Small Plaster Mold for Ceramic Casting

This is a small mold for a ceramic cup that I designed and fabricated. The mold is made from plaster, which allows you to cast ceramic slip inside to create the final cup.

A crucial step in the process is preparing the 3D-printed master mold. To make it easier to remove the plaster later, the surface of the print should be sealed or impregnated. Smoothing the 3D print by sanding it to remove visible layer lines also significantly improves the release and results in a cleaner surface finish on the final piece.

For removing the PLA from the plaster mold, I experimented with heating the plastic and peeling it off with pliers. During this process, some parts of the mold broke, but I was still able to use them. Due to shrinkage and minor damage, the final cup turned out about 40% smaller than the original model.

I hope you like this design! I’d be happy to hear your suggestions for possible improvements.