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Old 2020-12-09, 1:51pm
Robin Passovoy Robin Passovoy is offline
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Join Date: Dec 31, 2009
Posts: 504
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Well, I don't have any really handmade tools other than the punties I cut from a welding rod. It's actually easier to get inexpensive tools meant for other purposes. Some of my favorites are Revlon eyebrow tweezers, because they're sturdy but come to a very fine point. Scissors meant for bonsai are just about identical to official glass shears, and cost way less. For detailing, I've got a bunch of "veining tools" that is to say, needle-sharp straight picks used for doing fine details on fondant cake decorations. Certain surgical tools are great for that, too, and I got two sets of stainless steel wax-sculpting tools from American Science and Surplus for cheap. If you're feeling adventurous, you can experiment with cheap glass, too--bottle glass, which is everywhere, and any pet store or craft store will have bags and bags of those aquarium gems, which are even softer than 104 and come in a lot of interesting colors. Leather-stamping tools can imprint glass as well, and one of my favorite tools is an antique bronze-bladed table knife. Woodworking tools like files and rasps can be used for texturing, teaspoons can hold small amounts of frit, and I keep my rods in old coffee tins. The list is endless!
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