Gelcasting is a useful method for producing high-strength ceramic green parts. However, industry has been reluctant to use the gelcasting technique because the most commonly used gel, acrylamide (AM), is a neurotoxin. Here we report an attempt at the gelcasting of fused silica material using a low-toxicity gel, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The HEMA-based aqueous system was found to perform as well as AM-based systems in terms of the properties of gelcasting suspensions, cast green parts, and densified components. The new gelcasting system should be readily applicable to other ceramic materials.