PAC-PEN MICRO ALPHABET
Even if you're a pro with clay, taking a few minutes to read the manual can save you time and money in the long run.
Just a heads up, I can’t offer free replacements for broken stamp. But I’m here to share all my tips and tricks on how to use the tool effectively so you can get the best results and keep your stamps in top shape for a long time. These stamps won’t break if you follow my instructions.
If you could share your experience with this tool on social media, that would be amazing. I don’t advertise or push this tool in any groups because I believe the best promotion comes from people who use it and find it valuable. If you post something you’ve made with this tool, please tag me @pacpentheclaytool for a chance to be featured or earn rewards.I genuinely appreciate every piece of feedback and every share.
If you’d like to share the PAC-PEN tools with your followers, students, or workshop attendees, check out my Collaborator Program. You can sign up for exclusive rewards for both you and your community!
I hope you’re going to love the PAC-PEN micro tool and find them useful for your projects.
First, here's a video on how to use the railbox and put the letters into it the right way. Once you know how it works, you won't put the letters in the wrong order or upside down.
Clay & Stamps - The clay is never stuck in my stamps, because...
- I powder the clay and/or
- don't press the stamp too deep and/or
- put soft, sticky clay in the fridge before using a stamp (when powder is not an option).
Cleaning - Try to avoid sharp metal things like needles. If the clay gets stucked in the stamp, you can wash it out with alcohol or soapy water and interdental brushes. For new customers, here is a video, how I clean my micro cutters. The same technique works with micro stamps as well.
Storage - Avoid storing them near sharp metal objects or exposing them to direct sunlight for extended periods of time (months or years). We use our own mix of engineering resins, to make our tools flexible and strong. However, it's important to note that exposure to direct sunlight may result in a reduction in flexibility.
Mastering the Micro: Pro Tips & Tricks
Letters flow together - When working in miniature, small things can cause big trouble. For example, the space after each letter is 0.1mm, which is about the size of one and a half hairs. That’s why if your letters aren’t perfectly straight in the railbox, the imprint will seem like there’s no distance between the letters. I’m talking about a 0.1-0.2mm distance. You might not even be able to see it on the stamps in the railbox. That’s why you need to use the pin and push them together. On my sample, you can see the M and P letters on the middle line. There’s no visible distance between them because they weren’t straight in the railbox.
Deepness - The less is more in this case. You can press these stamps 1mm deep into the clay without leaving mark on it with the edges of the stamps. But I strongly recommend NOT pressing them that deep (except for mokume technique).
Look at my samples. Sample 'A' is when I didn't press the stamp deep. The deepness is approx. 0.2mm. However on sample 'B' the deepness is around 0.5mm at least.
If you take a closer look there are more problems with sample 'B':
- The letters are more out of shape.
- The surface of the clay around the word is losing its flatness.
- If you use color, every medium will go up on the side of the debossed letter, which will make the imprint less clear and untidy.
RailBox - The RailBox will keep your letters straight and in one line. In my photo, the first (top) “WORDS” was made without a box. I put the letters together and really tried to keep them in a straight line between my fingers. However, the ‘D’ is 0.1mm down compared 'R'. In real size world that’s nothing, but when your letters are only 2mm in height they’ll look untidy.
Coloring - If you are miniaturist too, surface tension affect your work too in a bad way. This is what causes liquids to
not be perfectly flat. In smaller spaces, liquids are even less flat. Just think about those poorly made dollhouse wine glasses or water bottles. For those who are not miniaturist, here is a sample.
On micro stamps, the same thing happens with ink and liquid paint.
Viscosity doesn't matter here. In this size, almost impossible to put just enough but not too much liquid on the stamp. And if you do manage to do it, the liquid will goes up on the letters' debossed wall and mess your work.
Good quality (really small grain) mica powder or professional-grade pastels are the solution.
In my photo below the 'SAMPLE' in the first line doesn't have color; for middle one I used professional ink (cheap ones even worse); and on the last one I used black mica powder. I'm sure you can see the different.
Oh, and I'd like to say here: be careful with those Fimo Effect/Premo Accents stone-like clays. They contain tiny sand-like elements, that can be challenging for your micro stamps or micro cutters. It's possible to use them together, but pay extra attension when you do.
I hope that this manual has provided valuable guidance on the use of your micro stamps.
I wish you happy claying and lots of fun while creating your masterpieces!
Best wishes,
Agnes Horvath