DIY Sculpting Tools

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    www.WillowProducts.com

    Professional Sculpting Waxes for the Studio

    J oin the best sculpting and modeling forum..for pros and amateurs alike!

    www.TheTinkerage.net

    DIY SculptingTools

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    Before you go any further, read the important message below:

    1)This document is copyrighted and here is official notice:

    2009 Gary Overman

    2) However, despite the fact that is copyrighted I hereby give you

    the right to distribute it freely.. As long as you keep all the

    pages intact and do not add, change, or delete the content.

    3)Please note that the tools and techniques shown should only be

    used by trained and competent adults. I do not offer any war-

    ranty either implied or expressed.

    4)If you are under the age of 18 you MUST ask for adult help and

    supervision!

    5)Adults. You are responsible for not only your own safety, but

    that of your underage children. Use this information only in

    good faith and PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

    6)Always practice safe work habits and maintain a safe work envi-

    ronment. If you do not understand what this means, then stop

    and either ask appropriate persons for help or just stop what

    youre doing , pack-up the project and go read a good book.

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    Ive always designed and made my own tools, at least where itmade sense froma skills and cost perspective. Several artistswho have seen photos of them on our website have asked for atutorial on how they were made.

    But the old styletool that Ive used for many years required alot of time and effort and I felt that they were a little beyond theaverage artists time and cost tolerance. And of course, for myown selfish reasons, if I can build a tool that performs as well, iattractive and is quicker to complete, then I have good reason tkeep my toolbox ready with everything I need.

    Over a year ago I broke my favorite tool. I decided that I hadsuffered long enough without it. So to remake it, I decided to usmy latest design and photograph it along the way.

    Heres the basic concept:

    1) Requirement: Quick and easy handle that does not require lathe.Solution: Use pre-made wood doweling for main handle so that a lathe is not required.

    2) Requirement: Robust connection of the tool bit to the handle and a solution that does not requireextensive tooling.

    Solution: This is one of the main features of the new design. The bit is soldered into a solid copper contawelding tip. These tips can be bought in packs of 10 at around $1 each at industrial warehouses or on-liExpect to pay 2x if you get them froma welding supply store. You will need to drill the hole in the tip to bearge enough to accommodate your bit, here around 1/8.

    3) Requirement: The tool should be able to be disassembled in case repair is required.Solution: The completed bit can be removed fromthe wooden handle . And the copper can be heated toremove the steel bit should it need to be replaced or reworked.

    4) Requirement: The completed tool should be quick to make and cost should be a minimum.Solution: I completed this tool in less than 1 hour, and that includes working out a few bugs in the design

    prepping to work table with the tools required. The material cost came in at just over $2.00 USD.

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    These photos give some basic shots of forging the tip. You can find out more in books onool-smithing and black smithing. Since my tools are used on clay and wax, I dont harden

    and temper them. I find that the tool steel works just fine in a forged state. If you want toharden and then temper them and know how to do it, go right ahead... J ust be careful not tmake these tiny tips brittle. I think bendy is better than breaky. And theyre tough enoug

    - Heres a few essential items youll need to forge the steel bit: Propane Torch,Lighter, Scrap Metal Anvil, Ball Peine Hammer. Pliers.

    The tools and materials to make the handle: wood dowel, center punch,7/32 woobit, Forstner bit sized to fit rare earth magnet (optional)

    - 1/16 allen key is heat until tip glows orange, and then quickly hammer flat onend.

    - Heres what is looks like flattened. Now you can shape as you desire.

    - The sides of the flat is ground to an angle and the front is ground concave and tback convex, using a small grinder, a high speed tool, or hand files.

    - The tip is re-heated to a cherry red and then it is bent with pliers as quickly as

    possible.

    Photo 1

    Photo 2-

    Photo 3

    Photo 4

    Photo 5

    Photo 6

    Caution- Fire Hazard!- Use good ventilation as well- Hot metal can bur n your skin

    Knowledgeable Adult Supervision is a requirement. Proceed at your own risk.

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    Now for the hardest part.... Drill ing a small deep hole in copper.t may sound odd, but the most difficult part of this project ( in my humble opinion) is drillin

    the hole in the copper welding tip. I knew that copper is one of the softer metals and I justassumed drilling a 1/8" or so hole in the tip would be like serving warm butter.

    But that was before I broke 3 bits off and ruined 3 tips! I began to wonder if there was somkind of steel insert inside. Luckily I have a friend that is an expert machinist and he assureme 2 things... 1- There is no steel insert... 2- Drilling small holes in soft copper and brassrequires a little know trick.

    And for that very reason, I pass this trip on to you along with a short attempt to explain whs more difficult than one might think. Most bits have a pronounced positive rake. This

    "leading edge" on the cutting surface provides an aggressive lead and helps to pull the bitdown into the material. This cutting edge works fine on wood or even steel, but copper is sand "gummy" (compared to the other metals) and it grabs that leading edge and stops theas it hangs instead of cutting. And then you get a snapped bit.

    The solution? Use a small file, stone, or diamond tool to place a very thin angled "flat" acrothe cutting edge to reduce the rake. This doesn't really dull the bit, but changes the cutting

    angle. If it still doesn't make sense, just find a machinst and show him the pictures.The gonews is that it only takes about 5-6 strokes on each side of the bit and all of about 1minute.It's truly amazing what that little change does. Now I can place a little oil onto the dbit and remove a long chip while drilling out the hole. And the bit survives!

    While it's hard to even see the change on a 1/8" bit, I had him do it on a larger bit so I coulphotograph that little lesson in picture form.

    Theres a before and after shot of the larger demonstration bit on the next page.

    Photo 9 -Heres a full sview of the finished bi

    Photo 8 -Heres a viewof the finished bit

    3/4Photo 7 - Continue working withheat, hammer, and cold grindingor filing until youre happy.

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    Now that youve got the copper weld tip drilled, its pretty simple to sand off the allenwrenchs black oxide coating and then solder it into the newly drilled copper tip. I tried usinthe solder in a tube, but found that sweat soldering it just like plumbing to be the easiest.

    ust put some flux in the hole, stick the bit in, heat it with the torch, apply the solder and lewick into the copper till full. Its easy than it sounds. You can look up soldering copper pipe

    and find lots of details on how to learn this versatile skill.

    Item 1 Item 2 Item 3

    Item 4 Item 5 Item 6

    - Unaltered tip - Allen Wrench - Altered tip

    - Forged tip - Completed tip. - Lead-free solde

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    The business end of the handle is very simple. J ust mark the center of the 7/16wooden dowel and drill a 7/32 hole about deep in the center. The copper welding tip ha

    6mm thread and this make for a good tight fit. Its optional, but you can coat the inside ohe 7/32 hole with instant glue and spray the threads with mold release. While the glue istill wet screw the tip into place. The mold release prevents the tip from being glued intoace while the glue toughens and strengthens the wood. If you can stand a thicker handle

    ou can glue a 6mm nut into the wooden handle so that you have metal-to-metal interface.ut I find I like the thinner handle and it makes the construction much quicker. I doubt itwould add significant strength anyway... The wood would end up thinner overall.

    I drilled the end of the handle to receive a rare earth magnet and glued it flush inace. This added expense is optional, but it will let you hold 2 tools at once and switch

    etween them...as long as you watch the polarity as you glue them in. This also keeps themomrolling and banging around if you have a steel pate on your workbench and in your

    oolbox.Heres a photo of a larger tool that has a 6mm nut in the handle as I describe in 1

    bove. But overall I like the version without it better. You can see the standardversion in 4

    elow.Sand the handle and then you can stain it with commercial stain, or soak it in tea

    r coffee. Seal and finish the handle with shellac, beeswax, or tung oil for a great feel. Enjoour effort. A nice custommade tool is an everyday joy to use not to mention show off onour bench.

    See next page !

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