Comments on: Review: The Clay Punch tool

By: wendy

wendy — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:58:09 +0000

Ahhh, now I understand! See these were the real technical answers I was looking for! Or should I way the why do I need these? The pictures are unclear so I could never see what they were!
Thank you for clearing this up!

By: Linda Stiles Smith

Linda Stiles Smith — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:58:12 +0000

Well, just like any tool Wendy, you can probably find something else that will do some of the job. My purpose for creating this tool was that there wasn’t any plastic tubes or kemper tools that punched a really small hole that was just big enough for jump rings and no bigger. After I punch the hole and the clay dries it only takes a twist of a small round needle file to smooth the hole and/or even it up to make it ready to fire. Since I’m a production jeweler any tool that can speed up my work is a tool I want! You won’t find any kempers or plastic straws that make this small of a hole. And, as they say, the idea grew from there. I have all the kemper tools too, but this set telescopes together on it’s plunger and hangs from a hook over my bench where I can reach it quickly and I don’t have to paw through a box of kemper cutters to find just the right size. It’s a mater of convienece. In fact all three sets hang on the same hook. And as Elaine noted, they work wonderfully on bronze clay because it is much stiffer and the brass cuts cleaner than the plastic straws. Whether or not you really NEED this tool is up to you – but it sure makes my life easier!

By: Elaine

Elaine — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:54:56 +0000

@wendy — these are much smaller than the kemper clay cutters. These are for cutting tiny holes such as one that would be for an earring wire.

Straws tend to lose their roundness.

By: wendy

wendy — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:02:19 +0000

I still am trying to understand why I need these? I have the kemper clay tools… So why are these better?
Why are these better then straws? I use a little drill too.