1. The pour holes are tiny, so you will need to thin Lady White porcelain slip with Slip Thinner. This is a product which allows you to thin porcelain slip with less water, resulting in a better casting with less mold saturation. The directions on the Slip Thinner label are for thinning a whole gallon. Use a proportionately smaller amount of the mixture if thinning less than a gallon.
2. After adding the thinning solution stir slip thoroughly with the stirring stick in the Casting Kit. The slip should be the consistency of light cream. If additional thinning is needed, add a few drops of the mixture at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Too much Slip Thinner can cause an opposite reaction to the thinning desired. Let slip sit for about 30 minutes to allow air bubbles to rise to the top.
3. When you open the molds you will see that the pour hole for Betty's head-torso is in one of the arm openings. Because the head-torso is lying horizontally in the mold you won't have gravity on your side if you simply try to pour the slip in. To avoid casting rings, which are caused when the mold cavity fills too slowly to push the air out, you need to do several things. If your mold does not already have them, you will need to drill a few holes in the mold for air vents. Reband the mold and use a Lace Tool or a tiny drill bit to pierce some vents through the mold seam into the cavity. You will need 2 or 3 vents for the head and 2 or 3 more along the torso and legs. Use a Greenware Duster to brush away dust and bits of plaster.
4. If the mold is dry mist the cavity lightly with water from a spray bottle before re-banding. Prop up the feet end of the mold about one inch. Fill a 16-oz. Plastic ketchup dispenser with thinned slip. Insert the nozzle of the dispenser into the pour hole and fill the mold cavity with one long squeeze. Do not stop squeezing until the mold is filled. Forcing the slip into the mold in this manner, pushes the air out rapidly. Cast the arms in the same manner.
5. Wait about two minutes before emptying the head torso mold. Use a cocktail straw to blow as much of the slip out as possible. After emptying the head torso mold position it so that excess slip can settle in the feet. The thicker casting of the feet will help prevent the doll from being a little top heavy. Let the arms set up solid.
6. Let the castings set up for about 45 minutes, or until the molds open easily. Use a Mold Cleaning Tool to scrape around the pour holes to loosen the spares. After you open the molds remove the spares with a Featherknife.
7. When the castings are leather hard, scrape away the seams with the edge of a Lace Tool. Use water and KwikClean Brushes to pre-clean the greenware by removing any imperfections and smoothing the seam lines. The tip of a Clean Up Brush can be used to smooth the tiny imperfections in the details around the face and hair that are caused by air pockets that are trapped during the casting. Use a small KwikClean Brush to patch the pour holes in the tops of the arms with a drop or two of slip. When the patched area is dry brush it smooth with a damp KwikClean Brush. Use a Lace Tool to pierce holes all the way through the stringing loops sculpted into the tops of the arms. Then use a Featherknife to open the holes large enough to accommodate EL15 Stringing Elastic, allowing for shrinkage during the bisque firing. Let casting dry.
Mold: S491ST Betty mold set (two molds)