Introduction: The Country Potter - Casting Tub With Drain

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About: I am currently single, and have been a maker all my life. I currently work as a technician for a comercial Laundromat company. I and my friends have built a nascar simulator, and lot of other stuff, and I hav…

Ok, so your customers really really want a Rabbit just like the ones at Walt's Mart.    So, that means you'll need to use commercial Plaster molds, and expensive equipment...  but wait- you one have 5$?  no problem  this instrucables will show you how to build a drain tank and how to make your own casting slip for very little money.



Step 1: Acquiring the Parts

for this build yoiu will need :  A plastic Bus box from a resturant supply housem or a large plastic tub with sturdy sides. the bus box I bought cost 2.45 at Smart and Final.  you will also need a 3/4 plastic Conduit hose nipple connection (1.50$) a short piece of 3/4 inside diameter  hose, and a 3/4 inch drill....

you will also need some pieces of scrap wood. tp ,ake the rack..  a old refrigerator shelf will work as well..



Step 2: Assembly

drill a 3/4 hole in one of the low spots in the bottom of the bus box, and install the conduit with the nipple pointed down, attach the  hose, build a frame (rack to fit on top of the tub...thats it...


Step 3: Making Inexpensive Casting Slip Form Scrap Clay

take  anough scrap clay to fill a 5 gallon bucket about 4/5 the way up.  chunks arnt important that this time, cover with water and let stand over night.

the next morning add the following- (both chemicals available for cheap from a ceramics supply place)  use gloves and eye protection when handling both chemicals
Sodium silicate 2 oZ
Soda ash - about 1 teapoon

use a drill with a mixer attachment and blend for about 10 miniutes add water  until you get a cake batter )or thinner  mix)  let stand.  the mix will thicken up over night-  next morning mix again and use to cast.



Step 4: Use and Results

when you mold is finished (10-40 miniutes) run the hose back into the bucket of slip, and dump the contents of mold into the tank-  

you can keep adding scrap and water  to the slip bucket  until the casts start to stick inside the molds, once that happens, just add a small amouts of the Silica Dioxide and Soda ash and mix...



these skulls where cast form a commercial mold using recovered Navajo White clay. washed with black and brown underglaze, wiped back and then fired to cone 5