How Do You Make A Slip For Ceramic Molds?
Making your own slip for slip casting provides a cheap alternative to purchasing it yourself. Besides, you can find clay in stores more easily than you can find slip. Making slip is a careful balance of chemistry. According to “Ceramics Made Easy,” slip should ideally weigh just over 14 1/2 pounds per gallon, so if your end result weighs more or less than this, you will want to try again. A better measure is to use the specific gravity measurement, which should ideally equal a ratio of 1.75. However, you will want to use a thinner slip for casting small objects and a thicker slip for casting large objects. Pour warm water into a basin. Temperature affects the specific gravity of your slip and will skew your measurements. You want the water to be as close to 70 degrees F as you can get it. Bob a thermometer in the water to keep an eye on it and adjust the temperature of the water accordingly as you fill the basin with 27 gallons. Pour 3 oz. of barium carbonate and 4 oz. of soda ash into
