Essential Tools and Materials for Crafting and Textiles

Posted on Feb 28, 2025 in Technology

Measuring Tools: Ruler, protractor, carpenter’s square.

Drawing Marks and Lines: Punch, pencil, and a permanent marker.

Cutting Tools: Scissors, utility knife, jigsaw, punch, and hot wire cutter.

Drilling Tools: Tap, hand handle, and a drill.

Filing and Sanding Tools: File, sandpaper, belt sander, and an orbital sander.

Joining Tools:

  • Temporary: Bolts, nuts, and washers.
  • Permanently: Heat sealer and hot air welder.

Textiles:

Naturals: Come from animal, plant, or mineral sources.
  • Wool: Produced by sheep. It may be naturally white, yellowish, grey-brown, or black. It is very elastic and resistant to acids.
  • Silk: Made by the larvae of insects called silk moths. These larvae produce a liquid that dries in contact with the air, forming thin threads. Silk is very strong, elastic, and a good thermal and electrical insulator.
Plant Sources:
  • Cotton: Comes from the fruit of the cotton plant. White, light, elastic, permeable, and resistant to acids; a good thermal insulator.
  • Linen: Comes from the flax plant. White or beige, elastic, flexible, and a good thermal conductor. Resistant to chlorine and bleach.
  • Esparto: Comes from the leaves of the esparto grass plant. Strong and resistant.
  • Bamboo: Comes from bamboo plants. Porous, permeable, biodegradable, and has antibacterial properties.
Synthetic Fibers: Nylon, polyester, lycra. They are long-lasting, resistant, and impermeable. Today, a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers is often used in the production of textiles.


Industrial Plastics:

  • Polyethylene Terephthalate: Impermeable, transparent, and light. Used for packaging food, drinks, cosmetics, and cleaning products.
  • High-Density Polyethylene: Rigid and resistant. Used for buckets, bottles, and toys.
  • Polyvinyl Chloride: Impermeable with a wide range of hardness. Used for windows, pipes, garden hoses, upholstery, raincoats, and gloves.
  • Low-Density Polyethylene: Soft and light. Transparent. Used for transparent film, bags, cups, and plates.
  • Polypropylene: Flexible, chemical resistant, and has superficial hardness. Used for bottles, carpet fibers, bags, and bottle caps.
  • Polystyrene:
    • Moulded: Transparent and can be colored. Used for CD cases and cartons for eggs and dairy products.
    • Expanded: Spongy and soft. Used for packaging, wrapping, and thermal and acoustic insulators.
  • Methacrylate: Transparent and impact resistant. Used for car headlights and safety glasses.
  • Teflon: Non-stick, smooth, slippery, and heat resistant. Used for the outer covering of airplanes, aerospace applications, and electrical cables.
  • Cellophane: Transparent and flexible. Used for packaging food and other products.
  • Nylon: Highly resistant and flexible.
  • Polyurethane:
    • 1: Spongy and flexible. Used for sponges and foam for beds or seats.
    • 2: Soft and compact. Used for transmission belts, friction wheels, and thermal and acoustic insulators.
    • 3: Elastic and adhesive. Used for glue and varnish.
  • Bakelite: Electrical insulator, impact resistant, and heat resistant. Used for electrical plugs and switches, gears, and outer casings for phones.
  • Melamine: Light, resistant, and quite hard. Odorless and tasteless, used as a thermal insulator for kitchen countertops, dishes, and food containers.
  • Polyester Resins: Heat resistant, strong, and rigid. Used for protective helmets, roofing materials, and body parts of cars and boats.