December 7, 2001, Newsletter Issue #67: Carving/Sprigs and Stamps
Tip of the Week
Making Molds - Carving your mold:
Carving plaster sprigs and stamps.
Pour plaster into plastic containers such as margarine tubs and cottage cheese containers, about 1-2 inches thick. Normally, after the plaster has set (about a half hour), it will release by itself, even without any mold release on the plastic. If you wait too long and the plaster sticks, you can always cut the plastic off. Now you can carve designs into the plaster, and use it for press molds.
Making Molds - Carving sprigs and stamps/testing design:
While carving, periodically take some clay and test your design by pushing the clay into the surface. Your clay will pick up the loose plaster particles and also allow you to see what the pattern you have carved looks like. Use the same clay a few times, then discard. You do not want to fire this clay, or mix it into your other clay, as plaster mixed in clay is likely to cause an explosion in the kiln.
Here is a beautiful thing about plaster. If you ever want to carve into it later, you can soak it in water, re-wet it, and it will become soft enough to carve into. You can do this at any time.
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