Types of Clay Modeling Tools
Working with clay to make decorative vases and urns, cups and bowls or specialty pieces like sculptures requires the artist to use a variety of tools to make just the right shape or decorative designs on his clay pieces. From forming the piece on a pottery wheel or turntable to sculpting and shaping designs to imbedding color or sculpting compound into a piece, artists have a vast selection of clay tools from which to choose.
Other People Are Reading
-
Sculpting and Shaping Tools
-
Sculpting and shaping tools work on the same premise--they are comprised of a handle (like a paintbrush) with the tip being whatever you need to sculpt or shape the clay. Sculpting tools can be anything from a flat wooden paddle with a slanted or rounded edge to a sharp metal loop bent in a variety of shapes.
Shaper tools have a tip of silicone, metal or wood that is angled, chiseled, rounded or tapered on the end of the wood, metal or plastic handle. These shaper tools allow you to shape intricate facial features, floral or geometric designs or any other shapes you want to make in your clay piece.
Combination sculpting tools have a shaper tip on one end and a cutting tool (such as a wire loop or sharp edge) on the other end. Special shaper tools are also available for spreading color, wax, plaster, resin and other compounds onto clay pieces.
Rollers
-
Working with rollers allows you to either smooth or add texture to a piece of clay, or in the case of bead rollers, to produce beads of varying shapes and sizes for jewelry making. When making beads, you'll also need to use special bead piercing pins and extruder adaptors to make the centers or hollow them out for stringing.
-
Lazy Susans and Turntables
-
Flat surfaces on a lazy Susan or turntable make the sculpting and shaping of clay into pottery or a sculpture much easier, as you can turn it easily to work on all sides. These tools are different than a pottery wheel, which you'll need to initially "throw" the pot or dish. A pottery wheel is usually motorized or has a peddle to pump it, while a lazy Susan or turntable generally just turns whichever way the artist turns it manually.
Molds and Cutters
-
Clay jewelry, decorative pieces and ornaments are often made by cutting out clay shapes or pressing the clay into molds. You can buy metal cutters in all types of shapes; they closely resemble cookie cutters but have sharper edges. The press molds, which look much like a candy mold, allow you to press the clay into the recessed shape or design to make a solid item or to press it on the outside of the design to indent the clay with the shape of the mold.
Household items also make good tools for cutting. As mentioned above, cookie cutters are good substitutes for the more expensive hobby store cutters. Kitchen tools like herb mincers, pastry blenders and doughnut cutters work well to cut strips and make shapes.
Texture Tools
-
To get a special texture into your pottery, you can use all sorts of tools or everyday items such as wrapping a course fabric around the clay piece and pressing it into the clay, or by pressing rocks, sticks or leaves into the surface. For a more uniform texture, however, you can purchase texture sheets or stamps from a hobby retailer. These tools come in a wide variety of styles including lace, rope, rattan, windowpane and many others.
-
