Members' Favorite Tools Sharing

In case you missed last week’s meeting where we distributed the 2013 schedule (subject to adjustments), click HERE to see it.

We shared our favorite tools (list below of those I remember..) and you should be sure you have your PMC-working tool kit ready to bring to meetings this year!

Favorite Tools - many are common, household items or easily found at a "Dollar Store" or garage sale.

My hands - the best tools we all have
My eyes
Clay shapers - Gale Schlagel ( available online or Creative Coldsnow, etc. )

Tree stump – Carol Harder The stump provides a solid base for hammering. (needs flat bottom to be sturdy)

or holding forming stakes or carving out spaces for shaping metal.

Work surfaces (meat cutting mat, 2 for $1 from the Dollar Store)

Clay thickness rolling frames

 

Rolling slats to control clay thickness (tape playing cards together 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 cards thick. use card numbers to show thicknesses)

Sanding sticks (3M makes great ones for metal clay but cheap nail filing blocks and sticks work great, too)

Needle tool

 

Ball Stylus

 

Exacto blades and Tissue blades

Cup warmer from a garage sale

Foam pad from packing material (for drying)

Metal dog dish from the Dollar Store (for firing pan)

Fire brick firing box, carved from a block of soft firebrick

Silhouette Cameo Cutter (Template or Paper Clay Cutting)

Scratch foam texture plates (or recycle your foam food packaging trays!)

Dental tools (ask your dentist to save his old tools for you)

Templates (or cut your own from tagboard)

PMC Tool Kits and Favorite Tools Show and Tell

The March 19 meeting of KC PMC Guild takes place Tuesday at Harder Driving School.

Our Tuesday topic will be
 Favorite Tool Sharing
 Everyone should bring your favorite metal clay working tool. It can be a commercial tool or a repurposed item that you discovered works really well. Be prepared to

• explain why you like it
• what it does
• where to find or buy it
• demonstrate what it does or why it's cool
• bring some to share if you have lots of freebies
• bring name of website or store where it's available

We will  provide the 2013 Demo Schedule and discuss plans for the year. We hope to do MORE hands-on metal clay projects and will want everyone to be able to bring a tool kit to meetings. Especially those who are new to metal clay, this will be chance to start your clay-working kit.

PMC Kit Preparation
There are lots of commercial kits available, but you don't need to spend a lot to have tools to work with metal clay. Wait till you see our easy-list.