Review: The Clay Punch tool
I found these neat looking hole-making tools online and mentioned them here. Linda was kind enough to send me a set to try out.
Here they are out of the package and separated:
The next time I was working with metal clay, happened to be BronzClay, some clay that had gotten a bit dried out. So I was chopping it up, getting ready to rehydrate, I didn’t have the right blade handy, so I used a wavy blade. The shapes I was getting looked pretty cool! I stopped chopping to rehydrate and started making beads!
I used the Clay Punch to make holes in the beads, trying the two smaller sizes of the three. I knew that the smallest punch would be too small in BronzClay once the clay was fired and shrank, but used it anyway, figuring it would at least be a start for when I drilled the holes out larger after firing.
The middle sized tube is a good size after shrinkage.
The tool comes with a poker-outer tool to remove the excess clay, which is pretty handy, it works well.
The challenge with tiny tools like this is keeping track of them, so it’s thoughtfully designed, the way they all go back together like this and the cork keeps them from sliding off.
Even so, I think I’ll buy a little clear plastic flip top container for them. An Altoids tin would work too, for those of you looking for an excuse to buy more chocolate mints.
I like the Clay Punch, it gets a thumbs up. There aren’t many choices for a set of hole cutters — straws are unsatisfactory — and it’s very nice to have a set of graduated, slightly sharpened tubes to work with.
I should add that the pretty-dry BronzClay I was working with was pretty stiff — BronzClay is already stiffer than the silver metal clays. And the Clay Punch cut through it just fine.
Here are the beads fired, just out of the kiln and rinsed off:
I like them, I think I’ll make them again, with the holes going the other way.
You can find the Clay Punch online here: http://www.naturescapesstudio.com
My one quibble with the tool would have been that I wished there were more sizes. Visiting her site today, and see that there are more sizes! There’s now a set of three in larger sizes and a square set, cool!
4 comments Elaine | Reviews, Sources
I still am trying to understand why I need these? I have the kemper clay tools… So why are these better?
Why are these better then straws? I use a little drill too.
@wendy — these are much smaller than the kemper clay cutters. These are for cutting tiny holes such as one that would be for an earring wire.
Straws tend to lose their roundness.
Well, just like any tool Wendy, you can probably find something else that will do some of the job. My purpose for creating this tool was that there wasn’t any plastic tubes or kemper tools that punched a really small hole that was just big enough for jump rings and no bigger. After I punch the hole and the clay dries it only takes a twist of a small round needle file to smooth the hole and/or even it up to make it ready to fire. Since I’m a production jeweler any tool that can speed up my work is a tool I want! You won’t find any kempers or plastic straws that make this small of a hole. And, as they say, the idea grew from there. I have all the kemper tools too, but this set telescopes together on it’s plunger and hangs from a hook over my bench where I can reach it quickly and I don’t have to paw through a box of kemper cutters to find just the right size. It’s a mater of convienece. In fact all three sets hang on the same hook. And as Elaine noted, they work wonderfully on bronze clay because it is much stiffer and the brass cuts cleaner than the plastic straws. Whether or not you really NEED this tool is up to you – but it sure makes my life easier!
Ahhh, now I understand! See these were the real technical answers I was looking for! Or should I way the why do I need these? The pictures are unclear so I could never see what they were!
Thank you for clearing this up!