Tools of the Trade
Day Nine: Silicone Tools
A few years ago, I spent each day in January writing about a different tool I use in my maskmaking. As I am currently redesigning my entire website in the new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit this project. Each day in January 2021, I’ll share a different item that I use in my studio. I hope some of these can help other people who are interested in making wrestling masks.
Yesterday I shared a cast iron weight I use to keep things flat while I’m gluing them. Today I thought we’d look at some other products I use while gluing, all made of silicone. The first is a silicone baking mat. I lay this over my cutting mat whenever I’m gluing things. If any glue strays off the surface of what I’m gluing, it’s easily wiped up or peeled up from the nonstick mat. (The only trick here is to remember to remove it when you want to cut something. I’ve managed to absentmindedly slash up at least three of these things! Do not mistake your gluing mat for a cutting mat!)
I was at an office supply store and saw these silicone bookcovers in the clearance section, marked down to almost nothing. I guess nobody bought them at back to school time! (I certainly wouldn’t have; can you imagine how weird your books would feel wrapped in these?) I saw another use for them though. They’re basically just thin sheets of silicone, so I cut them into a variety of sizes, and use them occasionally when I’m gluing things. Sometimes I lay them on top of the glued item before putting the cast iron weight on them, to prevent sticking. Sometimes I use them as a sort of nonstick dropcloth to mask off an area I don’t want to get glue on. They can also be used to wrap around an area where I want to use clips or clothespins to hold something in place as the glue dries.
I found a similar product in Japan at the wonderful Daiso store. These are designed to be wrapped around the top of a can or bowl to serve as a temporary lid, a sort of reusable cling film. It came in several sizes, and I use the biggest one as a quick portable work area when I need to glue somewhere other than my work bench.
Here’s another item I got on clearance. Our local college student store had this Softie Grip Grass marked way down, so I grabbed a couple. The thick, flexible cylinders accept just about anything you want to jam in there. I keep it right next to my work area, and mostly keep smaller tubes of glue in there. It’s also convenient for a small ruler, tailor’s chalk, toothpicks, pens, etc, etc, etc.