Here is why the stair-casing artifacts are not the problem many people think. These are stonewares fired at cone 6 oxidation. The dark one is M370C with 10% added raw umber. The other is M370C. Both are glazed using GA6-B Alberta Slip amber transparent. The wood-grain texture on the right is an artifact of 3D-printing - the case mold was printed flat rather than upright. Strangely, that is the bottle people want! But the production prototype bottle is the one on the left and the stair casing is barely visible. Additionally, these are prototypes, the production molds would either be made by printing the model upright or by casting a plaster model of a bottle half, smoothing and soaping it, attaching it to a clamping baseplate and then setting up 3D printed railing around it.

Same clay body: Plainsman Coffee Clay. Same glaze: MA6-C rutile blue. But the mug on the left was fired in the PLC6DS schedule (normally that one does not produce this much blue, but the heavily pigmented clay brings it out). The one on the right was fired in the C6DHSC schedule. That schedule also improves the gloss and surface quality of the inside GA6-B liner glaze.

3D printing is resetting and revolutionizing all fabrication industries. It has taken hold because it brings exciting new capabilities we never had before, especially in ceramics. Each disadvantage is being addressed and solved. This stair-casing, or more correctly, "printing artifacts", are often cited as a reason not to adopt 3D. But these are not an issue here. First, most of the surface on this case mold is not exposed on the final piece. Second, near vertical and fully horizontal printed surfaces, such as the shell around the outside and the spacer ring, don't have artifacts. Third, this bowl model is not 3D printed, it is plaster that was poured into a 3D printed shell. Before use, this will be stuck down onto a potter's wheel and tooled smooth. It is then attached to a clamping baseplate and the 3D printed railing clamped around it.

It is a clay, a very non-plastic one. These are fired SHAB test bars of Barnard Slip going from cone 04 (bottom) to cone 6 (top, where it is melting). Porosity is under 3% and the fired shrinkage above 15% from cone 1 upward (second from bottom). Drying shrinkage is 4% at 25% water (it is very non-plastic). The darkness of the fired color suggests higher MnO than our published chemistry shows (and also higher iron). The white areas on the lower temperature bars are soluble salts.

Since this is a fine particled material, it could likely be made plastic with a bentonite addition, likely 5% or more would be needed. Solubles could be precipitated using barium carbonate.

Long after installation, handmade clay tiles can be susceptible to chipping at the corners and edges. This is more of an issue when the tile is glazed. As the temperature of the tile increases from the heat of the sun, the dimensions increase and they can begin to press upon each other. This can create high compressive stresses at the bearing points. If the gap between the tiles is not sufficient, the stress at the bearing point can continue to build until a piece cracks out of the corner like this. Terracotta tiles are most susceptible because they have much lower strength than vitrified ones. Since such handmade tiles have been in use since ancient times makers have always needed to compensate for this issue.

Of course the installers of the tile bear the main burden of avoiding this problem. However, in the manufacture of the tile itself, various things can be done to minimize the issue. For example, if an engobe is used, pay attention to its compatibility to the body (e.g. it needs a similar firing shrinkage and thermal expansion). Likewise with glazes, they should fit (not be under excessive compression or tension). Rounded corners are better than angular ones. Another option is to fire the tile to a higher temperature to get more strength - with caution since this can significantly increase firing shrinkage.

Once you try these you will never go back to making molds without them. Unfortunately, these are not easy to get in North America. Or even online. But you can 3D print them yourself (we use PLA filament). This design interlocks with standard 3/8" natches used in industry. There are more aspects to printing and using these than meets the eye, here are some aspects to know:

-The base can be widened for sticking on the build plate better. If you need to print large numbers it might be advisable to use a glued plate to make sure they stick well.
-The inner edge is chamfered to ensure better insertion of the nipple.
-Print without infill for better strength.
-These are hollow, no support is needed.
-The bottom can be widened to stick better to the build plate.
-The ribs can be moved.
-A 9.8 mm hole is needed in the mold.

We receive about 100 different materials for use in ceramic glazes, and suppliers frequently need to be changed (or are changed for us through suppliers that source it from others). In natural mined materials we see the biggest variation. Man-made pure materials see the least variation. But, a material like titanium is a special case. It is man-made and pure but it is also a "active ingredient" that produces variegation and color in many pottery glazes. Factors that make the difference between working and not working can be small and the percentage of this needed is also small, amplifying that further.

This is the GA6-C Alberta Slip recipe (GA6-A + 4% titanium dioxide). We are comparing two different brands of titanium, on the left is our traditional source and on the right is a test material. Titanium can be the active ingredient to make floating blue glazes, rather than rutile if the host glaze already has the needed iron oxide). On the lower right, thickness of application is a factor here. We did side-by-side comparisons of melt fluidity and those showed the two to have quite similar reactions.

Reactive glazes don't melt into a homogeneous melt and they don't freeze as a typical glass. The physical nature of the material powders (e.g. their particle size and the individual nature of how they respond to heat, soften, melt and interact with their own kind and others) create a melt that does not solidify into a homogeneous glass. These glazes are said to be dynamic. And unpredictable effects often occur during firing, like color variegation, speckles, streaks, mottled and flowing textures, crystallization, pooling, etc. The outcome is influenced by factors such as the materials chosen to source the needed oxides, firing schedule, kiln atmosphere, cooling or heating cycle, etc. These glazes are at their best when each piece has a unique, artistic character. But, this is also their worst feature, making them "tipping point glazes", ones whose visual character is a product of fragile and not well understood features of the materials and process. Small changes typically produce big changes in fired appearance (often to the chagrin of the potter).

Here it is fired to cone 8 where the melt obviously has much more melt fluidity! The photo does not do justice to the variegation and crystallization happening on this surface. Of course, it is running alot more, so caution will be needed.

A jigger mold is about to be poured in these two 3D-printed housings. This is a demo, the plaster model of the outside shape has not yet been smoothed and soaped. When that is done it will be glued onto the clamping baseplate using a sticky ball clay slip, it will be held on-center using a custom printed spacer ring. The ring is different depending on the method.

Top: The outside shell was 3D printed in two halves and it is being clamped onto a clamping baseplate, tightly against the ring. When the plaster has set this shell will be removed and the bowl form will drop out leaving the completely jigger mold.

Bottom: The outside shell was 3D printed as one piece. When the plaster has set the model will drop out but the outside PLA shell will be left in place for the service life of the mold. It wraps over the top and provides a smooth tough surface to act as a stopping for the template.