Beginner

[Mushhead73]

Just inherited over 200 ceramic molds. Where do I begin? Lol

[Denice]

I would take a class or two that involves slip casting molds to help decide if this is the direction you want to go.   The molds are just the beginning when it comes to  the equipment you will need.  If you decide to work with molds you might find a forum that does mostly  mold work.   Denice

[oldlady]

where are you?   if you are in a city big enough to have a paint your own pottery business, contact the owner and ask for some help.   you may find that the molds are old and the detail is worn off so you may not want to use some of them.

[Chilly]

Buy a bucket of the cheapest slip you can find.  Dust out a mould, apply mould straps/bands.  Fill to the brim with slip.   Set a timer for 5 minutes.  Top up with slip, reset timer for another 5 minutes.  Repeat once more.  Pour slip out of mould back into container, leave inverted for 1 hour.  Stand right way up.  Leave until you can see the clay start to shrink away from the edge, all the way round.  Undo straps.  Lay on side with mould seam horizontal.  Gently prise top half away from bottom half of mould.  Hold a piece of sponge/folded towel covered with thin cloth in one hand.  Tip bottom half of mould onto hand and catch clay model.

This next part is the most important.  Examine the casting to see how good it is.  Moulds have a life of only 20 to 30 casts, as some ingredient in the slip eats the plaster.

If the cast is good, try with the rest of them, then find somewhere to fire/sell them.

 

Welcome to the rabbit hole called pottery.