Cold Wax Sculpting Tools
Cold tools allow you to cut, carve, and file the wax. Common sculpting techniques will require you to scribe a line, scrape or smooth a surface, so it’s nice to have a few tools that do these jobs well.
Dental tools are really handy because they offer a wide variety of potential carving tips. They can be found for relatively cheap online or asking your dentist if they have any old tools they are going to get rid of (they will have been autoclaved to destroy any gross stuff, don’t worry).
A probing tool makes easy work of scribing lines, which is handy for planning areas where you’ll be scraping or cutting.
A flat bladed tool, like a small flathead screwdriver, is perfect for scraping away material to flatten a surface or to dig down into it creating a recess.
A flat, smooth spoon type of a tool is great for smoothing out a surface (burnishing) to create a glossy shine also.
These are just a few of the basics – use your imagination and try things out!
Wax Sculpting Tools
The following are just a few of our favorite sculpting tools. Experiment and find the ones you love to work with!
Detailing tools
Scribes – Great for etching fine details, scoring lines for deeper carving, and adding texture
Square edge/corner – Great for carving hard corner edges and low profile ledges like where clothing overlaps one another. The advantage of a broad, dull carving tip is that it’s less likely to gouge your wax.
Ball stylus (various sizes) – Typically used in clay sculpting, fine ball stylus tools can be a great carving implement that is less likely to gouge your wax. Works best with softer wax.
Knives
Knives are great for quick rough sculpting. An Xacto blade is a must have in any wax carving set. They’re also good for scoring carving lines. These lines act as guides for smaller carving tools and can prevent them from slipping and gouging your wax.
Burnishers
Burnishers are dull-tip tools used to smooth out rough sections of your wax. After roughing in large details, burnishers can be used to refine the form and prepare the surface for finer details. Ball stylus tools can be used as burnishers as well.
Files
Files can be used as various stages of your sculpt. Heavy grain files and sandpapers can be used when roughing in forms. Use mid to fine grains to polish up surfaces before applying final details.
Shopping List
Most of these tools can be found at your local art supply store, if not, they’re only a click away online. Or fashion them yourself from objects around your house, like a loose nail, push pin, or metal chop stick.
Links may be out of date, but should give you a sense of what to look for.
Carving
12 Piece Stainless Steel Wax Carvers Set – Good for any clay sculpting and hard wax work
Wolf’s Precision Wax Carvers (#2 Kerf Loss preferred)
Wire Loop Tools – Good for Monster Clay sculpting and burnishing hard wax
Silicone Clay Shapers – Best for Super Sculpey and epoxy clays. Look for various sizes and firmnesses. Get firmer tips for harder clay like Monster Clay.
Ball Stylus Tools
10 Piece Ball Stylus Tools – Good for any clay sculpting and burnishing hard wax
Ribbon Tools
Burnisher - For smoothing hard wax
Clay Cutting Blades & Roller Set