If you're working at home, in a studio, or for a business, you need a clean work area set aside for Art Clay. The simplest solution is to use easy-to-clean clear acrylic work sheets, which you can pick up and move around without having to put away your work-in-progress.

In addition, you'll probably need some of the following: a teflon non-stick sheet, some non-stick paper, a clear acrylic roller, three different pairs of clear acrylic thickness guides, a clear acrylic rolling block, a black rubber work block, a black rubber work sheet, and a black acrylic finishing sheet.

NOTES

You can't buy acrylic tools or rubber blocks in the high street: we cut and finish them at Kitiki. They're cut on an industrial laser bed or a high speed saw table, so are not easy to cut or saw cleanly at home without special equipment.

You can shop at Kitiki: on line, by phone, or with a cheque, using your ticked list as a guide. Alternatively, post it with your card details or a cheque.

It's worth taking your time so that you buy the right tools. And you won't want to stop working because you don't have the one thing you need. Mail or call if you need help.

ACRYLIC WORK SHEETS

A CLEAR ADVANTAGE

At Kitiki, and during courses, we usually work on two acrylic sheets: a transparent general work sheet and a black finishing work sheet. Acrylics have a number of trade names, such as: Perspex, Setacryl, or Iridis.

The transparent sheet is useful when rolling out clay as the shape can be drawn on paper underneath as a guide. Also, you can put a photograph, coloured paper or a design underneath to personalise your work area or help with ideas and colour decisions about beads, glass, gemstones, shells, and other materials.

Don't cut or trim Art Clay on a wooden board as tiny slivers of wood may get rolled in: these will burn away during firing leaving a small hole or a fine crack. Don't use a plastic kitchen chopping board: most have a slight texture and cut marks which will press into the clay.

The black finishing sheet puts everything into high-contrast, making it easier to refine your work. Fortunately, every bit of dust notices, so it's a continual reminder to clean up.

Keep the two work sheets separate so that you don't pick up clay snippings or dust filings. Don't use the sheets to dry or fire the clay: they'll buckle or burn.

If you're working in your kitchen, it's handy to be able pick up your work on the sheets and move it, rather than clear up the kitchen table every mealtime.

The sheets included in the Kitiki Kits are 240mm x 180mm x 3mm. They can be washed in luke-warm detergent and dried naturally. Don't put them in the dish-washer: they'll distort.

New acrylic sheets have a protective film on each side. Although it may have handling marks and minor scratches, when it's peeled off the acrylic will look fine. However, peeling it off generates static electricity which attracts dust: so do it away from any surfaces.

Don't clean acrylics with domestic cleaning cloths, dusters, or kitchen roll, as they'll get covered in fibres which will be hard to blow off. Rinse them, or use lint-free cloths.

ROLLERS AND THICKNESS GUIDES

ROLL OUT THE CLAY

Art Clay can be rolled out as a strip or a sheet. The clay is rolled on a clean working sheet or teflon-coated paper, using thin acrylic strips, to set the height, and an acrylic roller. Clear acrylic makes it easier to keep a check on what you're doing, watch for cracks, and follow a pattern.

Don't roll too hard. It's better to reach the thickness you want by rolling several times. Once the thickness is consistent, the clay can be cut into any shape and the off-cuts saved.

Alternatively a strip can be rolled using an acrylic block. Clear acrylic makes it easier to keep a check on what you're doing. Again, don't try to roll it one go.

If necessary, you can add a little water with a brush and knead the clay to make it soft and malleable. Knead or roll it on teflon-coated paper.

The roller included in the Kitiki Kits is 180mm x 24mm diameter, the block is 180mm x 90mm x 6mm, and the strips are 240mm x 20mm in three thicknesses: 1.5mm, 2.0mm, and 3.0mm. They can be washed in luke-warm detergent and dried naturally. Don't put them in the dish-washer: they'll distort.

Acrylic strips are buch better than cardboard as the thickness is consistent, they won't squash as you roll the clay, and they won't swell when they get damp.

TEFLON PAPER

DON'T STICK THE CLAY ANYWHERE

Art Clay can be rolled out as a strip or a sheet. If necessary, you can add a little water with a brush and knead the clay to make it soft and malleable. To prevent it sticking, knead or roll it on teflon-coated paper.

The Kitiki teflon-coated paper, included in the Kitiki Kits, measures 160mm x 160mm. It can be washed in luke-warm detergent, rinsed, and dried naturally.

There has been a lot written about the health hazard of heating Teflon beyond 260°C. Never put it in the kiln as it will give off toxic fumes. If you use Teflon coated cookware, perhaps you should read more.

RUBBER WORK BLOCKS

SUPPORT THE WORKERS

A rubber block is the easy and safe way to work on Art Clay, dried or fired. It supports the work gently whilst you work, and doesn't mark the surface. Once you've used a rubber block, you won't want to go back to hand-holding.

Kitiki tried a number of rubber suppliers and had samples made. Although many said they could make up blocks, the end results were usually poorly laminated, unevenly cut, and expensive. The best EU quote we could get was £10.60 each if we bought a 100.

The rubber blocks we have made in Japan are solid, cleanly finished, and less expensive. They measure 50mm x 50mm x 100mm. They can be washed in luke-warm detergent and dried naturally.

RUBBER WORK SHEETS

A MATTE BLACK MAT

A rubber work sheet is the easy and safe way to work on Art Clay, dried or fired. It supports the work gently whilst you work, doesn't mark the surface and won't dull the cutting blades.

Don't use wood: a lot contain oils, and repeated cutting will release minute slivers of wood. Although these will burn away during firing, they'll leave holes which may cause cracks.

The rubber work sheets we cut at Kitiki are cleanly finished, with a matte surface. They measure 240mm x 180mm x 1.5mm. They can be washed in luke-warm detergent and dried naturally.

MINI VACUUM CLEANER

A SUCKER FOR VACUUM

Whilst trimming, filing, and sanding the dried clay, there will be tiny scraps and powder to clean up. Instead of blowing it everywhere or brushing it onto the floor, use a hand-held vacuum cleaner.

The Kitiki hand-held battery-powered mini-vac runs off 4 AA batteries. It has an extendable brush nozzle and a removable washable dust collector. It's also useful for getting the biscuit crumbs out of your keyboard.

It doesn't need a manual, but the manufacturer's sheet says: do no put sheet metal and so on in vent or it will be troubled, and do not put brush to electrical outlet or it will be leakage of electricity. So, now you know.