Art Improv... MacGyvering Tools

     I happen to be doing a lot of work in wax at the moment, in preparation for a bronze pour. In the past, I frequently found myself in situations where I just didn't  seem to have the right tool to get the job done, whether it was to attach something at an awkward angle, or to smooth or to texturize something that seemed to be inaccessible. Some situations had easy solutions and others required a bit more consideration. I thought I would share a few of the solutions that I have come up with over the years.
     My first efforts to attach one piece of wax to another involved using a thin bladed putty knife. I soon added a narrow palette knife and a butter knife to my tool kit to enable me to get into smaller spaces. A small clay tool with a curved blade allowed me to access small curved surfaces. I could also use the clay tool to scrape or smooth the wax, and I found that a slightly heated metal loop tool could be helpful in removing wax. When I had to apply heat to a small area, I found that
I could use a small metal stylus or burnisher.
     Texturizing a surface can often be an interesting challenge. Anything that is hard enough to be pressed into the wax can be utilized...a metal screw, a comb, etc.  As I mentioned in my 10/8 blog entry, I used a heated metal file to make texture on the pod bird wings.
     A recent addition to my tool kit was a simple wooden craft stick that had been shaped on either end. It is great for reaching into to small spaces for gentle smoothing. I also have utilized a piece of wire (heated) to make holes or textures. One of my favorite innovations has been to create specific shaped metal 'blades' that can be heated to use for attaching oddly shaped wax pieces or to attach wax pieces in hard to reach areas. I cut the metal shapes out of roofing flashing and hold them with a pair of vise grips. Lastly I have constructed several devices that can be used to cut circles out of a sheet of wax. I attached wooden handles to different sized metal cans, pipes, and lids, that, when heated, can be used to create either multiple openings or multiple circular shapes in consistent sizes. As simple as a cookie cutter and could certainly be done with other shapes.

palette knife, butter knife, clay tool, loop tool, stylus, burnisher, file, craft stick, wire

vise grip and assorted metal flashing shapes

tin can, aluminum pipe, light fixture base, metal pipe, tin lid