Rakes and Combs

Traditionally, rakes for marbling have teeth that are widely spaced and combs have teeth that are narrowly spaced.  For each size tray that you marble in, a new set of tools to fit needs to be constructed.  Here is an easy way to make combs and rakes for all of your marbling projects.

Need:

Plastic lengths:    These are actually corner bead for drywall, but with conveniently placed holes perfect for marbling tools! 

The corner bead is available at big box home improvement stores in the drywall aisle.  It comes in 8,’  10′ & 12′ sections. 

Hint:  bring a pair of scissors to cut the lengths to get them into your vehicle!

Picks:   These are brush hair roller plastic picks available in packs of 100 at beauty supply stores.   

Scissors:    Kitchen shears or decent scissors.  Lesser scissors have been broken!

Pliers:    Optional.  If your hand strength is not good,  the pliers will be helpful.

You want pairs of rakes to go in both directions of your tray–  horizontally and vertically. 

Rakes need some “wiggle” room to complete some marbling moves.  If not the correct length, the plastic can be trimmed with scissors.

You want a pair of combs to go in both directions of the tray, also.  Combs should fit snugly inside the tray with hardly any “wiggle” room.

Cut four pairs of the white plastic lengths–  one long and one short to fit vertically & horizontally in your marbling tray. 

Any decent pair of scissors will should cut through the plastic drywall bead fairly easily.  

Start at an end & push a pick down through the coordinating top hole next to the bend and pull out through the bottom hole.  Use  pliers if necessary to help pull the pick through the holes.

Then:

Count 5 holes and repeat the process on the 6^th hole.  Repeat all across both plastic lengths.  These are your wide rakes.

Choose a second pair of future rakes.  Repeat the process with only 3 holes between picks.  These are your medium rakes.

Choose a third pair and repeat the process with only 2 holes between picks.  You now have a small rake pair.

Select a fourth pair and repeat the process picking every hole.  These are your combs.

The last plastic length will wait for another time!

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The Rabbit Dropping Pan is the perfect size for bandanas!

Part of being an artist is looking at materials for their potential.  

 A mere stroll through Lowe’s, an antique sale or your immense stash of stuff can yield some surprising inspiration. 

My newest find is —  drum roll please—   a rabbit droppings tray!  It seemed to have the right dimensions to marble bandanas.  After testing it for waterproofness– it wasn’t–  I lined the aluminum with heavy plastic & secured with the ever-present duct tape.  It is 24″ square which is just the size for 22″  fabric bandanas!  Perfect!  

Found this in Norris, TN at an outdoor antique/junque sale. 

Duct tape couldn't save this idea!

The nice guy even rooted around & dug found another one!  Boxed & everything for $3 each. 

What a great find!  

You can see the rabbit droppings tray in action at Cliff Dwellers Gallery today Upstairs in the Open Studio where I marble.  

Another adaptation didn’t go so well.  Was trying to put wheels on a 5-gallon bucket.  Those are getting heavier & heavier to lift when they are filled with water & marbled scarves. 

Could it be age?  Could it be back problems raising their ugly & painful heads?  Whatever! 

The magic duct tape, masking tape & heavy twine combo didn’t do the job this time.  Back to the drawing board. 

I had an epiphany in Lowe's!

If you’ve seen my marbling demonstration or have taken a class from me, you are familiar with the last modification.  

When facing my first class of 14 adults at Arrowmont many years ago, I realized that I didn’t have tools for that many people.  In the middle of Lowe’s I had an epiphany!  

While looking for something that I could adapt, there in the drywall aisle were 10 & 12′ sections of marbling tools! 

Of course, Lowe’s referred to them as drywall bead, but I knew better! 

Plastic, waterproof, inexpensive, can be cut with scissors– perfect!  When I teach, everyone makes a set of tools in a short time to keep as their own.  Students are more likely to continue marbling if they have the tools.  I’ll let you guess what the pins are.  Any takers? 

 Am now searching for a display for my nook at Carousel Gardens that will display my marbled scarves to advantage in a clever & artistic way.  Any suggestions? 

   Market Square had the most people I’ve ever seen for an event.  Which is great, except when you are by yourself & it’s time to tear down the display.  Another artist right across the walkway from me was a glaring example of having his framed photography stolen while he was packing up at a different show.  Major ouch!  There were prom dates, yuppie enclaves, weekend dress-ups & the usual personalities that populate the Square. 

   So I zeroed in on two older couples who looked safe to watch my booth while I retrieved the ancient van.  What I didn’t notice was they were deaf!  The one gentleman thought I was wanting his chair back!  All my limited sign language skills were nowhere to be rallied!  A very huge biker-dude with a doorag (who I must admit was not one of the safe people I was scouting) did come to my rescue.  He was the hearing one of the group & let everyone know what I was asking!   They were super nice & guarded my stuff  while I got my van.  Many thanks & “I love You” signs in sign language–  I did remember THAT at least!

   Would have liked to rally some of these young, fit males to grab a box & carry it to the van to do their good deed of the day.  But had the idea, their minds were on other good deeds that involved a considerably younger female that night.  Anyway, the mental scenarios kept the packing up from being boring.

   So the second half of the show was impossible to drive up on the sidewalk due to the throngs of people.  The rusting dolly was employed on half a dozen trips or so & I was loaded.  By 10:19 pm I was pulling into my driveway.  I’m tired, I am, I am.  Maybe Enery the 8th was that personality I was searching for!  Get that recurring tune in your head now! LOL!

    Besides, it was only for one day.  Rained all day Thursday (not a good sign at all!)   Had to work at Cliff Dwellers Gallery on Friday.  So I loaded the ancient gray mare of a van after work on Friday–  a lovely time to begin.  Hoping I remembered most everything, I began the trek to K-town at 7:15 AM Saturday.  Luckily, got to drive onto the sidewalk & unload right next to the tent.  No one in their right mind was stirring at that hour.

   Was reasonably set up by opening at 10 am.  I was clever enough not to have brought the entire marbling show, display & kitchen sink routine  — although I really could have used that kitchen sink since there was not a water source in sight.  Oh, well–  adapt, adapt.

     Marbling demonstrations were wonderfully & enthusiastically received by lots & lots of interested festival-goers.  Was my usual charming & witty self spreading the magic of marbling.  A few nice people were even nice enough to actually purchase some marbled product!  Bless them!

    My favorite comment from  a 7 or 8 year-old girl:   in my audience participation part of the demo,  I asked her what her favorite color was    & she piped up without a moment’s hesitation, “magenta!”  Now that’s a cool kid!

    That’s all for my first official blog post.   I know, I know, I need pictures, but more later!  

    The weather gods were smiling– the day was absolutely perfect!

I know this sounds like lunch, but the potato dextrin was a surface design resist on silk & cotton I’ve been wanting to try. 

We’ll give it overnight & see how it looks in the morning when thickened paint is applied over it.  —Pat