over the edges and smooth out some of other imperfections?  Also when can I re-use the mold and make another one?

 

How long is a piece of string?

 

Much depends on your climate both temperature and humidity.

 

Rounding over the edges - do this with a finger and then sponge.

 

Re-use the mould - when it's dry.  If you don't wait for it to be dry, casting time is longer.  You can re-cast immediately but then you wait all day for it to set.  Better to put the mould in a draughty place/by a fan.  Air movement will dry it better than heat.

 

Good luck

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Understand there are lots of variables but just hoping for a general idea for a small pot, walls 1/4" thick: 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months?  Similarly for the mold... I let it dry about a week after pouring, much of that time spent on a high shelf near my wood stove.  Figuring it doesn't need another week, but not sure if it was like a few hours or a few days.

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  • 1 month later...

First batch is out of the kiln after bisque firing:

 

IMG_20141222_095331_727_zpsylkwyb2t.jpg

 

Some of the early ones I deformed trying to get them out of the molds, but I learned to just be patient and eventually they come out.

 

I think I will head back to the supply store today and buy some more plaster and some glaze.

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I realize your making these for succulants, but don't you still need a whole in  the bottoms for water drainage?  You can make it when the clay is at leather hard stage after removing from the mold.  If you want, you can add small feet to the bottoms at this stage also.  I make bonsai pots with slabs and on the wheel.

 

 

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  • 10 months later...

Back after a long hiatus!  I've come a little farther in my quest for cylindrical succulent pots:

 

IMG_3206_zpsat4qojo0.jpg

 

IMG_3207_zpspctcggvq.jpg

 

Looking forward to trying out some glaze next.

 

 

 

Quick question about molds... I made myself a two part mold with little fill holes at the top.  Is there something I can put on the inside of the fill holes so they the slip does not cast to that part of the mold?  Something to block the absorbency of the plaster?  That won't effect the casting?

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