laypath
SLIP-CASTING MOLDS, GENERATED IN SECONDS

Turn anything into a slip-cast mold.

Claypath reads the half cross-section of an object, or takes in the 3d object you give it, and generates a set of 3d-printable mold parts for making plaster slip casting molds.

Generate a mold See how it works

Five molds a month, free — no card needed. On the free tier nothing you upload is kept: your file is deleted the moment it is read.

OVERVIEW
00:00 / 00:30
HOW IT WORKS

From one line to a slip-cast mold.

STEP 01 · PROFILE
  1. 01

    Take the profile.

    Trace the profile curve of an object, from the middle out to the rim. Save that curve as an SVG path. Claypath does the rest to generate a set of 3d-printable files, ready for plaster.

    Half cross-section, saved as SVG
  2. 02

    Claypath builds the mold.

    Claypath takes the curve, revolves it, adds a slip well, and constructs the outer mold with a gap for the plaster to fill. You get the 3d-printable files back, ready to be printed.

    SVG, STL or STEP in — STL or STEP out
  3. 03

    Pour the plaster.

    Clamp the printed parts together, mix pottery plaster and fill the gap to the brim. The interlocks keep the plaster from leaking.

    The printed parts are the shape of your object, the plaster is the master mold
  4. 04

    Take it apart.

    Once the plaster has set, remove the outer walls, turn the plaster mold over and pull the inner mold out. The hollow it leaves is your pot shape, with an overflow slip well to catch extra slip.

    The 3d printed mold pieces are reusable
  5. 05

    Pour in the slip.

    Fill the hollow with liquid clay, up through the pot's shape until you reach the slip well. The plaster draws water out of the slip standing against its walls, hardening the liquid clay in contact with it into solid clay.

    The plaster mold can be used dozens of times
  6. 06

    Take out the pot.

    Pour the slip back out once the wall is thick enough. What stays behind is a clay pot, lining the hollow. Trim the clay from the slip well, lift the pot out, and it is ready to dry and fire.

    Then do it again, and again, and again
FORMATS

What goes in, what comes out.

YOU BRING
SVG
A half cross-section of the vessel. One or three-part mold options.
STL
A whole mesh model. Hollow vessels can optionally be filled before the split, so a scan or a sculpt works. Three-part molds only.
STEP
Exact geometry, never tessellated. Three-part molds only.
CLAYPATH RETURNS

One-piece mold

SVG in

An inner mold and two outer halves, closing round a ridged collar on the slip well. Plaster fills the gap between them.

Three-part mold

SVG, STL or STEP in

Three 120° wedges, each on its own natched casting plate, plus walls and locks.

A potter turning a cup over in her hands at the bench.

Bring an idea. Leave with a mold.

Upload an SVG, STL or STEP file and the parts come back ready for the bed.

Generate a mold