[jillsy]

Anyone ever work with polymer clay?

I've got some gouges & baldes that were supposed to fit in interchangeable handles. Athough the blades fit fine, the gouges were all too big to fit the handles. Instead of sending them back to the company (honestly, I was in the middle of a project & had no patience to stop!) I made my own handles from polymer clay. Best part is they are totally unique to my own hand.

I stuck the gouge into the clay and held it just like I would if I were using it. This shaped the clay around my thumb and fingers. Heated it up, let it cool and who-la! My own personalized handles! Since they fit my hand perfectly, they're also very comfortable and form-fitting.

My husband was afraid they wouldnt be strong enough to resist the wood, but so far, the gouges are in there good and tight. The clay's hard as a rock.

Necessity is the mother of invention!

[Sue in Eureka]

Jill that is a great solution for your dilemna. You are on top of your game girl. I have never worked with clay of any description.
Sue

[Kenny_S]

Depending on how high of heat and how long you had them in the heat, you . May have taken the tempra out of the blades/gouges.

[jillsy]

In the oven about 20 minutes, 325 degrees. I actually prefer using knives to gouges, so I knew I wouldn't be using them too often. This is why I decided to just go ahead with it.

If I used gouges alot and for big jobs, I would have gotten myself some of the gouges with the big palm handles. Maybe next Christmas!

[jillsy]

Kenny, what's tempra by the way? I should know for the future!

So far the gouges are working well so I dont think I damaged them in any way.

[Sue in Eureka]

Jill of course your post are always helpful to me but now I have yet another question. Probably a stupid one.

Are the gouges really necessary that much or is just using the knives ok? I'm so confused about what I need to purchase. It seems in almost all of the projects each one takes a different gouge. Arrrrgh! Knit one purl two, knit one purl two.
Sue

[jillsy]

Sue, I find that almost anything I need to cut I can do with knives, and prefer them. But, gouges do seem to make cleaner cuts when trying to do decorative things (like beards for Santas). I haven't had much experience with gouges, just got my first ones for Christmas. I'm sure I'll get better with them and learn to like them more with practice.

I've been told by one man at my wood carvers club (who has been carving for about 60 years) that "A good knife is all you need."

[AlArchie]

Jill, thats TEMPER, not TEMPRA. Generally speaking, there are three heat treatments of tool steel.

1. Annealing, which is making the metal softer and easier to work with. (bend or machine)

2. Hardening, which brings the steel back
to it's desired "edge holding ability".

3. TEMPERING tends to remove most of
the brittle qualities of the steel that
was imparted during the hardening
process. (springiness or flexibility)

Each of these three processes requires heating the steel to a specific temperature and then controlling the speed and at which it is cooled.

These can become quite involved but that should help you understand the terms a little better.

Al

[Sue in Eureka]

Thanks Jill;
I think I'll go ahead and order that starter set you saw and the strop. I have to have that strop!
Sue (Once again...thanks)

[artolver]

Jill, Us old guys love our Knives, When I decided ( after a sale or two) that I was any good, I was such a purist. Then one day a lady showed me a gouge Thats ok I'm thinking I'm still pure and on and on. Now I have so much carving tools ..... I don't even now.
I made a handle with sculpy and it worked fine.
When you need a mallet though, the sculpydoesn't hold up too long.
art