Flow tester model you can 3D-print yourself

Available as a Product on the Downloads page

This is not the mold, this is a model of what the mold enables you to make out of clay. Your printer should be able to make this with no support and no infill since there are no extreme overhangs (configure the slicer accordingly). This can be useful as a demonstration. It prints quickly and takes only 47g of PLA filament. It is 10% larger than fired testers will be.

Available as a Product on the Downloads page

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There are so many things a melt flow tester can tell you

The amazing things that a glaze melt fluidity tester can show you

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.

For any potter or hobbyist, making your own molds and slip casting presents amazing options. Making this melt fluidity tester will get you started in 3D printing, pouring plaster to make a mold and slip casting. These will help you understand glazes, including commercial ones, much better.

Consider how these melt flow tests demonstrate performance: Is a new brand-name material the same (e.g. tin oxide, feldspar, dolomite, Alberta slip)? Does a glaze recipe pass a sanity check? Is a batch of frit bad? Is a frit better for sourcing B₂O₃ than Gerstley Borate? Is a glaze matte because it is not melting enough? Is a glaze too reactive? Is a manufacturer's claim correct? Will a stain or metal oxide addition make my glaze melt more or less? Does a material substitute work as well as the original? How does a frit soften and melt over a range of temperatures? Do glazes of the same chemistry but different recipe really melt the same? Is this glaze prone to bubbling? Does a glaze melt have high surface tension?

Here is what you need: A geeky family member having a 3D printer, a blender, powdered slip casting clay, deflocculant, plaster and a 2000g 0.1g scale. This page is the "Next" button to get started. Everything you need to know is here.

Downloadable 3D model for melt flow tester block mold

Available on the Downloads page

3D rendering of Fusion 360 drawing of glaze melt fluidity tester

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.

This is a 3D rendering of our melt fluidity tester. We have promoted this device for many years as an effective way to compare fired glaze properties (e.g. melt fluidity, surface tension, bubble retention, crystal growth, transparency, melting range, etc). Open the 3MF file in your slicer, move all pieces off the print bed and unselect them all. Then, print each part by moving it onto the bed and using place-on-face to orient it right. Print the funnel wide-side down with brim. Insert the natch clips and embeds into the holes, pour in the plaster, let it set and finally remove the PLA with a heat gun. You now have a working mold to make slip cast testers. Glue the natches and spacers into the embeds, strap the mold together, glue in the pour spout with slip and finish by filling the mold with slip. If the mold is dry, 10-15 minutes should be enough to get adequate thickness (don't make them too heavy). With 0.8mm thick walls, this drawing 3D prints quickly and is easy to remove when the plaster has set (using a heat gun). The halves interlock using natches (requiring our embeds and related parts). The mold halves can also be lined up by the outer edges before clamping them together (thus not requiring natches).

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A Low Cost Tester of Glaze Melt Fluidity
Use this novel device to compare the melt fluidity of glazes and materials. Simple physical observations of the results provide a better understanding of the fired properties of your glaze (and problems you did not see before).

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