Alison Hamilton on thu 4 dec 97
Hi everyone,
I'm pretty much a beginner in pottery, but I did take a plaster mold
making course with Jan Phelan and she mixed Ivory Snow detergent with a
little bit of water for her mold release.
We made our clay forms, smeared them over with this Ivory Snow mixture
and then poured the plaster on. It worked just fine! (and seems less
toxic than WD40 - I think Ivory Snow is biodegradable?)
Alison
Clay on fri 5 dec 97
------------------
Oh Well,
I used Soft soap (Industrial Grade) You can get it from HOME=A1=40Hardware =
if
you anywhere close by Canada.
However I went out of soap Once, =26 I was suggested to use clay wash. Put
some water in to yoiur clay =26 used the liqiud from there it work =
perfectly.
Ian Ian
At 01:05 PM 12/4/97 EST, you wrote:
=3E----------------------------Original message----------------------------
=3EHi everyone,
=3E
=3EI'm pretty much a beginner in pottery, but I did take a plaster mold
=3Emaking course with Jan Phelan and she mixed Ivory Snow detergent with a
=3Elittle bit of water for her mold release.
=3E
=3EWe made our clay forms, smeared them over with this Ivory Snow mixture
=3Eand then poured the plaster on. It worked just fine=21 (and seems less
=3Etoxic than WD40 - I think Ivory Snow is biodegradable?)
=3E
=3EAlison
=3E
Jeff Lawrence on fri 5 dec 97
A lot of things work adequately for mold release -- all you need is an
temporary interfacial water barrier. Anything that achieves this will serve
after a fashion.
They say Murphy's works and it does in a pinch. Pam makes a good final sheen
(if rubbed thin). An even thinner spread of Vaseline works okay.
But for my money, the official plaster mold release agent is many times
better. I get an expensive ($60 for 5-gallon) bucket of concentrate from the
Crystal Soap company and it lasts me a long time -- occasional users
probably a lifetime. The stuff buffs shiny like an apple skin, giving you a
polished surface to pour plaster against and improving your result. Buff
well and unmold at the right time (right after cool down) and you'll never
get those unsightly defecting flakes from your pour (maybe "never"
overstates the case a bit ...)
Diluted to working strength, it has a lovely eerie underwater wave pattern
in it which is inspirational at no extra charge.
Borrow some and compare -- you'll never go back.
Jeff Lawrence
jml@sundagger.com
Sun Dagger Design
Rt 3 Box 220
Espanola, NM 87532
ph 505-753-5913
fax 505-753-8074
Ric Swenson on sat 6 dec 97
Good call Jeff,
Is mold- maker's soap still referred to as "Tincture of green soap"? I
believe that is how Crystal Soap Co. refers to Mold-Maker's release agent. ?
It is the cat's meow of mold release agents.
------------------------
now....on a different agent...
WD-40 is a great lubricant, but I can't testify to it's use as a mold
release. The MSDS says it is flammable, propelled by propane, keep from
open flame, do not take internally, avoid excessive inhalation of spray
particles. TLV is 500 PPM . Probably more of a fire hazard than a health
hazard, unless you use massive amounts ? WD-40 probably has it's place in
making metal objects move that do not necessarily WANT to move around the
studio, but for mold release I would bet on the Crystal Soap Co
Happy Potting.
Ric
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>A lot of things work adequately for mold release -- all you need is an
>temporary interfacial water barrier. Anything that achieves this will serve
>after a fashion.
>
>They say Murphy's works and it does in a pinch. Pam makes a good final sheen
>(if rubbed thin). An even thinner spread of Vaseline works okay.
>
>But for my money, the official plaster mold release agent is many times
>better. I get an expensive ($60 for 5-gallon) bucket of concentrate from the
>Crystal Soap company and it lasts me a long time -- occasional users
>probably a lifetime. The stuff buffs shiny like an apple skin, giving you a
>polished surface to pour plaster against and improving your result. Buff
>well and unmold at the right time (right after cool down) and you'll never
>get those unsightly defecting flakes from your pour (maybe "never"
>overstates the case a bit ...)
>
>Diluted to working strength, it has a lovely eerie underwater wave pattern
>in it which is inspirational at no extra charge.
>
>Borrow some and compare -- you'll never go back.
>
>Jeff Lawrence
>jml@sundagger.com
>Sun Dagger Design
>Rt 3 Box 220
>Espanola, NM 87532
>ph 505-753-5913
>fax 505-753-8074
#####################################
From: Ric Swenson, ( home ) : P.O. Box 494,
North Bennington, VT 05257 - 0494 U.S.A
home telephone ( 802 ) 447 - 4744
( work ) : Bennington College, Route 67 - A
Bennington, Vermont 05201 - 6001
( 802 ) 440 - 4621 ( fax 440 - 4582 )
email: rswenson@bennington.edu
#####################################
"Outside a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
.....Groucho Marx
D. Kim Lindaberry on sat 6 dec 97
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> A lot of things work adequately for mold release -- all you need is an
> temporary interfacial water barrier. Anything that achieves this will serve
> after a fashion.
>
> They say Murphy's works and it does in a pinch. Pam makes a good final sheen
> (if rubbed thin). An even thinner spread of Vaseline works okay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello All,
People should be aware that how they plan to use the mold can, and
should, be a determining factor in what type of mold release they use.
Things like vasoline and other oil based releases will ruin a mold if it
is going to be used for slip casting. It clogs the pores and the plaster
can't draw moisture out of the slip. Maybe there is someway to correct
this but why bother when you can do it right the first time. Even in
press molds oily releases will limit the absorption of water and make
the clay have to stay in the mold longer, drying from the exposed
surface towards the plaster, instead of drying from both directions.
Dish soaps are your best bet I personally think. I use Dawn Dish Soap
(concentrated) Thin it a little and brush it on at least 2-3 times,
giving it 10 minutes to soak in between coats. After the last coat, rub
it down to get rid of excess pooling. When you mold is taken off all you
have to do iswash the soap away and your ready to use the mold once it's
had time to dry out some.
cheers
Kim
--
D. Kim Lindaberry
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd.
ATB 115
Overland Park, KS 66210-1299
USA
to visit my web site go to: http://www.johnco.cc.ks.us/~klinda
to send e-mail to me use: mailto:klinda@johnco.cc.ks.us
Moireasdac on sun 7 dec 97
In a message dated 97-12-06 17:34:22 EST, Kim says
<< People should be aware that how they plan to use the mold can, and
should, be a determining factor in what type of mold release they use.
Things like vasoline and other oil based releases will ruin a mold if it
is going to be used for slip casting. It clogs the pores and the plaster
can't draw moisture out of the slip. Maybe there is someway to correct
this but why bother when you can do it right the first time. Even in
press molds oily releases will limit the absorption of water and make
the clay have to stay in the mold longer, drying from the exposed
surface towards the plaster, instead of drying from both directions. >>
Well I do alot of slip casting for the Mrs, and some of it is every bit as
hard as throwing and assembling items, ie her %$@#& Irish Coffee Mugs. We are
of Scots ancestory anyway Well I have tried letting things sit in the
mold and sit in the mold until they drop out and I have never needed a release
if a plaster mold is in good shape. Also they seem to release hard enough to
avoid distortion. Well with plaster molds I am just going to follow the
pattern of letting things sit until the cows come home and if need be getting
a second or third mold or making them.
Now back to my regularly scheduled potting.
Kirk
Moireasdac on sun 7 dec 97
In a message dated 97-12-06 17:32:58 EST, you write:
<< WD-40 is a great lubricant, but I can't testify to it's use as a mold
release. >>
Back years ago it was on of the uses list by the maker as a mold release for
concrete and similar but that was a steel mold holding concrete. Of course it
was developed to keep aircraft parts from rusting . Water Displacement formula
40
is the meaning of the name. WD-40
Tim Stowell on sun 7 dec 97
My favorite mold release agent is concentrated Murphy's Oil Soap. It
works really well and makes the studio and the molds smell nice.
Tim
Jeff Lawrence on sun 7 dec 97
Kim Lindaberry makes an important correction to my release post:
>Things like vasoline and other oil based releases will ruin a mold if it
>is going to be used for slip casting. It clogs the pores and the plaster
>can't draw moisture out of the slip.
Kim is right, of course, that oily things will impair slipcasting
absorption. Fortunately, "ruin" overstates the impediment. Isopropyl alcohol
rubdowns will easily clean off the residue (as well as any mold soap
infiltrations on previous sections). Keep Vaseline and Pam (a spray-on
vegetable oil, perhaps a US product only) in mind, as excellent cheap final
coats for block and case mold work, where you are making another mold for
plaster.
I confess that I still use the above indited oily substances on my old
skanky masters that I never got around to improving. Alcohol is cheap and I
am too skilled a procrastinator to spend hours on something I would rather
just redo on some sunny morning when nothing else occurs to me.
I'd redo those masters this very morning but the day is clear, we got 2"
fresh snow last night and the ski hill opened yesterday ...
Jeff
Jeff Lawrence
jml@sundagger.com
Sun Dagger Design
Rt 3 Box 220
Espanola, NM 87532
ph 505-753-5913
fax 505-753-8074
D. Kim Lindaberry on mon 8 dec 97
Moireasdac wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Well I do alot of slip casting for the Mrs, and some of it is every bit as
> hard as throwing and assembling items, ie her %$@#& Irish Coffee Mugs. We are
> of Scots ancestory anyway Well I have tried letting things sit in the
> mold and sit in the mold until they drop out and I have never needed a release
> if a plaster mold is in good shape. Also they seem to release hard enough to
> avoid distortion. Well with plaster molds I am just going to follow the
> pattern of letting things sit until the cows come home and if need be getting
> a second or third mold or making them.
Perhaps I misunderstood the what this thread was all about. I don't read
each and every message that comes my way. There are too many and I don't
have enough time. Anyway, I was asumming people were giving advice on
how to make a mold from an object and wanted to know how to get their
plaster to release from that original object. I am quite aware that one
doesn't need to use a release from a plaster mold when doing a silp
casting. That was kind of my point, to be sure to not make a mold using
a release that would ruin the mold. Oily substances will clog the pores
of the plaster thus not allowing the water to soak into the mold. If I
misunderstood the intent of this thread I'm sorry.
Kim
--
D. Kim Lindaberry
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd.
ATB 115
Overland Park, KS 66210-1299
USA
to visit my web site go to: http://www.johnco.cc.ks.us/~klinda
to send e-mail to me use: mailto:klinda@johnco.cc.ks.us
Ric Swenson on tue 9 dec 97
WHOA !!
Did we get off track? or are we starting to confuse newbes?
Is this thread about making molds and how to release the molds from the
'master' mold ?.... ( I HOPE !! ) Or are you folks talking about
using release agents between pours of clay slip?? ( I HOPE NOT !! )
I hope that if we are talking about slip casting, people don't think they
have smear oil, or grease on the molds between castings. Plaster molds for
casting clay slip should be clean and fairly (but NOT completely) dry.
They should NOT have any "Pam" oil spray, WD-40, soap, vaseline or
anything on them.
We did powder our slip casting molds with a bit of talcum powder on a
brush....at one time, but it caused too much dust for too little "release
effect"
I thought we were talking....from the original thread about making plaster
molds for face/sculptural castings....about releasing plaster from plaster.
I still believe Tincture of greeen soap, as sold as mold release, from
Crystal Soap Co. is the best release agent to use for lightly coating
master molds- (molds for making molds) blocks/cases from copies.
Did I miss something?
HTH
Ric
--------------------------------
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>In a message dated 97-12-06 17:34:22 EST, Kim says
>
><< People should be aware that how they plan to use the mold can, and
> should, be a determining factor in what type of mold release they use.
> Things like vasoline and other oil based releases will ruin a mold if it
> is going to be used for slip casting. It clogs the pores and the plaster
> can't draw moisture out of the slip. Maybe there is someway to correct
> this but why bother when you can do it right the first time. Even in
> press molds oily releases will limit the absorption of water and make
> the clay have to stay in the mold longer, drying from the exposed
> surface towards the plaster, instead of drying from both directions. >>
>
>
>Well I do alot of slip casting for the Mrs, and some of it is every bit as
>hard as throwing and assembling items, ie her %$@#& Irish Coffee Mugs. We are
>of Scots ancestory anyway Well I have tried letting things sit in the
>mold and sit in the mold until they drop out and I have never needed a release
>if a plaster mold is in good shape. Also they seem to release hard enough to
>avoid distortion. Well with plaster molds I am just going to follow the
>pattern of letting things sit until the cows come home and if need be getting
>a second or third mold or making them.
> Now back to my regularly scheduled potting.
>Kirk
***********************************************************
FROM : Ric Swenson, Bennington College, Route 67 - A
Bennington, Vermont 05201 - 6001 U.S.A.
( 802 ) 440 - 4621 or fax ( 802 ) 440 - 4582
email: rswenson@bennington.edu
"Opinions expressed are mine..... usual disclaimers apply."
************************************************************
" Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like an avacado ".
Sandra Dwiggins on tue 9 dec 97
I get tincture of green soap in smaller quantities from my local drug store.
Sandy
Gavin Stairs on thu 11 dec 97
Hi Alison,
Ivory Snow used to be pure soap, which is sponified fat. (mix fat, any
kind, or your favorite kind, with NaOH, or KOH, or the like. Ivory Snow
was probably made from whatever rendered animal fat was ceapest that day.)
The current Ivory Snow is detergent, and I'm not sure what kind. My guess
is that they are milking the brand, and will eventually eliminate it. The
detergent is probably the same as Tide or whatever other name brand you wish.
I used to use Ivory Snow because it was soap. Now there is no national
brand soap flake available. You may be able to find some in eco-stores, or
in natural food stores. Good luck.
Gavin
At 01:05 PM 04/12/97 EST, Alison wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi everyone,
>
>...Jan Phelan ... mixed Ivory Snow detergent with a
>little bit of water for her mold release. ...
stairs@echo-on.net
http://isis.physics.utoronto.ca/
416 530 0419 (home) 416 978 2735 (work)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Leslie Ihde on fri 31 may 02
Use 'Armour All' ( a cleaner for vinyl in cars) on your original.
Leslie Ihde
TERIKENS@AOL.COM on sat 1 jun 02
I went to a Matt Wilt workshop a couple of summers ago...and he uses
Murphy's
oil soap as a mold release. It works real nice.
Thanks,
--Terri Kennedy
Denham Springs, LA
Potterri
(http://www.potterri.8m.com)
Always remember...GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL
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