buying molds

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doc
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2003 7:02 pm

buying molds

Post by doc »

where is the best place to order molds? just setting up my studio.....
S. Klein
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 8:42 pm
Location: Orange, CA

Post by S. Klein »

Bullseye in Portland...............steve
Steve Klein Studio
1650 N. Glassell, Studio U
Orange, CA 92867
Cynthia

Post by Cynthia »

Bullseye offers beautiful and well designed molds. They are pricey, but in this case you get what you pay for.

For more affordable molds, you can also use bisqueware (slip poured and bisque fired) obtainable from ceramic supply stores. These are often vessel forms that are intended to be glazed and fired, but work especially well for kiln worked glass.

Since they aren't inteded as molds though, the bottoms can be uneven or not flat. You just need to look for bisque that will work for your purposes, then drill a few 1/16" holes through the bottom to make them fuser friendly.

You can hand build your own as well using a clay body that fires at a cone that is close to 1800F so you can fire it yourself in your kiln. I fire to 1700 and although they remain a bit fragile, with gentle handling they have held up well. I've also had potters throw me molds and had them fired to bisque. That also has worked well. Make sure they pierce some vent holes in the bottom before they are fired to save you some drilling or the risk of breaking them.
Lisa Allen
Posts: 212
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 3:23 pm
Location: Memphis, TN
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Post by Lisa Allen »

http://www.crloo.com has a pretty good selection. Lisa
Lisa Allen
http://www.lisa-allen.com
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
Jerry

Molds

Post by Jerry »

Cynthia,
Using commercially made bisqued molds isn't wise and for the reason you stated. Those things are made to be glazed, fired and looked at, not abused with a half pound of glass sitting on it at 1500 degrees for an hour or seven. Also, my experience making my own molds is that you need to get a high fire clay and take it to over 2000. I know, I know, glass kilns don't go that high. Well, that's what your local ceramic shops are for. Never found one yet that wouldn't fire a mold, for a price of course.

The reason I say all this is that the higher firing clay that actully goes to 2000 or better is much more durable than the low fired types. Of course, I've tried it both ways, with the failures you'd expect, or I wouldn't know all this. We make our own molds all the time with great luck, but my wife is a potter and I bought her a medium sized kiln that will go to 2350. Actually, I bought it so I could do my large casting and pot melts, but don't tell her that.

Jerry
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