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This is a 3D-printed block mold of a medium-sized Medalta Potteries ball pitcher being prepared for filling with silicone rubber (to make a case mold for pouring working plaster molds). Although I used two different consumer 3D printers, a Prusa MK3 and MK4, the four pieces mate very well! I taped them together first and then welded them using an ultra-violet curing superglue from Home Depot (6 seconds to harden). The glue leaves a slight bump - that is not a problem - can be removed from final working molds. Notice I also made a 3D printed displacer (bottom inset) - I fill it with rocks as I fill the mold with PMC-746 rubber.
This is a Medalta Potteries medium-sized ball pitcher block mold, version 2.0 - it has a more oval body shape. Upper left is the top section (actually, it is half of the top section, a base will fit on to create a three-piece working mold. There is to 3D print something this large in one piece in a consumer 3D printer. Even if it did it would require 50 hours of print time! Also, working surface quality is affected by the orientation of printing (especially if a surface is down-facing and on top of printed support). Further, a large print would almost certainly warp and corner-lift during printing. Cutting it into four pieces and hollowing them individually (in the CAD software, lower right) solved all the problems. Each of the pieces is still quite large, taking 10+ hours to print. But they can each be hollowed individually and rotated to the optimum position for the best finished surface (and print speed). It is amazing how well these four pieces fitted together. This approach really paid off because I made a mistake - and I only needed to reprint one of the pieces!
Glossary |
3D-Printing
Standard 3D printing technology (not printing with clay itself) is very useful to potters and ceramic industry in making objects that assist and enable production. |
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Projects |
Medalta Ball Pitcher Slip Casting Mold via 3D Printing
A project to make a reproduction of a Medalta Potteries piece that was done during the 1940s. This is the smallest of the three sizes they made. |
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