I chose to include two of my favorite items as I couldn't narrow it down to just one.
The first one is my third hand. This nifty little gadget was purchased from Harbor Freight, which is a one of my favorite places to find tools I didn't know I needed! If you have a Harbor Freight near you, I highly recommended stopping in some day. If you don't, they also have a web presence. Third hands are also available from jewelry supply stores and hardware stores.
The third hand consists of two arms with clips and a magnify glass. All three are adjustable into many different positions as well as being able to swivel. It's almost like having a little robot at my service.
This photo shows the third arm holding a wet paper bead level so that the sealer I'd just used wouldn't form a drip as it dried. By using the magnifying glass, I am also able see defects and problem areas that I can't be seen with the naked eye.
I've also used it to hold wire wrapping when I've needed both of my hands to work on a difficult section (the magnifying glass comes in handy here too) and to hold leaves by their stems while they dry from being sealed.
Shown in this photo is a piece of leather cord being straightened with help from the third hand. I clamped one end on the third arm and inserted the other end into a vise. It was left overnight and was perfectly straight the next morning. I usually iron cord to straighten it, but this method is a lot less effort.
Glossy Accents is the other product I decided to review for this blog article. This is actually a scrap booking/paper crafts product that I bought on a whim, but it has turned out to be perfect for many of my needs. I think of it as instant resin in a bottle. With it's fine tipped applicator that gets into tight spots and it's quick drying time of 15 minutes, this stuff is terrific for touching up resin projects.
For example, this 3-D resin piece has a row of ivory colored flowers along the bottom of the pendant. While they had several coatings of resin, because of the highs and lows of the flowers, there were areas where the resin was very thin. I wanted people to be able to feel the ridges and recesses of the flowers, but I did not want the thin coating of the resin to wear through. Glossy Accents was the perfect product to fill in those ridges and recesses while still leaving the 3-D effect.
Because it holds it's shape and doesn't spread out, Glossy Accents can also be used to create "dew drops" or "rain drops" or even "tears". It also works as a glue or adhesive when needed. It drys hard, clear and glossy and at $6 - $8 per two ounces, it is also a bargain. It's been three years since I purchased my bottle and there is still 1/3 left. I didn't set out to test it, but it turns out it also has a long shelf life! I love this stuff!
To read what other participants in this month's blog carnival have to say about product reviews, please click on the links below:
Cat's Wire
The part about the Glossy Accents is interesting, if I still did polymer clay I'm sure there would be a use for it.
ReplyDeleteI never heard about a third hand before, but that looks really cool. How often have I thought how nice it would be to have tentacles like an octopus to be able to hold everything! :-D
Cat, I didn't realize how much I'd use the third hand until I had it. If you get a chance, get yourself one. You'll love it!
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