Process

1. The first step is to start with a model. I like to make the models using a variety of materials such as plastilina, plaster or wax. Plastilina is non-hardening clay. I make the relief or vase in plaster. It can take up to a week or more to sculpt the relief or add wax to a plaster model. Once the clay is finished I make a rubber mold on it.

2. The second step is to make a rubber model. When the rubber is cured I pour hydrocal into the rubber mold. Hyrdrocal is harder than regular plaster. I am able to rework the sculpture and refine all the detail in the hydrocal model. This can also take a week or more to rework the model.

 3. The third step is to make a resin model. I make a second rubber mold on the hydrocal model which is typically silicone rubber. Once this rubber is cured I cast resin into it. The resin model is even harder than hydrocal. The resin model has to be reworked using fine grinding tools; this process can take another week or more to finish.  I make my production molds from the resin model because the resin will not break.

4. The fourth step is to make a production plaster mold or block mold. The production mold is made out of Pottery plaster. Pottery plaster is used because it absorbs water from the clay slip. Many of my molds will be made containing up to four and five pieces. This way I can capture all the detail. This is very time consuming because all the pieces have to fit together. It can take up to 40 or 80 hours to make one mold. Once the production mold is finished the resin model is removed and the plaster has to set aside to dry. Drying time takes a month or more.

5. The fifth step is to make the clay piece. Slip is poured into the mold. The plaster will absorb the water making an outer film that gets thicker the longer it stays in the mold. Once the desired thickness is achieved I pour the slip out of the mold. When it has dried a little, the clay in the mold will shrink and pull away from the plaster.  I open the mold carefully because the clay is soft. The clay is put into a container that has moisture so it will dry out slowly. The next day I can handle the clay model. The clay model comes out of the mold with defects and bubbles. It needs to be cleaned and the detail has to be reworked. When it is finished it is set out to dry completely.

6. The sixth step is to bisque fire the piece. The clay is fired to maturity.  After it comes out of the kiln the piece is ready to absorb glaze.

7. The seventh step is glazing the pieces. The glaze is applied to the bisque model either by dipping it into the glaze or spraying glaze onto the ware. When everything is glazed it is fired a second time. The temperature is high enough to melt the glaze.

8. The eighth step is to paint the gold on the pieces. Gold is painted on the glaze surface using a fine paint brush. When dry it is fired a third time and the gold melts into the glaze. The gold temperature is much lower than the bisque ware temperature.

9. The ninth and last step is finishing the pieces. A cap is applied or chord is attached and the pieces are ready to be boxed. All this takes a lot of time, I hope when you see my ornaments and collectibles you will appreciate the time and energy it takes to make the best pieces I can.

Have a question about mold making? E-mail me about your question or project and maybe I can help you. [email protected]

Dennis Peyser