Clay Tools, Work Area's and Equipment!

[llamalu]

I have a helpful hint about keeping everything clean. 

I took a plastic container with a tight snap on lid, filled it about half way up with alcohol.  Then I take paper towels, the cheaper the better, plain white, they give off less lint than the name brands. 

I tear them in half so I get a jagged edge making it easy to split the layers into single layers, (double layers were too stiff), then fold them one at a time layering them in the container.  For me, these "wipes" are better than any commercial wipe I've tried, and I can keep my desk, tools, and hands clean while working with polymer.

great tip-i will be making my container tomorrow!

[kpajutee]

It's true a pasta machine helps cut down the time it takes to condition & mix polymer clay - but you can work without purchasing one.  I have yet to purchase a pasta machine and do it the old fashioned way by rolling out "snakes/coils" of the packaged blocks (first I slice pieces off the block and begin to roll).  I will roll until the coils are about 1/4 inch in thickness or smaller.  If I am mixing several colors of clay together (i.e., flesh & white) - I will roll out these "snakes/coils" of clay and twist them together by continuing to roll the twisted pieces together into a mixed colored coil.  I will keep rolling, twisting, rolling the clay until it is consistently mixed.  I will set this aside (zipped in a baggy) to keep the dust off, until I use it.

I make up big batches at a time - using 1lb bricks of FIMO Classic & Puppen FIMO.  It works great (for me), however, my hands are pretty sore by the end of the day of rolling.  It's nice to have the clay ready & conditioned before I start on a sculpture and that is why I make up large batches at a time.  It also helps when I want to leach out the clay to make it firmer to sculpt with.

You want to be careful not to place your raw polymer clay on plastic (or rubber) as it will eventually "eat through". 

[Aila]

Wonderful, thank you!  This shows how new I am to this.  When I helped dad with his train pike, we never used clay for anything.  It was epoxy all the way around.  I gawk at the pasta machine in Michael's every time I go to pick up some clay.  Somehow I had gotten "rollers on a machine = rubber" stuck in my head.

Doh!

Thanks again!

[bridget h]

Pasta machines are made of metal.  "Some" people actually use them for food, go figure.   :o   Rubber wouldn't be suitable for food or for polymer clay.  (I'm not sure but what the clay wouldn't eat into rubber?)  Anyway, metal rollers provide a constant pressure, while rubber would have too much flexibility.  So alcohol is the best cleaning choice to get off the black grease and gunk accumulations here. 

Definitely you should look into getting your own machine.  You'll wonder what you ever did without one!

Bridget

[Aila]

You can clean your pasta machine rollers with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a rag or paper towel to get the black gunk off.  Just make sure you use it in a well ventilated area and dry the rollers before you begin work. 

...

Pasta machine rollers, are they made of a rubber or rubber-ish material?  I had worked a while ago with a printer called a RISO machine, which used rubber rollers (printed with soy ink for raised thermographic printing).  Well, the soy ink got everywhere all over the rollers and when I cleaned them with rubbing alcohol, the RISO maintenance guy flipped out on me, saying that rubbing alcohol actually eats away (albeit, slowly) at the rubber rollers.  Kachookie, have you had any problems with disintegrating rubber or misshapen rollers?  Ever since I got "flipped out" on, I've been paranoid to clean any sort of rubber material with rubbing alcohol.  The RISO guy, by the way, said that regular mildly soapy water worked just as well as alcohol.  I'm clueless.  Rubbing alcohol is just so much easier to use.

I still, of course, have yet to invest in a pasta machine...

[bridget h]

When I have a brain, that's what it's called at my house too!   ;D

Thanks for the correction; butcher paper doesn't necessarily have a plastic backing and wouldn't be as effective.  Freezer paper is much sturdier.

Bridget

[minimarcia]

thanks Bridget,

It may also be called "Freezer Paper" in some areas.

[bridget h]

Reynolds butcher paper comes in a roll and is good for a temporary clean surface.  It also keeps paint etc off the work table.  The paper is plastic on one side so it won't soak through.  Just tear off a length and tape it down, then when you're done throw it away!

Bridget

[mostlyart]

I have a helpful hint about keeping everything clean. 

I took a plastic container with a tight snap on lid, filled it about half way up with alcohol.  Then I take paper towels, the cheaper the better, plain white, they give off less lint than the name brands. 

I tear them in half so I get a jagged edge making it easy to split the layers into single layers, (double layers were too stiff), then fold them one at a time layering them in the container.  For me, these "wipes" are better than any commercial wipe I've tried, and I can keep my desk, tools, and hands clean while working with polymer.

[sassyminidolls]

I have two lights on my work table.  A Tensor and then my Ott-Lite (which I love)!

I use the Ott-Lite and my magnifying class for real close up work like painting!  Amazing how much I wasn't seeing before, YIKEES!

Marsha

[chrissy]

I have a lot of dust in my house too, I got sick of blowing it off myself all the time, so I just got a fan. Give it a try! 

I have a Ottolite (I think that's what its name is) lamp in my work room, but I might try some clip on lamps too. The Ottolite is a floor lamp, so I can't move it around all the time, but I must say that it puts out great lighting if you are working right under it.

[tid]

DH bought me a halogen lamp for christmas...trouble is, you touch the base to adjust the brightness...great idea....unless you've got curious cats who keep patting it to make the light go on and off.... :

Tina

[kachookie]

Chrissy that's a great idea!  We have so much dust in our house that I can have my clay out for 2 seconds and there's something in it...I'll have to try a fan.

Light is important too - I got a few clip on halogen lights from Office Depot that were only about $9 each.  I can clip them to my desk whenever I work at night or need extra light.  I think Target has them too.

[chrissy]

Oh geez how I hate those darn black streaks!! You know when you forget to clean your rollers and run some white clay through!!  >:(

I have found that by keeping a small desk fan on in my work room while I am working helps keep dust and lint out of my clay and just blows it away before it has the chance to get in my clay and make me mad! Even if it is cold, just keep it on low and pointed away from you, it really does help. I just got a cheapo min fan at Wal-Mart for like $5.

[kachookie]

You can clean your pasta machine rollers with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a rag or paper towel to get the black gunk off.  Just make sure you use it in a well ventilated area and dry the rollers before you begin work. 

There are directions on the web on how to take your pasta machine apart to clean it....my advice is don't do it....it took me all night to get it back together.  Next time I'll just buy a new one. 

I've been using my Pasta Queen for the past 7 years - just cleaning the rollers and under the rollers as I go (just that one incident where I took it apart).   I haven't had any problems with it. 

[tid]

Julie (Bellabelle) gave me a crackng tip for getting your hands clean before you start. Mix a bit of oil with a pinch of sugar and use it as a hand scrub. It really does get them super clean!

Tina

[sj]

DO keep your work areas for clay clean and dry -  wipe down as a normal washing up - but I always use baby wipes or a flash cloth or hand wipes- or kitchen towel and spray -   to go over the work area again to get rid of anything the eye cant see.  Saves any tears later belevie me.. ;)

Wash your tools of regularly - saves clays mixing in with each other...in the tiny edges you dont know what gets stuck there...before using for a new clay get a white tissue lightly dampened and gently wipe off..you will be surprised... at what the eye CANT see!!