EtsyMetal Blog Carnival - May 7, 2012 - Unconventional tools

This month's EtsyMetal blog carnival topic is unconventional tools! What a fun topic! 

My most unconventional tools are some of my wax working tools. In terms of being a tool made from wax work... many of them are not. But most likely, many other wax workers have similar pieces in their arsenal.

The one farthest to the left I think is some sort of embossing tool? or clay tool? I think I got a couple different ones at Hobby Lobby or Michaels many many years ago... I can't remember!

The next one over, I think you'll recognize as a pencil. :) with a needle in the end. I actually use the soft graphite end sometimes, both for waxes and for actually writing - but mostly the needle in the end. It has a tiny little crook in the end after years of constant heating. It is so perfect and probably couldn't be easily duplicated if I tried. The short little stub of a pencil is the prefect size for my hands too.

The 3rd is... a stick! With a slightly smaller needle point. I don't use it as much as the pencil. Even though the smaller needle is good for some things, just not as comfy in my hand as the little pencil.

The 4th is another of those tools I have NO idea what it was or where I got it. I have 3 different sizes - one side is kind of serrated, many little parallel grooves. I use it for doing the vine texture. The other side is a smooth convex surface - perfect for smoothing out the inside of rings.

You'll also notice a small handmade q-tip - toothpick with a tiny bit of something... tp most likely! or paper towel... If I'm casting stones in place they often get a bit of wax on them (go figure) so I like to clean them off a little after all is ready to go.

and of course, ye ol' razor blade.... which I would be lost with out. The nice marble surface I work on get cleaned off every few minutes so it is perfectly smooth. It probably isn't that unconventional, but there is no substitute for what it does.

Make sure to check out other unconventional tools from our other participants this month:

Mary Anne Karren - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/
Laney ~ http://silentgoddess.blogspot.com
Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.info/blog
2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Theresa Kwong - http://tkmetalarts.blogspot.com