If you’re a home studio potter doing slipcasting without a lot of space or budget, a full commercial slip table isn’t realistic. They’re large, expensive, and overkill if you’re only casting a handful of molds at a time. But there’s a smart DIY solution that gives you most of the benefits of a slip table for under $50 — using an under-bed storage container and a custom PVC drainage rack.
This setup was inspired by a brilliant video from Kent’s channel — the idea is simple, cheap, and surprisingly effective for a small studio or garage setup.
What is a Slip Table and Why Do You Need One?
A commercial slip table is a large piece of equipment used in production slipcasting studios. It typically has a reservoir for liquid slip at the bottom, a mixer to keep the slip in suspension, a pump, and a hose for filling molds. It’s designed for potters casting dozens of molds at a time.
For a home studio potter, the most useful part of a slip table isn’t the pump or the mixer — it’s the drainage surface. After you pour slip into a mold and the casting has formed, you need to invert the mold and let the excess slip drain out. Without a proper drainage surface, you’re propping molds up on dowels over a board, which is messy, takes up space, and doesn’t give you the right drainage angle.
The DIY Mini Slip Table: What You Need
The whole setup uses two main components — an under-bed storage container as the base, and a PVC pipe grid as the drainage rack. Here’s what to get:
Materials List
| Item | Purpose | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Under-bed storage container (with lid) | Catches all excess slip, acts as reservoir | Walmart, Target, Amazon |
| PVC pipe (½” or ¾”) | Cut into short lengths for the grid frame | Home Depot, Lowe’s |
| PVC T-fittings | Connects pipes to form the ladder/grid | Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon |
| PVC 4-way cross fittings | Connects four pipes at a junction | Amazon |
| PVC end caps | Cap the feet so slip doesn’t pool inside | Home Depot, Lowe’s |
| Small wood blocks or scrap wood | Tilt the table to the correct drainage angle | Any scrap wood |
No glue is needed — the friction fit between PVC fittings is tight enough to hold the structure together, and keeping it unglued means you can reconfigure the layout any time.
How to Build It
Step 1: Cut your PVC pipe
Cut your PVC pipe into short uniform lengths — these become the rungs of the drainage rack and the connecting pieces between fittings. The exact length depends on the size of your storage container and how far apart you want the rungs. Aim for spacing that will support your molds upside down without them falling through.
Step 2: Assemble the grid frame
Connect your T-fittings and cross fittings with the short pipe lengths to create a ladder-shaped grid. Think of it like assembling Lego — T-fittings facing upward become the legs, and the horizontal pipes create the rungs that your inverted molds rest on. Build two identical ladder sections and connect them with cross braces to create a stable rectangular grid.
Step 3: Add feet
Add short pipe stubs capped with PVC end caps to the bottom of the frame. This raises the grid off the bottom of the container so there’s space for slip to pool underneath — and it prevents slip from collecting inside the pipe ends and contaminating future casts.
Step 4: Set the drainage angle
This is the most important step. You don’t want molds draining straight down — you want them at a slight angle so the slip runs to one corner rather than pooling inside the cast. Place a small piece of wood under one end of the container to tilt the whole setup. You can adjust the angle easily by swapping out different thickness blocks. A gentle tilt is all you need — too steep and the molds become unstable.
Step 5: Put the lid to work
When you’re not casting, pop the lid back on the container. This keeps the slip in the base clean and prevents contamination from dust, clay particles, or dried slip flaking in from the studio. It also makes the whole unit stackable for storage — important in a small studio where horizontal surface space is always at a premium.
How to Use It
- Fill your molds as normal — pour slip in, let the casting time elapse
- Invert each mold onto the PVC grid — the rungs support the mold at the right height and angle
- Let drain for 20–30 minutes — excess slip drips down through the grid into the container below
- Collect the excess slip — tilt the container and pour the pooled slip back into your slip bucket for reuse
- Clean the bars after each session — wipe down the PVC rungs so dried slip doesn’t contaminate future casts
Tips and Upgrades
- Don’t glue the fittings — keeping the grid friction-fit means you can adjust the layout, change rung spacing for different mold sizes, or raise and lower the legs
- Vary the tilt by swapping wood blocks of different thicknesses under the container — experiment to find the angle that gives you the cleanest drainage without drip artifacts on the inside of your casts
- Add a corner drain — for a more permanent setup, drill a hole in one corner of the container and fit a shower-style drain. Tilt the container in two directions so slip always runs to that corner and drains directly into a slip bucket below
- Consider a low-volume pump — a small pump at the base could eventually let you fill molds from the slip pooled in the container, getting you closer to a real slip table workflow. Look for pumps rated for heavy liquids (slip is denser than water) with a low flow rate — around 1–2 gallons per minute is plenty for a small studio
- Clean between sessions — dried slip on the PVC rungs will eventually flake and contaminate your casts. A quick wipe-down takes 2 minutes and prevents problems
Total Cost
The under-bed container runs $10–20 depending on size. PVC pipe and fittings from a hardware store will cost another $15–25. The whole setup comes together for under $50 — and most of the materials are available at any Home Depot or Lowe’s, with fittings also easy to find on Amazon.
For a small studio doing occasional slipcasting runs, this is a practical, space-efficient solution that solves the biggest pain point — drainage — without the cost or footprint of a commercial slip table.
Related Guides
- What is Slipcasting? — a complete introduction to the process
- How to Make Casting Slip — recipes and step-by-step guide
- Making One Piece Pottery Molds — how to make the molds you’ll be casting with
- How to Make Cottle Boards — for pouring plaster molds
- Plaster Calculator and Mixing Guide — getting your plaster ratios right
Shop B2W Ceramics
See slipcasting in action — our Slipcast Small Porcelain Mug and Slipcast Large Porcelain Mug are made right in the studio using a setup just like this.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. For the slip dispensing side of the setup, see Part 2: Budget-Friendly Slip Bucket System — covering spigot buckets, motorcycle lift, 90-degree elbow, and sieve upgrades.
Shop B2W Ceramics
See slipcasting in action — our Slipcast Small Porcelain Mug and Slipcast Large Porcelain Mug are made right in the studio using a setup just like this.
