Making Sculpture Tools

[molemansd7]

Hey everybody,
I've been looking around online a lot to find places that sell a good variety of modeling tools, but haven't been able to find any that sell everything I'm looking for cheaply enough. So, I started looking around on how to make your own tools, and came across this site, which seems to have a lot of good info including wire widths, lengths, types and where to buy them. Hopefully this will save you all some time and money.

http://www.claysculptors.com/wires.htm

-mole

[Twitch.]

Cool thread moleman,

as far as my offer on the subject I have this link http://www.danperezstudios.com/works...king_tools.htm I dont know if it'll save you money because there are a lot of tools involved (including a hammer dremel rotary tool and small anvil.) but there are some good Ideas here.

[molemansd7]

That's a good one too. I saw that one earlier, but yeah, he does have a lot of extra equipment, but his methods seem good...you could probably substitute the anvil for just a metal pipe or something.

Any of you sculpting vets have any input on how to create your own tools?

[GDragon]

Making your own sculpting tools is very satisfying but also remember to keep an eye out for tools made for other purposes. These are some of my favorite "found" tools.

In the "Make Up" or "Beauty" section of a department store:
Cutical pushers/cutters - These come in wood, plastic, metal and rubber tipped. They work very well as clay shapers and detailers.
Files and Emory boards - These come in paper board, metal and foam blocks. I use them to sand cured polymer clay and to clean seam lines on resin casts.
Blackhead remover - This is a sturdy metal tool that looks like a small loop tool. It can be used as a loop tool or ridges can be carved into the loops (with a Dremel tool) to make small rakes.

In the "Dental Care" section of a department store:
Tooth picks and plaque scrapers - The metal ones are the best. Of course, any dental tool makes a great sculpting tool.
Gum stimulators - The ones with the rubber tips are best. These are nice clay shapers for small detail areas.

[RSchrader]

mole,

I have been dying to start a thread on tools and tool making!

I took a cue from PERFECT TOUCH and started making my own. Heres a photo:

[RSchrader]

I also forgot to mention that the spatula tool at the top was made using the teachings of Dan Perez. I can explain or demonstrate any of the methods or materials I used in making any of theses tools if you would like.

Here are some of the larger tools I made with music wire and brass tubing. The fourth and fifth ones from the top are compliments of Smellybugs texturing tool from his awesome tutorial. Notice in the second photo that I solder rather than crimp. I did not have any luck crimping. The wires always came out or twisted eventually.

Ray

[Twitch.]

nice..
I feel stupid now that I hadn't thought of puting a bit in a vice and twisting em that way..
making new tools now.
thanks a lot man =)

[Smoo]

thank you for that useful thread! i wanted to buy such tools a few days ago but it was too expensive, now i can make it myself

[RSchrader]

Moleman Great idea with the nails! Just remember that any wire larger than .020 and your not going to be able to twist it very well if at all! I use the pliers you see in photo K for bending the larger wire. You can buy these for about $6.00 at a bead store. (a store that sells stuff for making your own jewelry, here they are called Friendze's. They have them at Michaels and Hobby Lobby as well)

Your getting way ahead of me! I can't take photos fast enough to keep up! But that's OK! LOL!! When you solder, if you plan on using both ends, there is a special trick I learned when trying to solder both ends of the brass tubing! The first end solders just fine.................... but the second is a nightmare if you don't drill a tiny little hole in the brass tubing about 3/8 of an inch behind the second unsoldered end before you try and solder it! The reason for this is to allow the hot gasses to escape, otherwise, it will build up in the tube and blow the dam of solder out onto your leg or worse your face! Wear eye protection!

Twitch Don't feel that way! That's why we have forums like this so we can all learn new things!

Smoo Your welcome. Stay tuned. There's more to come.

Ray

(I'm having major trouble logging on!!)

[RSchrader]

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET THAT STUPID GREEN IM CRAP OFF OR OUT FROM UNDER MY AVITAR!!!!!!!!!

[RSchrader]

Next.
The tools in photo M are made with simple embroidery needles, photo N, that I found in the craft department at Wally World. Make sure the curved needle is what they call “Half Curved”. These tools are awesome for creating fur or hair as well as many other tasks.

The tools in photo O were made from .020 K & S music wire that I just bent to shape with the pliers I mentioned in photo K.

The tool in photo P was made using .020 K & S music wire as well. I attached the wire to the handle with super glue at first. Then I wrapped it with carbon fiber tow that I just had laying around. I did this by first tacking one end the tow to the tool with super glue. Next, I wound the tow tightly. When done, I saturated the wrap with thin super glue. This would have been sufficient, but I dabbed it with some epoxy just to make it look good. This procedure can easily be done with sewing thread!

Ray

[obamaa5493]

nice..
I feel stupid now that I hadn't thought of puting a bit in a vice and twisting em that way..
making new tools now.
thanks a lot man =)

thank you for that useful thread! i wanted to buy such tools a few days ago but it was too expensive, now i can make it myself

[Snakeman]

lets vote to make this thread sticky!!!! Sticky please!!

[Twitch.]

How do we do that
I think it's a wonderful Idea.

there are a lot of good things here
STICKY!!! STICKY!!!

[RSchrader]

Ok, on to the brass handled tools.

In Photo 1 I show a tool I have already made and a length of new 5/32 brass tubing that you can buy at any of the chain art supply stores or at local hobby shops. In Photo 2 I measure and mark the brass tube with a pencil to 5 inches. In Photo 3 I am demonstrating one of many methods to cut the brass tubing if you don’t have a Dremel tool. With this method, just use an Xacto knife blade, push fairly hard and roll the tubing on a flat surface. This tends to dull the blade but is very effective.

[RSchrader]

In Photos 4 and 5 I am bending .032 K&S music wire with a pair of pliers. In Photo 6 I measure the length that I want the wire to protrude from the end of the tool. In Photo 7 I have bent the lower sections and cut the wire.

[RSchrader]

In Photo 8 I have placed the wire into the end of the brass tubing. In Photo 9 I am using an (old) crimping tool to crimp the brass tubing onto the wire. In Photo 10 The tubing is now crimped on the wire.

This is an easy and fast method of attaching the wire to the tubing but it is somewhat flimsy. The wire tends to twist after some use and I was constantly re-crimping. This bothered me, but it may be OK for other folks. Crimp tools can also be purchased at most chain art supplies or bead and hobby shops. Even an electrical crimp tool from Home Depot would work on brass.

My next posting, I will show how to solder the wire to the brass tubing!

[Randall]

Very good thread,
I have a selection of store bought tools, including a set of stainless-steel modelling tools.

Most of what I use on my clay are all wood, and these are usually pretty cheap to just buy, but I like to make a few of my own mostly with ridges or "teeth" on the flat bladed ends, so I just band saw and then shape a piece of hard maple at work on the wide belt sander or spindle sander to what I want, and then cut V grooves with a triangular file.

I paste wax the wood after they are sanded smooth and done, you'd be amazed how abrasive water based clay can be even though it feels smooth, it rapidly wears the edges off even stainless steel.

[Snakeman]

sweetness thanks for the info, keep it coming just went out to get some more brass tubing; working on a couple custom tools now as well! thanks again!

[molemansd7]

Wow... it made it sticky. I feel as if I've become somehow immortalized.

Anyway, I stopped by the Dentist's office today to pickup whatever they had for me, and they gave me five tools, free of charge!!!

Pretty good find. Check around your area too. I'm thinking I may call a few more and see what they got.

[RSchrader]

MoleyMan
I'm jealous! I like that gold handled one! Is it flexible or rigid?

Ray

[molemansd7]

The smaller end (right side of the pic) is rigid, but the other, wider end is rather flexible.

[Twitch.]

I made a couple tools today.
I do a lot of stuff on impulse so I just kind of decided I'd make em at 3 in the morning... I didnt have dowels or nice stuff like that lol
so here's how I did it..
economical.. effective. good enough for me =)

[Twitch.]

I just got a brilliant Idea..

I didnt wanna find my camera..
so I scanned the tools themselves =)

[DanPerezStudios]

You can make reallly fine wire loops by buying a stiff wire brush (the kind with steel bristles). Take a pair of pliers and pull one of the bundles of bristles out of its socket. I then shape a loop with a single bristle and mount it in a brass tube usng a crimper as shown above.

[RSchrader]

Way to go Twitch and Dan!!!

That's the kind of critical and resourceful thinking of a creative artistic mind that I like to see!

Per Dan's website, I was eying some old toothbrushes I have here in the studio......................they could make great handle material.

Ray

[Twitch.]

Rschader
I have a question!!!



what is the use of the tool that's just a straight needle.. and the one shaped like a hook. they seem to me like they would be really harsh on your sculpture. especially the hook one.
so yea =)
answer my question?

[molemansd7]

I know the needle one could be used to put details onto the model. Meaning, you can make a little piece of clay to be a tongue, and insert it in the tiny mouth of a character using the needle point. It lets you into the tiny places your fingers can't go. Or, you can poke tiny holes in things to give texture to them.

The hook one I'm not positive about, but could be used for the same thing, just allowing you into areas a straight one can't. I'll wait to see what RS has to say about it.

[RSchrader]

Twitch

Both the straight and curved needle tool have so many use’s that I could not possibly list them all. Fine detail work, texturing of all kinds, wrinkles.......etc,.

Remember this.................your assuming that the needle point is the only working aspect of this tool and that it would be used straight on! You never have to employ any tool in a preconceived manner! Look at it and visualize it’s possibilities!

When I made these tools I was searching for an easy way to create fur or hair texture. I paint as well as sculpt. When I paint fur, I use fine pointy brushes and apply each hair stroke one at a time. I needed a sculpting tool that would allow me to do this in clay.

A 1 Here are the tools in question with a clump of SS Firm.

Hair or fur if done properly, starts wide and tapers to a point!

A 2 If you lay the straight needle tool perpendicular to the clay and drag it backwards and up, you get a nice tapered trough. Combine this with several more troughs of varying lengths and directions, and you get something resembling hair or fur. This process can go VERY fast!

A 3 When the angle is not right for the straight needle tool, use the curved one! Again, dragging the tip backwards and up. I probably use the curved tool way more than the straight. It’s angle to the clay is much more anatomical for my hand position while sculpting. Once you have your fur texture the way you want it, drag out the turpenoid and clean it up!

A 4 Here is an Owl face I was commissioned to do that was to be many resin cast and painted Owl broaches for some Owl activists. The feather texture was created using the needle tools.

[molemansd7]

Okay, so I saw something in the sketchbook threads about attaching images to posts for archiving purposes. So, I went through and attached pics to my posts, but it makes it look really chaotic. Do you all have a preference on how they're displayed? What are the advantages to attaching vs. using img tags if you have your pics hosted on imageshack or something? Should I change it back?