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Slip mold for bust


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hi everyone I'm new here.

I sculpt in Terracotta - mostly figurative.   I have a bust I want to make a slip mold of, so I can pour porcelain.  It's a new sculpture and as such is still quite soft.  

First question is, do I need to let this clay dry at all before I mold it?  

Secondly,  do I need to spray it with anything before I make my plaster mold?  

thirdly  do you guys think a 2 piece mold would do it...or do you think I need more pieces?  It is about 30cm high and about 20 cm wide.  The depth is about 15cm.  It has the usual undercuts for a face and chest area.

I'd really appreciate any help out there as I would hate to muck this up after all of the sculpting effort.

cheers, Bern

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Here's my thoughts.

If you have made plaster molds before, and are quite comfortable doing it, then you want to do at leather hard.

If you are not quite sure of your plaster skills, glaze fire it with a thin layer of clear glaze, and then mold that.  The reason being that at leather hard you have exactly one shot.  At glaze fired you can screw it up several times without destroying the master.

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Hi thanks for answering.  Leather hard is going to be a LOOOOOOOng wait because it has not been hollowed out and is quite thick.  I have made a plaster mold before...not a total success. Maybe I'm better off getting a pro to do it.  I live in Melbourne...any suggestions?

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slip or bust

been around a few of these in collage and thereafter -let the clay get leather hard (not dry to take the mold.Undercuts will be an issue. I had a fe]male friend sell busts at show for years. They are easy after you do a few.

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It needs as many pieces as will allow you to remove all the pieces from around the finished item.  So, an orange or a banana, for example needs 2 pieces.  An apple might need 2 or 3,   A mug with a foot ring needs 3 or 4.  The more undercuts, the more pieces.

The only mouldmaker I know of is in Stoke-onTrent, England!

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