AI-Assisted Mug and Handle Design v1

Perfect for slip-casting

This shape is one of many suggestions I got from MidJourney.com when I described what I needed. Consider the advantages of this for slip-casting:
-The piece has thick walls, that will help prevent warping during firing (enabling using a clay body that is highly vitreous).
-The shape, wide at the bottom to narrower at the top - and then a flared rim will also resist warping.
-The flat sides will be practical for applying ceramic transfers (this decoration can be done exactly that way). Of course, the transfer will have to be cut in a semi-circle to lay properly.
-The heavy handle should make it possible to cast the mug with the handle attached.
-The smaller foot ring sets it up off the table and should enable stacking.
This surface character will be possible using an opacified light-colored glossy oatmeal glaze - the pigment in an iron-bearing body should bleed through wherever the glaze is thinner (e.g. on contour edges like the rim).

Related Pictures

First mug in my newly created mold

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This test mold is thin-walled yet I can cast three thick-walled mugs in three hours. This clay is L2596G, a buff burning cone 10 stoneware - the mug on the lower right has been fired to cone 10 oxidation. Achieving 4-5mm thick walls is not a problem if the casting slip employs a large particle kaolin intended for this purpose (e.g. OptiKast). And it is deflocculated properly.

The flared lip works as expected, keeping the rim nice and round. No cracks have appeared at handle joins, even for pieces left in the mold overnight. The mold halves mate with each other very well and the seam is easy to remove. The seam on the base is an issue - I have to be careful to line up the halves well before clamping the mold strap - this is a warning for accuracy during the mold production stage. And the possible motive for a three-piece mold if I get more serious about this piece.

Simplified v2 AI-Inspired Mug Using OnShape

As good or better than previous Fusion 360 efforts

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We redid this mold to apply new CAD methods using a new tool, OnShape. Consider the advantages over our v1 method.

-It has a hybrid standard plaster spare (although short) coupled with a 3D printed spout that fits down into the spare. The spout doubles as a cutting guide to enable a higher-quality lip.
-These prototype 3D printed case mold halves use far less PLA filament to print, they only weigh 105g (at 1.2mm wall thickness).
-The OnShape timeline is flexible, I can roll back and forth, disable individual steps and go down alternative paths from any point.
-No side rails are needed, this mold removes from the plaster using a heat gun.
-This employs our new v3 natch system.
-The matching edges are chamfered for easier splitting of the halves (when the leather hard piece is ready to remove).
-The mating surfaces are flatter; no sanding is needed, the halves fit together really well (assuming plaster is poured with these molds sitting on a planar surface).
-The printing artifacts present no problems (opaque glazes hide them completely but many potters will want to take measure to enhance them using semi-transparents or glazes that variegate with thickness).

Heavy stoneware mugs using my new slipcasting mold

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These are made using the L4558B red burning cone 6 stoneware. The inside glaze is GA6-B. The outside glaze on the left is G3948A iron red. The one on the right is G3933EF. No rim warping occurred, despite the very heavy handle.

v3 Shelled AI Mug Using OnShape CAD

A great on-ramp to learning slip casting

Available on the Downloads page

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This differs from the v2 drawing (below) in that the plaster pouring cavity is formed by shelling (hollowing) the back side (top right). v2 was formed on the front side, by revolving and sweeping the mug profile and extruding the side walls. This v3 shelling CAD design method has several advantages:
-No sketch offset or extrusion was needed to make the outer wall.
-Because the first action is to extrude everything as one solid mass, corners of the outer 3D perimeter can be heavily chamfered (reducing the amount of plaster needed to fill the mold).
-The mug's geometry (offset inward by 0.8mm) is revolved, swept and bevelled by cutting into the block. Shelling to the same 0.8mm wall thickness, from the backside of the block, produces the cavity needed (top right). This approach offers flexibility in the printed wall thickness. Modern 3D printers can handle this thickness well (top right), thus reducing print time and filament use.
-The last steps, after shelling, are chamfering the outside inner corner, cutting the holes for the natches and revolving the pouring spout (as a separate body).
-Our v3 natch system continues to work well with this (lower left).
-Printing artifacts are not a problem for prototype molds (visible op right). Production is asking me to enhance these (a freshly cast mug is shown lower right).
-The plaster mold is of stunning quality (PLA 3D print was carefully softened and peeled using a heat gun and needle-nose pliers).
-Slip cast mugs most often have poor-quality and oval lips. This one stays round because of the outward flare and the quality is better because the 3D printed pouring spout also acts as a cutting guide at the pre-removal stage.
-The PLA pouring spout is deep and absorbs no water. Thus, the slip level does not need to be topped up during casting, the slip surface stays flatter (not developing a bowl shape) so pour-out time can be accurately gauged by its slip level.

There are many casting body recipes that would work with this. DIY CAD skills will enable you to follow me into another exciting world: Low-cost 3D printing of the clay itself! Coming soon.

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Projects

Coffee Mug Slip Casting Mold via 3D Printing
A potter can now use AI, 3D CAD, 3D printing and custom clay bodies to slip-cast beautiful quality stoneware pottery mugs. It is efficient and practical.

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