Favourite Tools and Products – Paste Maker

My Favourite Tools and Products  – Paste Maker

I’m often asked by my students what are my favourite tools and products with Silver Clay. And I have to be honest, sometimes it can vary – I can go through a period of time where all I use is this particular tool or product and then for some reason, I fall out of love with it. My toolbox is large, but how many things do I actually use on a day to day basis? Because, when I go to classes (and I do go to masterclasses quite often) I see my friends with brand new items, and I get jealous! Yes, there is such a thing as tool envy!

So, I am quite careful when I recommend things to my students, I don’t want them spending unnecessary cash on things that won’t last the honeymoon period!

One such product, that I LOVE is Paste Maker by Sherri Haab.

What is Paste Maker?

It is a product that you can use to mix with lump clay and make paste from, you could also use it by adding it to bone dry clay and leaving it aside to soak overnight, the dried clay will become useable paste too. All very handy., but that’s not why it’s one of my hero products.

The thing is that when you mix Paste Maker with lump and make it into a sticky smooth extra thick slurry which is fantastic for filling gaps, mending breaks and repairing deep divots. What’s also great about this product is that it enhances the bond between dried and wet clay making it very strong.

And that’s really handy – because when you are attaching really small elements like teeny tiny moulds (and if you don’t know what I am talking about – have a look at my video here) and balls and dots – then using syringe or paste clay can get messy. There’s often a need for cleanup after you join these items together and because they are so small, that can be challenging. But this just might be just down to me and my messy working method though!

I use Paste Maker in place of water when joining these teeny decorative elements to my main piece, there’s no clean up and the bond is strong! My method of working is really simple – dampen each element that needs to be joined together, then join them. When they contact – use a micro wiggle (!) to move the small element back and forward which causes a little bit of paste to form. I tend to wiggle the little element for about 5 seconds. And then you’re done, little if no clean up and your decorative elements stay put. Simples.

Paste Maker is a fantastic product and I wouldn’t be without it. It’s readily available at all metal clay places, so you should be able to get your hands on it fairly easily. A little goes a long way, so it’s economical too.

Let me know what you think of this product – have you used it? Do you agree? Let me know below in the comments…