Essesntial clay tools

If you are looking to start working with any type of clay you will need a few tools to start you on

the right track. Thanks to the web you can search for hours to find the right tools but will soon get overwhelmed by the huge range of products available. There are tools that cut, shape, roll, texture, mould, carve and so on, but how will you know which tools are essential and which you can cope without, to begin with.

I thought I would make it a bit easier for you, by listing a few tools that you will find invaluable during the early days of your clay crafting experience.

If you want to buy some dedicated tools then there are loads of great tools available . To start with I found a very reasonable pack of sculpting tools like the ones in the picture below, at Amazon. I only paid a few pounds for the pack but if you are going to get serious about clay then it is worth remembering that your tools will be used a lot and the cheaper versions don't last forever.

Pottery Tool Set

This 8 Piece Pottery Tool Set has traditionally been used for pottery projects, but it also has unique applications for oven-bake and air dry clay. The tools are perfect for cutting, shaping, sculpting and detailing both types of clay before curing.

CLICK TO SEE POTTERY TOOLS

Glazing and Varnishing Clay Creations

In order to preserve your beautiful creations it’s a good idea to coat your clay in a glaze or varnish once it has been air dried, baked and/or decorated. Some clay’s such as cold porcelain and stone air dry clay have to be glazed to ensure it keeps out moisture and dirt. Other clay’s such as polymer don’t always need to be glazed but by adding the right type of varnish it can produce a professional finish or shine to your creation.

There are many different brands including Fimo, Sculpey, Gedeo and many others, which all offer different finishes for your clay work. Some leave a matt finish others a satin finish and others a glossy finish. Not to mention the different sizes and prices of each product. If you use the wrong type of varnish the finish may look fine to start with but could soon start to peel or become sticky later. Others may start yellowing or cause the paint or clay to react and loose the colouring.

Which Air Dry Clay?

Air dry clay is a fantastic medium to work with for anyone from young to old and beginner to professional. It is available in a huge range of consistencies and textures and is great for very detailed fine clay work, through to large clay sculptures. It is usually a water based clay that will harden when it is exposed to air. Due to the vast variations in this clay, the strengths, durability and curing processes varies considerably with each one. Here are a few of the more popular air drying products and which clay craft they are ideally suited for making. 

**********

Activa Activ-Clay is 100% natural fine grain material for finer detailed creations. It is lightweight, moist clay that can be carved, sanded, drilled and painted and is available in white or terracotta. This is suitable for children and adults and all skill levels. It is ready to use straight from the packet, is non toxic and accepts multiple finishes.  According to the manufacturer it air cures to a good strength, will not crumble, and features a low amount of shrinkage and can also be cured in a kiln.

Ideally suited for: hand building, wheel throwing, sculpting and kids clay.

Popular Oven Baked Clay

There are a huge range of oven baked clay's available and it would be almost impossible to review everyone in this post. So here are details and ideal uses for are few of the more popular heat cured clay's, to start you off.

Fimo Professional; Effects Polymer Clay is stiffer than some of the other polymer clay's and remains flexible after is has been baked in the oven. It is great for more detailed work such as cane work, miniatures, flower sculptures and doll figurines. It is also perfect for making jewellery and because of the wide range of colours and effects available it can produce some very beautiful and realistic jewellery pieces.  

Clay Work with Oven Hardening Clay

Oven hardening clay is a very versatile modelling material that is hardened by baking. This clay is a man-made material that will not dry out when exposed to air for a long period of time, but bakes at a fairly low temperature to a hard, often pliable surface that can be painted and decorated. The most popular heat-cured clay's are the polymer clay.

Polymer clay's are oil-based and therefore must be heated to cure, however, a home oven can be used and a kiln is not required. The baking process varies with each brand so it is always important to check the packaging instructions for each clay. To give you a rough idea, Fimo recommend you bake the clay at 110*C/230*F for 30 minutes. This will also depend on the size and thickness of the clay creation.

Oven Thermometers
Click for more

 It is a very good idea to purchase a oven thermometer because if the clay isn't baked properly it could burn or be brittle when cooled. This is a much quicker process than air dry clay, which usually
takes at least 24 hours to dry. Polymer clay will be plastic like, waterproof and very durable if cured properly. Polymer clay does not harden completely until it is cool so will feel soft to touch when it is taken out of the oven.

Another positive factor for oven baked clay is that it comes in a wide range of colours and effects. This is great if you don't want to paint your creations or you are making a specific creation that needs a certain surface effect such as marbling or granite. If you do want to paint the clay after it has been baked then acrylic paints are one of the best to use, although your clay creation will need to be varnished once the paints dry, in order to protect it.