This week I’m making some slipcast porcelain lampshades for Benchmark furniture.
The shades are used in the Snowdrop light, designed by Jonathan Tibbs. You can get a desk or wall-mounted version, made from laminated ash.
I have also made some taller lampshades as a bespoke order for a customer. I have to slipcast these one at a time as I have only made one plaster mould of each shape. I should make multiple plaster moulds but plaster is not a forgiving material to work with. Unless you are very careful to stop all cracks, it has a tendency to leak out all over the floor when you are pouring it. Plaster also blocks sink drains and explodes in the kiln if bits of it get into your clay. However, I will eventually have to make new moulds, as they start to erode after around 60 casts have been made.
