Tag Archives: moldmaking

Educational information, My Working Methods

Pate de Verre Mold Making Investments Part 2

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In the prior working method post you saw how to make a clay positive. This post expands on the versatility of mold making process . Option 1 you can create a single use plaster/silica investment mold and hand build or coddle pour a refractory mold. In option 2 you can make a pure plaster mold to help speed the working time from clay building hundreds of clay original models and instead use a silicone positive. This requires you to make a pure plaster mold and let it dry 24 hours. Then you can pour silicone into the plaster mold negative which then once cured (24-48 hours at 70 degrees) you have a silicone positive. Using a coddle you then make a #1 pottery plaster/200mesh silica investment mold.
1:1:1 or 1 part #1 pottery plaster added to 200 mesh silica and Water by weight. Using a silicone negative lets me reduce the time spent to get color samples for my art. This approach works well for thin pieces but the thicker the artwork gets the color become quite dense. The principle remains the same but the clay forms can change to allow for the direction work and the thickness of the piece and light you want to transmit.
Educational information, My Working Methods

Pate de Verre Test Tile Part 5

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Colors to Clear Bullseye Powders 
 
50/50   Color to Clear
40/60   Color to Clear
30/70   Color to Clear
20/80   Color to Clear
10/90   Color to Clear
5/95     Color to Clear

Colored powders were combined and mixed thoroughly in a lidded container with enough volume of color to use the base colored glass to a percentage of clear as shown above.  Use a N95 respirator when using dry glass, especially powders.  I tend to mix powders outside under cover as fine particles the eye cannot see remain in the air for 8 hours. Once the clear and colored mix is wet using a pate de verre glue. I have track lighting which is how I discovered the finest of particles in the air.  Another reason to wet mop my area after doing art.

Educational information, My Working Methods

Pate de Verre Test Tiles Part 6

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Colors to Clear Bullseye Frit. 50/50 Color to Clear
40/60 Color to Clear
30/70 Color to Clear
20/80 Color to Clear
10/90 Color to Clear
5/95 Color to Clear

Colored frits were combined and mixed thoroughly in a lidded container with enough volume of color to use the base colored glasses to a percentage of clear as shown above.  Use a N95 respirator when using dry glass, especially powders.  Once the frit is wet using a pate de verre glue.  I tend to mix dry frit and powders outside under cover as fine particles the eye can not see remain in the air for 8 hours.  I have track lighting which is how I discovered the finest of particles in the air.  Another reason to wet mop my area after doing art.