First big molds and casting

Finished up the rabbit mold on Tuesday.  Here are some shots of the process.  A very long process.  I do start to run out of patience and energy at the end.

2 sides poured.

ready for sides 3 and 4

I'll spare you the rest of the images and skip right to the end.  Finished molds!  They are not pretty or well made, but they work.  The only way to make really tight, beautiful molds is to be a very patient and meticulous person.

the positive peeking through

taking them apart for the first time

I made good use of the scraper and hammer!

For you skeptics out there, here is the result.

So I immediately began working on the third wall mount. 

I got it ready tonight and will begin making the mold tomorrow.  I'm not quite sure if I can handle the amount of plaster, but I'm just going to start.  Sunday seems to be my mold making day.

Looks like a lot of fun, right?

Got a few more tests ready and hopefully will start to get some stuff out of the kiln.

test birds

Another test piece

It looks like tomorrow will be a busy day.

Mold Marathon

After my visit to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, I headed back to Kohler to get down to some mold making.  I decided that starting two more complicated molds at once was enough. 

Ready to pour plaster

Only 5 more sections to go

After about 10 hours I made 5 sections.  Two in the rabbit and three on the dog wolf.

Not pretty

Instead of going home I decided to power through this third section last night.  I am reminded of how ugly my molds are.  I still haven't figured out how I'm going to lift it to cast.

Here is the finished big mold.  We'll see how it holds up in the dryer. I'm going to finish the other one tomorrow.

Here is my piece out of the kiln and some test birds.  I have to admit that I accidentally sprayed clear on it instead of white.  I'm going to try and label my buckets before I spray this time. 

I finished another small piece tonight after I came back from teaching, but will post it up here tomorrow. 

First Piece and Other Stuff

I have been too tired to upload all of these, but I have made my first piece to send through the system.  It should be out tomorrow.

This is mainly a test.  I have made a few more small ones, but they are in the kiln already.  Here it is sprayed and loaded.

You can see SunKoo's tiles and Hilary's buoy's next to it.  I also drew on some forms.  Here they are with the 'small' tiles.

You can see SunKoo and Scott loading them into the kiln.  Can't wait to see the really big ones.

Now that I have some of the small molds done, I am working on some larger forms.  These are finished and sectioned off to start the process.

Can't wait to see what the fired ones look like.  Headed home for the Pumpkin Patch later, but hope to get one section of each poured before I leave.

Molds and Positives

I cleaned up my five molds and started on a new positive, the first in a series of 6.  I alson drove to DePere to teach my class today.  I've decided that 5 molds is too many at once.  I start to loose focus as the day wears on.

just started this positive

the five molds ready for the dryer

Busy Sunday

I had a grueling day of mold making today and completed 5,  2 part molds, each with multiple pieces inside.  Not a great way to enjoy a Sunday.  I didn't stop for pictures, just a minute to microwave my lunch.  Here is the final product.  They go in the dryer tomorrow.  I wanted to get them done before Monday since I will be up in De Pere tomorrow.

The five finished molds.  Will clean them up tomorrow

Big Molds at Kohler

Today I headed down to the basement at the factory to watch SunKoo create some very big tile molds.  I have been finishing up a series of positives so that they are all ready to go tomorrow.

 I already poured my first three molds and will have a crazy mold making day tomorrow.

positives

This is how the mold looked when we got down there.  Side one poured. Scott helping to take it apart.  Thanks to great Kohler associates.

It takes a forklift to take the plaster off the positive.

There was actual steam coming off this section

side one.  cleaning up

The positive is back in.  Hilary cleaning up the mold.

Ready to pour section 2

SunKoo adding a crazy amount of plaster.

 I did finish all of my work in preparation for tomorrow.  Hannah and Craig came and we went to the John Michael Kohler Art Center.  We got to see the art car bus.

Craig and Hannah headed up top

We also got to watch Newark, NJ artist Kevin Sampson making a boat in the artery. You can read more about his work by clicking the link.  A large series of his sculptures are on view in the current exhibition, This Must Be the Place.

Kevin Sampson at work

More kid stuff and then dinner at the artist's house.  Big day tomorrow.

More Posittives Today

Well, my camera battery died, so no photos.  Pretty unthinkable.  Got three new molds in the dryer, and have three more ready to start the mold making process.  A few more to get ready tomorrow, then Sunday will be a big and crazy day of mold making.  Had some great Mexican food tonight.  Who knew you could find Huaraches in Wisconsin.  

Kohler Day 2

Well, I have finished my second day and finished three molds.  Here are some images from today. These are Sun Koo's large tiles being poured. 

My first positives are ready and my molds complete after a long day.

positives

ready to pour plaster

side one finished

This whole process took 3 times longer than I thought, but that is too be expected.

finally cleaned up

ready to go again

 I finished around 8:30pm, but not before saving one of the molds from a blow out.  I think I'll still with the boards even if it wastes plaster. Nobody likes a blow out!  The mold survived and I even poured the third section before I went home.

Saved from a blow out

Until tomorrow. 

First Day at Kohler

Well today was my first day at Kohler.  As you can see my space is pretty much empty.  I'm working with SunKoo in the studio, that's his piece there, ready to be fired.  It is pretty great just being here.

 

View of my empty studio

Common area

As you can see some big molds are being cast.  I did some drawing and thinking today and made a few things to cast to take me through the process.

First positive!

Pretty cool being in the factory.  I remember my first trip to Kohler when I was an undergraduate at KCAI, so being here is really great.  Check out the factory.

Factory casting floor

I will try to post about my time and progress as the residency progresses