The star guide marks a hanging hole's centre at a set distance from the clay edge. Separate pins and hollow punches make the hole in raw clay. For kits that call for drilling, use your own drill bit after baking.
Seven punches and pins with the star marking guide
Your download
What is included
Download this set separately from your build kit. 3D print only the guide and hole-making tools your kit needs.
Five hollow punches
2.0, 2.4, 2.8, 3.2 and 4.2 mm tips. A hollow punch cuts out a round plug of raw clay. The opening widens above the tip so the plug can pass out through the handle.
Two solid piercing pins
1.6 and 1.8 mm pins for the small raw-clay holes specified by your kit. They push clay aside instead of cutting out a plug, so you may need to smooth the raised rim before baking.
Star hole-position guide
Each of its eight arms, called tongues, has a lip underneath that catches a clay edge and a hole for a needle. The number gives the distance from that edge to the hole centre, not the finished hole diameter. For example, 4.0 marks a centre 4 mm from the edge.
Instructions and maker licence
The free ZIP contains all eight STL files, README.txt, an illustrated 3D print-Guide.pdf and Licence.pdf. You may sell finished clay pieces made with the tools; read the licence for the file and 3D-printed-tool terms.
Mark, punch or drill
How to use the set
1. Choose the tongue and hole method
Find your kit and size in the tongue table below. Your kit guide gives the finished hole diameter, when to mark during assembly, and whether to punch raw clay or drill after baking. Keep the raw piece on a flat tile.
2. Seat and centre the guide
Hold the numbered face upwards so the lip hangs underneath. Rest the chosen tongue flat and slide its lip against the edge, dip or point named in the table. Centre a straight tongue left to right; it can slide sideways. If it rocks or the lip slips over the edge, use a ruler and needle instead.
3. Make a shallow centre mark
Lower a fine needle, about 1 mm across, upright through the guide's hole until it makes a shallow dot in the clay. Lift the needle and guide away. The dot is the centre of your finished hole. Mark both pieces of a pair the same way.
4. Punch raw clay, if your kit calls for it
Check the full clay thickness at the hole against the included PDF's suggested thicknesses, including any colour layers. With the guide removed, hold the hollow punch upright on the dot, twist gently while pressing to the tile, then lift straight up. Push a solid pin straight down and lift it out. Smooth any raised rim before baking.
5. Or drill after baking and cooling
Keep the centre dot, bake by the directions on your clay packet and let the piece cool fully. Lay it front up on scrap wood to support the back. Use a pin vise (a small hand-held drill) with the specified bit and turn it gently through the dot. Lift the bit occasionally to clear debris.
6. Check the hole and jump ring
The hole should be round, with no stretched edge, chips or cracks. Use your kit's jump-ring size and wire thickness, then check that the ring moves without pressing against the clay. Keep the specified hole size and position; enlarging a misplaced hole can leave too little clay beside it.
How the guide sits
Straight lips for edges and dips; V lips for points
These examples show where the lip catches the clay. Keep the tongue flat while marking; the straight lip still needs to be centred left to right.
Lash dipThe 4.0 tongue in the lash dip of a 52 mm Pixel Eye.Cupid's-bow dipThe 2.8 tongue at the dip of 44 mm Pixel Lips. Use a ruler if the tongue touches the first colour layer.PointThe 7.0pt V lip centred on a 32 mm Go-Go triangle.
Use with your build kit
Tongues for each kit and size
Match the 3D-printed number to your kit and size below. It sets the distance to the hole centre, not the hole diameter. Tongues marked pt have a V-shaped lip for a pointed edge. Use your kit guide for the finished hole size, marking stage and findings.
The eight tonguesNumbered side up. Tongues marked pt have a V lip for a point.
Tongue by kit and size
Kit and size
Tongue
Seat the lip on
Pixel Eye, layered, 52, 56 mm
4.0
Lash dip
Pixel Eye, layered, 60, 62 mm
4.5
Lash dip
Pixel Eye, relief, 60, 62 mm
3.0
Lash dip
Pixel Lips, layered, 44 mm
2.8
Cupid's-bow dip
Pixel Lips, layered, 48 mm
3.0
Cupid's-bow dip
Pixel Lips, layered, 56, 62 mm
3.5
Cupid's-bow dip
Pixel Flame, layered, 32, 36, 40 mm
4.5
Top pixel
Pixel Flame, relief, 36, 40 mm
4.5
Top pixel
Pixel Flame, layered or relief, 48 mm
5.5
Top pixel
Faceted Gem, layered, 30, 34 mm
4.5
Flat top edge
Faceted Gem, layered, 38, 42 mm
5.5
Flat top edge
Go-Go, clean cutters, 16, 18, 20 mm disc
3.0
Each end
Go-Go, clean cutters, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 mm hex
3.5pt
Each point
Go-Go, clean cutters, 28, 32, 36, 40 mm triangle
7.0pt
Top point
Blue Spotted Cat, drops, 40 mm
4.5
Head edge between ears
Blue Spotted Cat, relief, 56 mm
3.5
Head edge between ears
Blue Spotted Cat, relief, 60 mm
4.0
Head edge between ears
Blue Spotted Cat, relief, 64, 68 mm
4.5
Head edge between ears
Boston Terrier, drops, 40 mm
4.0
Ear dip; ruler preferred
Pixel Mushroom, layered, 32 mm
4.0
Flat cap top
Pixel Mushroom, layered, 36, 40 mm
4.5
Flat cap top
Pixel Mushroom, layered, 48 mm
5.5
Flat cap top
Mark before raised details cover the area
Mark Cat drops before adding the spots. Mark Boston drops after the muzzle but before the eyes. Follow that assembly stage so the guide or ruler can reach the hole position.
44 mm Pixel Lips
Centre the hole halfway between the far-left and far-right edges; there is only about 0.25 mm sideways allowance. Keep the whole 1.8 mm hole clear of the first colour layer, B. If the tongue touches B, measure with a ruler instead.
Boston and larger Mushroom drops
A ruler is preferred for Boston because the raised muzzle leaves little of the lip to catch the head edge. On 36 to 48 mm Mushroom drops, the tongue rests on the top spot while its lip catches the cap edge. Use a ruler if the tongue rocks or slips.
Flame relief pieces
Drill hanging 36, 40 and 48 mm relief flames after baking. Their 4 mm clay is too thick for the 2 mm punch, and leaves no extra depth for the 2.4 mm punch. The 32 mm relief uses a glued bail and needs no hole.
Faceted Gem holes near the frame
At 30, 34 and 42 mm, the hole can meet the pink frame; at 38 mm it is very close. Keep the specified hole centre, support the back while drilling after baking, and include any pink layer at the hole when checking jump-ring clearance.
Cherry uses the circle-centring method in its kit guide. Fortune Cookie uses screw eyes. Wall displays and cards use their own cutter marks or 3D-printed holes; some need 1.2, 2.2, 2.3 or 2.6 mm bits, which this set does not supply. Glued posts, magnets, brooch backs and bails need no hanging hole.
View exact dimensions and fit details
Version
0.5
Guide size
About 55 mm across; 1.6 mm plate with lips extending 1.2 mm below it
Needle holes in the guide
1.2 mm diameter, for a needle about 1 mm across
Suggested total clay thickness for raw holes
1.6/1.8 mm pins: 2.5 mm clay; 2.0 mm punch: 3 mm; 2.4/2.8 mm punches: 3.5 mm; 3.2/4.2 mm punches: 4 mm.
Straight tip length
Pins: 4.5 mm. Hollow punches: 2.0 mm has 3.5 mm; 2.4/2.8 mm have 4 mm; 3.2/4.2 mm have 4.5 mm. Above this length the tool widens.
Before you start
What you need to print and use these tools
Tools and materials
FDM 3D printer or 3D printing service, filament and slicer
Polymer clay, flat ceramic tile, ruler and a fine needle about 1 mm across
For drilling: a pin vise, the bit your kit specifies and scrap wood to support the back
The jump rings or other findings specified by your kit
Not included
Physical tools, clay, needle, drill bits or jewellery findings
After use
Cleaning and storage
If clay sticks inside a hollow punch, clear it from the handle side with fine wire, keeping your fingers away from the tip.
Wipe off clay after use, dry the tools and protect the tips in storage. Replace a cracked tool.
Remove all 3D-printed tools before baking. Keep them away from heat and food preparation.
3D printing setup
How to 3D print it
Start with one test model at 100 percent scale, then check fit and finish before 3D printing the complete set.
Print settings and orientation
3D print flat, no supports
Start with PLA, a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.12 mm layers. 3D print the punch handles flat on the bed with tips up, and the guide with its numbered face on the bed and lips up. Supports are off.
Inspect the narrow features
Check bores and walls in the slicer and inspect the 3D-printed rim before use. Clear the guide's marking holes with a needle. A smaller nozzle can resolve finer details but does not change the wall thickness in the file.
Questions about the tools
How thick can the clay be for raw punching?
Use the full thickness where the hole goes, including colour layers. The suggested thickness is 2.5 mm for the solid pins, 3 mm for the 2.0 mm punch, 3.5 mm for the 2.4 and 2.8 mm punches, and 4 mm for the 3.2 and 4.2 mm punches. This leaves room before each tool widens. Follow your kit when it specifies drilling, even if the slab fits a punch.
Can I use the guide on thin clay?
The clay edge must be at least 1.5 mm thick so the guide's 1.2 mm lip can catch it without reaching the tile first. For thinner clay, measure from the edge with a ruler and make a shallow needle dot at the hole centre.
Can I use it on my own shapes?
Use a straight lip against a flat or gently curved edge. A dip needs room for the lip plus 0.2 mm on each side: at least 3.4 mm across, or 4.4 mm for the wider lip on the 3.5 tongue. Tongues marked pt fit points. The tongue must rest flat and its lip must catch the edge. For a hole-centre distance the guide does not offer, measure with a ruler.
How do I choose between punching and drilling?
For a ClayBake build kit, follow the method specified for your piece and size. Raw punching needs clay that holds its outline under pressure. Thin, layered or narrow pieces are often marked while raw and drilled once baked and cooled, with the back supported. The linked guide compares the two methods in more detail.