Silicone Mould Making Workshop

Making moulds for casting may well be a task that is familiar to you, easy even. However, for members of the Ceramics and Glass group a simple little task was made just a little bit harder!

Course leaders Dana Norris and Kenneth Watt took participants through a process they admitted would “usually take them a week” in just one day. With the aid of fast curing silicone, clear instruction, and plenty of tea, everyone succeeded in producing 2 and 3 part silicone moulds complete with plaster mother moulds. A variety of objects were chosen for the activity, brought by participants from their own studios and homes - everything ranging from a tea cup handle to a Lego man - proving that with correct technique you can produce a mould for just about anything!

The unexpected hit of the day was the modelling wax used in the creation of the moulds. Ken recommended this over the more traditional plasticine as it doesn’t contain those oils which can be harmful to the surface of the object. Members of the group had fun softening the wax before use with a variety of methods including a hairdryer.

There was just time whilst the silicone was curing for a whistle stop tour of the recently created conservation galleries in the Ashmolean. Interestingly, the group was able to see some of Dana’s work on casting new pieces for glass objects in the museum, bringing the slideshow we had initially seen to life!

I think I can speak for the whole group in saying that the workshop was an invaluable experience, introducing new materials and techniques.   

Staffordshire Hoard Conservation

I'm sure that many of us have seen the pictures of the Staffordshire Hoard when it was first discovered.
What you may not know is that now pieces of the Hoard are now being conserved in the Conservation studios at Birmingham Museum. A number of Conservation students have been given the opportunity to work on this exciting project - here is just a small example of what they have been doing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okg1K24GsSE&feature=youtu.be



To find out more about the project do visit the website:

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/

Introducing our new CGG forum...

The CGG committee feel that it's good to talk so we've just set a new forum just for Ceramics and Glass Conservators across the world!

• Feel free to ask questions about materials and techniques that you're encountering for the first time, or for advice on specific objects!
• If you're struggling to locate a specific material or piece of equipment and want to know where other conservators go shopping - just ask.
• Or if you know about job opportunities, student placements or internships that you feel would be interesting to the members feel free to share them here.
• There is also an opportunity to find out about future ICON CGG events and to have your say about what we do and where we go...

Join in the conversation today at!

http://iconcgg.proboards.com/index.cgi

Welcome to the Ceramics and Glass Group Blog

Hello and welcome!

We hope this will be a new and exciting way to reach everyone interested in Ceramics and Glass Conservation and the work of ICON CGG!

We'll tell you about all the exciting events planned by ICON CGG and how you can attend. We'll also give you the opportunity to become involved in the life of ICON CGG - that may be through presenting papers at our conferences or making suggestions for workshops or places to visit. 

We'll also be writing about exhibitions, collections and places that we feel may be of interest, as well as keeping you up to date with exciting new conservation projects being carried out in museums, galleries and private collections across the country!

We hope that you enjoy reading our blog and finding out more about the ICON Ceramics and Glass Group


Your Ceramics and Glass Group Committee:

Kathleen Swales - CGG Chair
Rachel Sharples - CGG Secretary and Website Coordinator
Sarah Cheng - CGG Treasurer
Ronald Pile - Nigel Williams Prize Coordinator
Ann Cecilia Orr - Graduate Student Representative
Jeni Whiting - Ordinary member