This idea is just clever enough that you may want to try it in your studio, too.
I decorate a lot of hanging mosaic-type ornaments and there are many shapes I repeat in clay. I drew a page of shapes I wanted and gave it to my friend, Kim Day, who made some beautiful new 3D-printed cutters and stamps. Some were 1cm and under and it was difficult to see which shape I needed without picking up and turning over five others first. So how can I display all the cutter’s cutting edges but not be laid out taking up valuable workspace?
Bing! I had an idea; I bought tiny neodynium magnets (4mm x 2mm) and used a two-part epoxy to glue them onto the pushing side of the cutters. When they were dry I put them up on a piece of magnetized sheet metal and set up upright on a stand at my workspace. Voila! All those tiny cutters and stamps at a glance ready to use.
I’ve got room on my magnetic board to put up the rest of my teeny tiny cutters, too.
A FEW TIPS
– You don’t need to mix multiple small batches of two-part epoxy like I did and dip the magnet in it with tweezers, then apply to the cutter back. Messy. Just use a fine-tipped bottle of strong glue.
– Do your gluing on a large surface so you can space out your cutters/stamps while the glue sets. Place them far enough apart that the magnets won’t suddenly mosh into another cutter. You’ll have to redo it.
– DON’T use metal tweezers; use plastic ones or just your fingers. Even the wisest among us try to use metal tweezers in the beginning and soon learn why it’s a dumb idea.