Roll out your metal clay with this Acrylic Snake Maker Moulding Plate!

This rolling device helps you to roll out an evenly shaped 'snakes' and balls of clay, which can be difficult to do with your fingers. Cleverly designed to make it easy to hold.

Here are a few guidelines to help you get the most out of your snake maker:
1. To use it you start with clay as fresh as possible (or extremely carefully reconstituted), as if the clay has started to dry, you might get cracks and end up with a broken snake/coil.
2. Use your fingers to quickly squeeze and shape your metal clay into a basic log shape. Make sure your fingers are coated with a little olive oil or badger balm to stop them from drying out the clay, and work quickly. You can keep the clay in a little cling film to stop it from drying out, but this part should not take more than about 5 seconds.
3. Now roll it a couple of times on your work surface with your fingers to round it off. Then, as soon as you got the snake started, switch to the snake maker.
4. Hold the snake maker by the curved up edges, and roll back and forth over the clay.
5. One rolled out, I brush my snake with water, and let it sit until the surface is "touchably" dry again before I use it, This helps to remove any minute cracks that otherwise can appear on the surface, and will also soften up the clay again so it is nice and ready for you to use.

MEASUREMENTS: Approx 12.5cm wide.

Top Tips:

• If you press too hard you will feel that your snake is becoming oval and then square, and eventually you can't roll it.
• If you don't apply enough pressure, your snake will not get thinner or longer quickly enough, and it will start drying out.
• Ensure you hold the snake maker straight - perpendicular with your work surface, so you get nice even snakes - or lean it to one side to create a tapered snake.
• Use quite long strokes, if you're just rolling back and forth in the same position you won't get very far!
• As your snake gets longer, ensure that the ends of it are sticking out either side of the snake maker ONLY where the edges are curved up. If you let it stick out past the un-curved edges, you will very quickly get marks and nicks in the snake, which can cause it to break when used.
• If you tilt the snake maker sliiiightly, you can make a nice tapered end on your snake.
• Never try to roll out clay which is wet on the surface. You will end up with a sticky mess, and it won't turn into a snake! The surface should be touchable before you start. If your clay is too dry, re moisten it a little and let it rest in cling film before you start, so that all the clay is moist and pliable.