Moldmaking faq

As a mold maker, I aim to make the most efficient tool for producing a product in a particular studio, factory, or process.


 I have over 30 years of experience in making professional quality custom plaster molds, especially for the slipcasting process.  I have made, literally, thousands of sections of original plaster molds- for pottery and dinnerware shapes, for art  pieces, and for various ceramic specialties, such as architectural tile, porcelain dolls, ceramic jewelry, and ceramic industrial parts.

Plaster molds are made by casting from a positive, or model. The model may be one that I make to the clients' specifications, or it may be provided by the client in an appropriate material, such as plaster, ceramic, resin, wax, rapid prototype, etc. Sometimes a master mold, called a Block and Case, will be made for duplicating plaster molds. 

Each manufacturing process requires a particular type of mold. For instance, I specialize in molds for slipcasting ceramics, but I do not make dies for the RAM-press process in ceramics.  I do, however, make original models for RAM press. Other specialty mold makers make the dies,or they are done by the factory in-house.  Similarly, I make master models that generate molds for pressure cast ceramics, jiggered or roller formed ceramics; pressed glass; slumped glass;  sand-cast aluminum, brass, and bronze; and molded plastic.  

I also make silicone rubber molds, used to cast products in various materials such as plaster, cement, urethane resin, or wax.

I receive many calls and emails about mold making, and I welcome serious inquiries. Before contacting me, please read the Moldmaking FAQ's

" I've received your package and everything made it through. This is clearly masterfully done and I'm so grateful we crossed paths, thank you so much. I've been able to try the production mold and I'm blown away by its functionality." -  a potter in the midwest, 2020


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