Casting and Hand Pressing

Shaws is pleased to offer a range of clay casting techniques. The clay is mixed is mixed in-house, with colour and conditions to suit the requirements of the project. We only use virgin European clays, giving us an industry leading level of control of dimensional accuracy and consistency. All our material is tested to British, European and American standards, and our production process is accredited to ISO9000:2008.

Our casting is undertaken by producing a liquid clay and pouring it into pre-conditioned moulds. Please click here to see our paper on the advantages of this production method. [insert article]. The mould is filled to a tightly controlled thickness, typically around 30mm. When partially dry, the piece is turned out of the mould prior to finishing. This method gives particularly good dimensional control, consistent wall thickness (giving better drying and hence less potential for cracking), reliable strengthening web capability and repeatable anchoring point location.

Hand pressing is our alternative method to casting. With this method a more solid clay is pressed by hand into the mould. Our experienced craftsmen ensure that wall thickness is controlled via this method, which is generally used for production of sculpture and more ornate work.