How To Use Clay Tools
Although not strictly necessary this is the one investment that I would recommend.
How to use clay tools. That means it wont be too much of a hassle to figure it out if you know how to use modeling clay. Now gently press the teeth of the clay onto the top of the clay snake. Use as a guide to get your clay rolled out evenly A beading awl or handheld pin drill for making holes.
In our Making Clay Tools archive youll also find out how to make your own extrusion dies from old credit cards and how to make some cool pots using the extruder. A set of playing cards. Rib tools are traditionally made of wood and are used for cutting and scraping clay but theyre easily made out of old gift cards.
Over drying makes the clay harder to stretch and can lead to rips cracks or bulges. Just make sure you dont push the clay out of the cutters too fast or hard and your clay is not too soft or the plunger will go right through the clay. The wood modeling tool can be used for modeling clay but it is also handy for removing excess clay from the base of a pot before removing it from the wheel head.
Tampers are ideal for leveling dirt and mulch after planting shrubs and small trees leveling and packing paver base before installing a paver walkway or patio or even smoothing out gravel after heavy rainfall. Poke you clay in circular motion to create nice texture. Use the heat gun only as needed to stiffen the wall.
If you are using polymer clay or clay that is not for children you will need a kiln. Draw the shape you want onto a piece of plastic like a gift card or packaging from takeout and cut it out with scissors. Its very important when working with clay to use your hands and fingers as much as possible only switching to a tool when your hands cannot achieve something specific.
To prove it weve gathered some of the most clever tips and techniques out there for making clay tools. Because the clay is marked evenly youve just created your own unit of measure. Now use your razor blade to cut the snake so many teeth apart.
