About

JOLLY JIGGERING  SLIP CASTING  AND MORE

The original shapes are hand thrown or hand constructed by means of sculpting or slab rolling and hand formed into shapes and then sponged and smoothed into the required finished shape, this process can be extremely time consuming. So to save time during production the finished shapes or masters are replicated into moulds the moulds then allow a faster production method called slip (slip is liquid clay) casting. The slip or liquid clay is then poured into the mould and allowed to stand. The moulds are professionally made by a specialist firm in Stoke on Trent. Our moulds are made from plaster of paris and as such is very pourous, this pourosity allows the water to be drawn or sucked through the body of the plaster and in doing so the slip begins to solidify thus forming a pot inside the mould at a rate of one millimeter every 10 minutes so depending on the thickness of pot required i.e. 3, 4, 5mm your standing time dictates the finished thickness. Most slip cast ware we make is finished to 3 or 4mm any more tends to make a rather heavy pot.

Once the mould has stood for the required time it is turned upside down on a casting table where the slip runs out of the mould and is caught and poured back into the blunger (machine to mix the hard clay to liquid). By using eg 10 working moulds one can easily pour four times daily so 40 identical casts can be made with ease. One good experienced caster like Mr Reckless can use 4/5 different mould shapes thus producing upwards of 100 pieces daily.

Plus answering the phone serving in the shop doing paint your own, making tea etc etc.