Chris Henley on sat 26 apr 03
Hi every one, My name is Chris and I'm addicted to tool making!
I got this major Jones from our very own mel...one workshop is all it took.
It was subtle...incidious...Here, Chris. Jsut take this popcicle stick,poke
a little hole in the end, and put this little thread though the hole....and
so it started!
As an obsessed tool maker I want to encourage all clay folk who have not
ventured into this area to take the plunge. The satisfation you'll get from
crafting your own tools is only one reward. The adventure in learning new
materials and the techniques for working with them will have a great payoff
in your claywork.
If you take the "make-em-from-found-objects" approach it will force you to
think about the pots you want make and the comnection to the
everyday "tools" we use. Forks, spoons,and the like will take on a whole
new meaning for you. You really have to get out of the Kemper box and LOOK!
Looking is good!Look at everything and evaluate it as a potential tool.
Even if you presently can't tell what part of the hammer to hit the nail
with, take heart! You CAN learn. You can make a fantastic range of tools
for your claywork using simple hand tools readily available at reasonable
prices at any hardware or home supply store. If you don't know what tool is
good for what, ASK! People that know will help you.
Materials for making your own tools are EVERYWHERE! Scrap wood and metal
abound in this disposable society we live in. For example, mechanical
steetsweepers: every time they sweep they throw off some of the
metal "bristles"from their brushes. Walk along the swept portion of the
road/street and you can find a handful. Though thin, they are springy and
tough, and great for fashioning trimming tools, probes, scoring tools, and
so on. Don't forget the metal inserts from discarded wiper blades!
Comb the archives for tool making tips from Vince Pitelka...he also writes
a great column in Clay Times...has a terrific chapter on tool making in his
book Clay, A studio Handbook (American Ceramic Society).
Check out posts from David Hendley, the Guru of "make-the-tools-you-use-to-
make-your-tools-you-use-to-make-your-pots"!
Make your own clay tools and you'll never go back!
Chris Henley
In Balmy Encinitas....heading out to check the scrap box at the local
cabinet shop.
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