Clay
extruders
..
gen.info
Smaller clay guns
...plunger
type .......(see also Pushers for small guns)
...slightly-larger barrel,
squeeze trigger
...somehwat-larger barrel, screw handle
Medium
size clay guns/extruders
Other
small-medium extruders for soft regular clay (cookie presses,etc)
....icing
tips for soft clay
.......extruding liquid
clays or other liquids, very soft mediums
Very
large & Humongous (barrel) extruders
Pushers
for some small guns
......bellows
type & our bellows
......non-bellows
types
........various
........caulking gun
.....no
pusher? (some low-tech.solutions)
Disks
....types
and shapes... tips
....additional disks (for sale)
....making
your own disks
Preparing clay
for extruding
Clean-Barrel extruding
(no cleaning nec.)
(Regular
cleaning methods)
Misc. tips
Uses
for clay guns
.....canes
(also quilt canes) ... rows & layers...
.........automatically-wrapped
canes .....Extruded Mosaic... logs, sanding
....whole
canes or logs
Other uses
for extrusions
... Lettering
....Stained
glass
... Balinese Filigree
& other filigree
... Weaving,
crochet, braid, flex.springs
(more)
Websites
CLAY
EXTRUDERS
(clay "guns," cookie presses, etc. )
see
also the "condensed techniques list" page for more
ideas:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/claygunTechniquesList.htm
gen. info
There
are a number of tools that can be used for extruding clay into long ropes of various
shapes (round, square, triangular, etc.).
...The original tool used for
polymer clay was actually a clay "gun" extruder which was made to be
used with earth clay (softer than polymer clay).
...Since then people have
come across or created other types of extruders, as well as "pushers"
to use with the extruder guns.
...There are also extruders which combine extruder-and-pusher,
and some very large extruders as well.
Lots of things can be done with extrusions from a clay gun !!!
SMALL
clay guns
costs, suppliers, brands
Small Barrel...PLUNGER-type guns
(cheap & easily available)
The
small clay guns available at craft stores cost around $10 or so (... the
larger ones cost more)
... most small guns come with about
20 disks which have differently shaped holes for creating
long extrusions which are round or square, rectangular (flat
noodle), tri-lobed, etc
(see Disks below for buying
different disks, or maybe making your own disks for these
small guns)
...photo of a typical clay gun plus
the 20 disks that come with it (top of page)
...other guns and pushers shown as well)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/cyclopedia/clayguns.html
...and at my photo lessons re using one with
a "pusher" (website
gone)
suppliers
for the (original small) type of clay gun (aka "clay extruder"):
...RETAIL.... Michaels, or other craft/hobby stores
...MAIL
ORDER... many polymer clay suppliers carry one or more brands of clay
gun (see Supply Sources > Clays... also
http://www.craftswholesale.com
has the Sculpey gun for $7-8)
(.....for suppliers for the medium-sized
guns, see just below)
brand names
of the plunger type metal clay guns are:
....Kemper... Sculpey
.... Darice/Catan (Joann's, etc.) ... and maybe others
NOTE:
some brands of these plunger guns aren't as well built as others, or don't work
with certain pushers, or have disks which are less sturdy than others
........some
extra disk sets will fit only in certain guns without
having to purchase a separate adapter ring... see Disks below
...Darice...
stronger disks ... thicker edges
...Sculpey gun... stronger disks than
Kemper? steel rather than aluminum? (will fit in Kemper gun)... but can't do "clean
barrel extruding" because of lip at end of barrel (see below)
...Kemper
Klay Gun (older ones had strong, rolled edge disks?, but newer
guns plunger doesnt fit well and threads not too good either)...disks may
not fit in other guns
...the gun "from Pro
Arts" at Michaels turned out to be by
Loew Cornell. And it was TERRIBLE.
...it was weirdly difficult to clean...only the last inch on either end of the
barrel had a smooth finish... the center section was very badly cast and
(rough?) not finished (see more details re this one under "Disks"
below)
It's very helpful to have a "pusher"
for these small guns to make them
easier to use
...especially if
you're doing a lot of extruding...or you're not
using a very very soft clay like Sculpey...or you want to make
extruding
easier on
the hands and fingers
(see
PUSHERS for small guns below)
slightly-larger Barrel... SQUEEZE TRIGGER
Sugar Craft
extruder ...intended for use with marzipan (almond paste) in cake decorating,
etc.
....this is a clay gun and sort-of-pusher in one unit)....
clay is extruded with trigger action (rachet)
.......would put most
squeezing pressure on
the joint between the thumb and index finger, the palm, and the outermost
joints of the fingers
...made from very heavy plastic....
I experimented with mine
... it does well with the softer clays (Sculpey,
FimoSoft, Premo and some Fimo Classic colors,
but not all. Kay
....it would not fit into any of the
pusher devices
we've come up with so far. Diane B.
...most are sold in the UK
though.. Jane Asher sells lots of wonderful sugar craft tools and things.
.........from their manager: $23.00 US dollars for the Sugarcraft gun and
shipping to the US?.... Caroline
....comes with 16 disks... can buy
another set?
http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/gumpaste/gptools.htm
......
or http://www.jane-asher.co.uk/ ...
then click on 'mail order sugarcraft' and then type 'gun'
in the search box ...
$29.. . http://beryls.safeshopper.com/216/7424.htm?931
$40 ...http://www.earlenescakes.com/store/tools.html
...it's at The Foodcrafter's Supply Catalog in the U.S.. phone: 800-776-0575
(more expensive though?)
somewhat-larger Barrel ... SCREW HANDLE
Professional
Ultimate Clay Extruder ... larger barrel than regular metal plunger type
clay guns, but smaller than medium-sized barrels
....it has a screw handle
for extruding the clay instead of a plunger
....good clay gun, if you don't
want to use a pusher with a small gun to get faster and easier results
........
or if twisting a screw handle repeatedly will be hard on your hands,
arms, etc.
....a new clay gun by Makin's ...the metal
version was made specifically for polymer clay
....somewhat
bigger barrel is 5 1/2" long (vs. 3 1/2" for the
plunger types), and about 3/4" in diameter (vs. 1/2" or so)
....$20
....made of (green) metal (except at Michaels?) and has a screw
handle bar mechanism at end which is about 4" long so you could even use
the palm or side of your hand to turn it
..... barrel could also easily be
held with either a couple of clamps or a mounted vise.
......the interior
disk which pushes the clay along has an 'O' ring around it that cleans
the barrel automatically (no scraping, baking, etc. to get
the clay out as there isn't much residue). Patty B..
.....comes with 20 ("strong")
flat, silver metal disks
http://clay-essentials.com/productpages/extruder.htm
http://www.makinsclay.com/US/eng/products/ultimate/images/extruder1.jpg
....can
also buy 2 more disk sets for it
.......can also buy 2
special disk sets which create make an automatic hole all the way
through the extruded log
http://www.theclaystore.com/pages-main-category-97/polymer-clay-extruders.html?zenid=abdf761d5f3ee6fcfcd180d76ed76fff
...Suzanne
I's video clip showing it being used http://youtube.com/watch?v=tW3xU4Ouppg
(at 6:40)
Don't
be confused ... Makin's also produces another
clay gun
which is green plastic and won't
work well with polymer
clay
... that one has hemispheric "disks" and is all green
(sold in craft stores); it's fine for their
air-dry clay though
........here's a photo
of the wrong "Clay
Gun Extruder" http://www.makinsclay.com/US/eng/products/gun_extruder.htm
)
MEDIUM size clay guns ...don't generally need pushers
Polymer
Clay Express Extruder Gun(s)
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/clay_extruder.html
PCE
seels two guns with barrels about 7" long
and 2" in diameter....squeeze trigger to extrude (like caulking
gun) ...barrel used to be acrylic?
1. "all-metal"
gun (PCE 2" M-Extruder) = $55
...strongest
barrel.... 26 thrust capacity in the trigger
...holds up to one lb
(8 small bars) of clay (can buy Accessory barrel below for smaller amounts of
clay)
...comes with
2 disks only ("floral")
2.
aluminum-barrel gun (PCE 2" Aluminum Extruder)
= $45 (just steel-not-aluminum barrel, or
other parts not made from metal?)
.....holds up to one lb
(8 small bars) of clay, in a 2" diameter barrel (can buy Accessory
barrel below for smaller amounts of clay)
...comes
with 2 disks
only ("floral")
ACCESSORIES:
Small
Shapes Extruder Accessory (a smaller barrel which fits inside
either? 2" regular barrel; shaped like
dumbbell)
....$19 ....holds up to one-half lb
of clay (4 small bars)
Bead Corers...for
making single holes in extrusions... can then make tube beads, rod
bracelets with single holes running through them, etc, automatically
.....a metal rod with metal shape at one end... placed inside the clay (rolled
up into a log) inside a barrel...when extruded, the clay extrusion
will have a hole through it in the shape of the rod's end (may be best to use
a release on rod --mineral oil, ArmorAll, etc.)
....can be used with any disk
which has only a single hole, located in the very center of the disk
Lifting
Disc ... makes it easier to remove the last bit of clay
left in the gun after extruding by lifting the bottom of the clay above the pusher
cup (inserted after cup and nut are threaded on, before clay inserted) ...disk
available for 2" barrels, or 1" barrel, or bead corers
"pusher"
for guns (Table Holster) = $25...allows gun to be attached to edge
of table (upside down) so that clay can be extruded with more leverage
......requires
two free sides
of a table corner... gun holder is attached to one side of a corner by
two (ordinary) long squeeze clamps; the gun is then strapped into the holder with
attached Velcro...person then stands on the clamped side of the corner,
and presses down repeatedly (with both hands for
best result) on the free lever of the gun to extrude the clay (downward)
...
requires many pushes and probably not great for those with
wrist-arm problems
DISKS
...all
disks are very thick (3/8") and made from laser-cut acrylic
...shapes: quilt block pieces, floral, "circular",
moulding for "frames", image silhouette shapes (butterflies,
etc.),
.........also "double-hole" disks for making extrusions
(in many shapes) with 2 holes built in automatically, for
making bracelets, beads, etc., with cording or wires strung through --see also
"Bead Corers" below for single hole extrusions)
...most disks
are available in both the 2" size and the 1" size gun-barrel
...
sets of additional disks are available in various numbers and groupings
....individual
disks for either? 2" gun = $7.50
....individual disks for small barrel accessory = $2.50
...38
disks set + small barrel accessory = $85
...38 disks
+ gun = $260 ...PCE-M (all metal) 2" barrel gun + 38
pre-selected disk set (General Shapes)
USING
(more info)
...to reload ... press
silver lever with thumb, pull back on plunger... remove end, load clay,
replace end
........(demonstrator always rolled up a sheet of
clay into log, then rolled and reshaped log to put into barrel)
......many
presses of trigger necessary to extrude clay (even after many squeezees
to move less than a barrelful of clay down to disk)
.............demonstrator
used both hands to
squeeze trigger
.............whole gun moves back and
forth with each squeeze of the trigger; and
flops back & forth when using holster (could be
annoying)
..... clay also doesn't
come out fast once it reaches the disk (in either 2" or 1"
barrel)
......fiddly to put parts
together and take apart and somewhat time-consuming
(... e.g, cap requires
many revolutions, pressing on small
lever then pulling on pull-back plunger require effort
and is not smooth... several disks
and a plastic cup have to also be dropped into the barrel)
...to
clean ...demonstator suggested using a small bit of (thin plastic)
"deli paper" around back end of clay to help remove excess
after extrusion ....(also, just on older version?...has "thick pad"
on plunger for helping keep clean --other
cleaning necessary?)
BOTTOM LINE?
Would
be great for clayers who:
.....make a
lot of certain
types of
items (e.g., tile or rod bracelets, frames of certain sizes, etc.),
or do production work of certain types
.....make items which require
larger extrusions, or longer extrusions without having to reload
.....make
quilt canes
.....want a huge variety of disks, and the most
options possible to play with using just one gun
Not as great for those
who:
......can't afford it (or
the accessories and disks they'd need
......have too much
trouble with fingers,
arms, wrists, etc (and also if using a holster,
are able to stand --and have a convenient 2-sided table corner to use)
for
large and humongous barrel extruders (extruder and pusher in one),
see below
in Very Large Barrel and Humongous Barrel
use with regular clay
I use a garlic press
(for multiple thin strands)..... I find it easier to clean out (than a clay
gun). Ruth
...Nancy Lotz's lesson
on using a garlic press to extrude a plain color, a Skinner Blend
plug (cut into short lengths), or a series of colors (thick disks)... she
uses the extrusions to make Balinese Filigree and has suggestions for other
things to use them for (plus tips on using)
......she says the diameter
of her round extrusions are about 1/8" (same as thickest setting of pasta
machine)... but photos of the red
ropes and forms look much larger (just for illustration purposes??)
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2005fall/lotzer2.html
(also click on pg. 3 & pg. 4)
.....see
much more on Balinese Filigree below
.....some
of the ways to clean clay guns should also work for garlic presses (see Cleaning
below)
..square snakes can
be made with a square-hole garlic press ...saw wonderful canes
in cross-stitch patterns with them
........ I found a square-hole press
at one of the big local linen and kitchen ware stores...was a cheaper one
.........I've made clay 'cartoon' animals, then photographed them
and converted them
to cross-stitch patterns
........What a neat idea. ..I
had thought of using some of my old photos to make canes before, but never
thought of cross stitch or mosaics, etc.
(other patterns can
also be simulated with square or other extrusions... for those, see Mosaics
... and also Mixing Media
> Needlepoint & Seed Beads ...
and Canes-Instr. > Quilts --for
square patches, etc.)
We have
a run going here, (Seattle), on those old cookie press guns
for extruding clay.
...The ones that folks like best have a handle
that you rotate to push out the clay. It takes more hand
strength than I have to rotate the handle however.
....My personal favorite
is the ratchet handle where you squeeze the handle and each time
extrudes a little more. It looks like a long barrelled gun with a big squeeze
"trigger". These were made with aluminium bodies and disks back in the 50's and
60's and I find them in junk stores and antique malls for a dollar or three. .....You
have to use more clay to get it to extrude, but, it sure is simple to use.....
I have found lots of disks to use by cannabilizing other cookie presses
that were too big, etc. Meredith
....Wilton has an all metal cookie
press?
.....I have a new ratchet type cookie press. I bought it at a specialty
cooking store during one of my Christmas shopping trips a couple of years ago.
It's a really sturdy cookie press and seems like it would convert to polymer clay.
It is made by Marcato in Italy with a brand name of Atlas (sound familiar?).
It is distributed in the US by VillaWare Manufacturing Co., Cleveland, Ohio 44114.
... do a search for 'Atlas cookie press' you will find plenty of online sellers.
The price starts at around $12. Keep in mind that this is made for cookie dough,
considerably softer than clay. And that the holes in the discs are different than
the ones for the clay extruder. Valerie
....don't get
a cookie press gun with a push plunger
though -- you will hurt yourself trying to get the clay out of those!
........my
cookie gun works fine....it is approx. 2" diameter – obviously larger than
the Klay Gun diameter.... I haven't had any problems with either the threaded
handle screw-it-in kind or my ratchet handle one. Both are the same diameter.
I'm using Premo clay which is softer . . . Meredith
... If I
want to extrude smaller amounts of clay than a whole barrelful, I put a
"plug" of scrap clay nearest the plunger end, and the clay
that I want to extrude nearest the extrusion plate--then I don't have to fill
up the whole gun with more clay than I want. Meredith
....I have taped
individual Kemper clay gun disks onto larger-hole cookie
press disks --works wonderfully well in the cookie press. Meredith
....metal
icing tips work really well in a cookie press, too! ...the holes are bigger
in the press disks and so you don't have to modify anything to use the cones.
Just get a disk that has the right diameter hole. ....my cookie press came
with an adapter for icing tip cones, but, I haven't seen another
like this one in all my second hand/thrift store rovings... Meredith
....the
diameter of the tube is the key...the clay extruder gun
has a small diameter, thus the pressure psi
(pressure per square inch) is much greater allowing you to exert enough pressure
to move the fairly thick substance through the end. (I learned this lesson at
work when I was trying to treat a patient by clearing his IV. The patient was
a doctor and informed me that if I wanted to exert more pressure I should use
a smaller syringe). Sara
DH
made me something with PVC pipe, and caulking gun that had
worked well, but it is crude since he never perfected it
....he used PVC pipe
as the barrel holder of clay, and I used the disks from the
first dough extruder mentioned with my stained glass windows
... he
used the heavy duty caulking gun for as holder and mechanism to extrude.
....he threaded the PVC pipe himself on the bottom
(there are threaded pipes, but the pre-threaded ones do not have the proper threads
to fit the end piece of the old cookie press or dough extruder that I wanted to
use) and I used the same screw-on cap which holds the dies in place
from the first dough extruder mentioned.
....he
cut a piece of heavy duty plastic and put on top of the clay.... It fit
the diameter of the PVC pipe exactly.
The caulking gun was used just as with
caulk except the disc could be removed and more clay inserted. But it was a little
work to get the disc out until we discovered we could unscrew the bottom and it
is right there! DUH
... So far our experience has been that if one can get
the clay soft and keep it warm, then this one would definitely be workable. Jeanne
R.
Play-Doh-type-toy
tools for extruding (Play Doh Fun Factory and single extruder,
available at toy and discount stores)
... $4 at Wal-Mart, in the toy section
–OR deluxe version: Play-Doh One Stop Playshop (Deluxe work station - $19.95
at Toys 'R Us)
... Jeannie Havel uses this to make "elements"
for canes... after extruding, she lets them set for awhile, then combines
into canes
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/december2001/elements.html
....cleaning
the Fun Factory may appear daunting, but you can place tools in freezer for 15-20
minutes. Clay will pop right off. Jeannie H.
Childcraft
Education Corp's Clay Accessories Package (and Do-It-With Dough
kits) for play doh
http://marketplace.junebox.com/control/browseProductDescription?Prefitem=355405
various plastic guns and extruders, plus dies ... $20
....It
had a strip of plastic that had all those dies cut into it, with space in between.
....I have been thinking that it would be a simple thing to cut the shapes apart,
and tape each into a larger-shape die that I have for the cookie
press
. . . . For example, the triangle shape just fits into the "sun burst
star" shape that came with the cookie press, so it looks like I could tape the
play-doh die to the aluminium sun burst die --centered in the sunburst, so the
sunburst holes are all covered up.
...........then put the die, play-doh die
to the inside, into the cookie press like you normally would. Suddenly you have
the shape you want and can extrude it, too.
I have done this with the Kemper
clay gun dies (small, or larger ones too?) into the cookie press
- works wonderfully well. Meredith
with regular clay
YangYang’s
icing tip-extrusions http://www.myart.com/yayaju/
(gone), but check http://www.sdpcg.org/ later?
...Yang
Yang began using the metal icing tips intended for cake decorating in the
barrel of a clay gun a long time ago
Yang
Yang extruded the softest Sculpey (plain white Original Sculpey
in the box)
......created things like lacelike ruffled ribbons, and
all kinds of other things
..... she also used for embellishing her
baskets and other tiny sculptures
mixing
a clay with translucent clay will usually soften it too
...but for making
stiffer clays softer in various ways, see clay pusher instructions below for tips
on warming and softening the clay, or look in Conditioning,
Softeners)
clay could be slightly thinned with various liquids too (Softener-Diluent, liquid clay, veg oil, etc.).
(see also "doughs" below in Icing Tips with Liquid Clay, etc)
Karen's icing tip connector for
clay gun (Cake Decorating Tip Adaptor)
....screws onto
end of open clay gun (Kemper gun, or let them know which gun you have), and accepts
any of the standard small icing tips
... held in place with their metal
ring and a plastic icing ring coupler (the ones used for holding disposable
bags onto to interchangeable tip connectors)
... the white icing tip coupler
is easily removeable (just screw off) and you can change cake decorating
tips quickly and easily.. unscrew, place a new tip, screw on and you are ready
to go for another design. Karen
http://www.clayalley.com/tools.htm
....I'd
like to have more than one connector (I have more than one gun), so that
I could have several colors going at the same time. Then I could
change the tips all around, just like when decorating a cake, cookies, or gingerbread
house, etc.. Diane B.
...buying this item can make some
of the (GRAYED OUT) info
below unnecessary
....(thanks, Karen!)
Metal
icing tips work really well in a cookie press, too!
....the holes are
bigger in the press' disks so you don't have to modify
anything to use the cones. Just get a disk that has the right diameter
hole. My cookie press came with an adapter for the cones, but, I haven't seen
another like this one in all my second hand/thrift store rovings... Meredith
tiny
clever "icing tip" and icing "bag" for making "twisted
cookies"... should work for flowers and ridged ropes too if
not twisted
...metal tip made from a tiny cylinder of serrated metal
strip from a box of plastic-wrap + transparent tape attached
to it and upward as the icing "bag")
http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm
(click on Cookie)
...to
view in English thru AltaVista's BabelFish, go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
.....then enter url above in the Translate Page window ..select Japanese
to English ..click on Cookie
(see
info on cutting down metal icing tips below)
I
purchased a plastic cake decorating kit for $1.00 that contained 8 different
tips from my local dollar store and it works beautifully. The outside
is a tube with a plunger and changable tips. CraftyM
.... I got my cheap
plastic tips from a kit at the grocery store that came with a white plastic
bag
I used my finger to push clay through some cheap
plastic icing tips and got different shapes than are possible
with regular clay gun disks
...then I chilled them in
the freezer a while (then cut the extruded logs into little star slices)
...
but you could instead bake the whole extrusion, then slice it while
warm (cuts easily). DB (add my photos)
We
could also extrude shapes from an icing tip
out onto aluminum foil ...like stars, leaves, etc.
....bake...then
add them to tiny cakes or gingerbread houses, the insides of eggs,
whatever.... good practice too. DB
(for ways to use icing tip extrusions
on gingerbread houses... xmas trees or wreaths... for candies..
or all kinds of embellishment, onlays, etc, see
Halloween
and Christmas
and Onlay
)
icing tips allow one to create objects like stars,
flowers, leaves, wavy or accordion-folded ribbons, and other
decorated-cake effects
....number of lessons for using icing
tips for diff. shapes & effects
http://www.wilton.com/ltd/bdtips.htm
(see books on making flowers,
leaves, and other decorations with icing tips, in Sculpture
> Flowers)
pages showing many icing tip shapes
http://www.ccwsupply.com/cakedec/dtips10.htm
...http://www.wiltonyearbook.com/feat_prod/decortips.asp
http://www.azcentral.com/home/food/cooking201/lesson2-2.shtml
Icing
tips are also good for certain shapes or embellishments that might get squished
while creating or adding to.
Could some of the shapes be used as mosaic tiles?
Could
some of the shapes be used as cane building elements?
like nesting shapes, or just any element shapes? ...some of the
oval shapes would be neat laid together alternating directions, e.g
........or
some of the tips would extrude almost flat ribbons, but could be larger than the
ones from an ordinary clay gun?
.... could we refeigerate the extrusions,
then add softened clay around them to make canes with background?
...I
wonder if I could either cut some of the icing tips shorter so they would
extrude a larger log (see grayed text for cutting info), or bend
some into another shape. I'm afraid they may be too strong for that, but it would
be a quick and dirty way to get some larger triangles especially. DB
I'm
itching to take a trip to the hardware store just to browse for
shaped things that might now fit into an icing tip... this
isn't an evolved idea yet, but there must be some things which could shape the
clay as it extrudes (though might have to use a wider-opening round tip, or cut
off one of the other tips, so the log wouldn't get messed up as it travelled all
the way out). DB
... for
example, very small hexagonal socket wrench tips could be set into a large
round icing tip to extrude hexagonal rods ... haven't tried it yet, but
looks like it would work... possibly the wrench tip would have to be baked in
a wad of clay formed by the inside of the icing tip?
....or
could we actually make clay shapes ourselves which could be baked and re-inserted
into an icing tip to make any shape we wanted???? (by inserting a wad of
clay into an large-opening icing tip, carefully removing and cutting a shape with
a knife or small cutter, then baking)
...Could we simply hold something
small and stiff in front of the gun, and press down on the bellows ....
(see
more ideas below in "Disks," under Darlin' Designer Disks)
I
bet liquid clay, or clay thinned with Diluent, can be used
in frosting bags with tips..Sarajane H.
.....Beckah
says that TLS and some black/pearl clays will make an extrudable slip after
3 or more days?? for stained glass leading (but could be used for anything).
http://www.ntpcg.net/tips.html
icing
tips with liquid clay
other liquids, or very
soft mediums
I bet liquid clay
--or regular clay thinned with Softener-Diluent-- can be used
in frosting bags with tips..Sarajane H.
.....Beckah
says that liquid clay and some black/pearl clays will make an extrudable slip
after 3 or more days?? for stained glass leading (but could be used
for anything). http://www.ntpcg.net/tips.html
"doughs" ... various
powders or particles could be mixed with enough liquid or very soft medium to
make an extrudable material
.....the powder-particles could be things
like ...mica powder (Pearl Ex, etc.) or microfine glitter, or maybe
even chalk powder, cornstarch, baking soda(?), play sand, ground spices
...
the wet ingredient could be things like.... a bit of liquid clay,
gel medium, white glue (tacky or not), acrylic paint, etc.
...or
regular clays highly softened with Softener-Diluent, liquid clay,
veg oil, etc, or translucent clay
(see more on extruding liquid clay in Liquid Clays > Containers & Applicators... and also Drizzling, Piping)
Might
waste some, but could also put the icing tip into a plastic
bag for extruding if clay is soft enough (or
if you're using any soft material)
....cut the tip off a thick
plastic bag wide enough for the tip to slip most of the way through (but
not all the way)
....drop the tip in the bag and push into hole
....fill
bag with softened clay, or dough, etc (try not to get on sides... put the
clay only at the bottom of the bag for least waste)
....twist bag so that all
clay is pressed into icing tip... secure tightly with twist-tie
... clench-press
back end of bag to extrude clay out other end... as clay is extruded, twist bag
tighter & tighter
acrylic gel
"mediums"…comes in all sort of textures, stiffness, and gloss
through flat.
...You can tint it with acrylic paint or paint pigments,
but, since it looks "milky" before it dries, it often doesn't appear to be the
right tint at first. It dries clear, though, and the color shines through beautifully
(which eliminates the color limitation of the structural paint).
It is produced by both "Golden" and "Liquitex" brands.
... You can use it on
paper, canvas, or polymer clay (I originally was using it to make scales from
my dragons). You can run it through just about any cake-decorating tip
to make designs. It's available at art supply stores, and I know Michael's has
it. Barb
clean icing
tips after use
...if the tips will be used only for polymer clay again,
just wipe out any color you don't want around next time (liquid clay and solid
clay don't "dry out" so not necessary to do anything further if you
don't want---perhaps keep in a plastic bag just to avoid touching other items
though)
(for a mix of liquid clay and solid clay)... first clean out
as much as you can from from the interior of the tip mechanically (with
a tissue, or a twisted tissue, etc.)
....... then use one of the solvent
substances that's used to clean liquid clays from paintbrushes to remove any
remaining liquid clay (see Liquid Clays >
Cleaning for a list of those)
.......afterward, it would be a good idea
to wash the tip well with soap and hot water and a toothbrush or something,
especially if it would be used to you for food later (must get all crevices
clean though!)
(for only softened solid clay)... remove most of
the clay mechanically, then just use alcohol or soap and hot water, etc, to remove
the rest
..the small, brush-like disposable
applicators by Lee Valley are also good for cleaning tiny areas...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=45857&category=1,110,42967
See
more on cleaning off
liquid and solid clay in Safety-Cleaning
> Cleaning > Hands
(same
stuff as a thick acrylic gel medium??) ....acylic modeling paste, or
a product called Form-it, a plastic mousse.... It's perfect
for light weight sculptures and landscapes. (see also
Liquid Sculpey, Diluent paste, etc.)--could also use as an armature?
....The brand (of modeling paste) I have used for a design class, and
as grout for some pc mosaics, is Liquitex. It is found in the
same area as the Gel Medium and Gesso... i.e. among the painting supplies. Kat
....I have done 3-d sculptures, etc on wood....using Modeling
Paste.....It is just the right consistency to go thru the cake decorating tubes.
An
AirPen is a gadget that uses air to extrude very soft materials
such as tinted liquid clay, paint, glue, or icing... It comes with
a variety of design tips. (it can also be used to decorate cakes or cookies, etc.
but of course not after it's been used for the clay)
....Some people use it
to extrude thick paints. The new Genesis paints will work with it, and
with the clay as they have to be heat set
….You can reverse the flow of air
and it acts like a vacuum to pick up small beads or other items so you can place
them where you want them. All kinds of uses for this little beauty. …. You can
also get additional tips and holders for the liquid clay (or whatever.)
Dotty
....It's a nifty new tool... we saw it at the HIA show. It has a little
electric air pump- 6 cartidges and 6 interchangeable applicator tips... and 6
cleaning plungers and 6 storage caps and plugs for each cartridge. ....You can
fill the cartridge with......liquid clay, paint, glue, or icing and apply precise
lines of varied sizes.
.....It can also be used as an air tweezer
(if you reverse the flow of air) - it will pick up tiny objects
(beads or stones) and hold them for precise placement. I'm hoping to buy a shipment
of them -12... for our guild- that will give us a savings of 50% (retails for
$140).. . . The air pen won't be polluted by the liquid sculpey... just the cartidge!
So you could have seperate cartidges for frosting... etc.!! Kathndolls
cutting
metal icing tips
(or buy Karen's adapter above)
cutting
the metal tips yourself
(lesson)..
. . I wrote to YangYang because I was having trouble cutting the tips…she
told me which kind of scissors she was using (tin snips?), but I'm
not sure if that term is exact (see above for using a Dremel cutting wheel?) .
Anyway, a number of cuts need to be made around the flared base
angled toward the tip. These need to be high enough to allow the icing tip to
fit and hold properly in the hole of the gun in place of the disk.... I believe
Yang Yang then bent these strips back and forth until they fell off.
(for
cutting icing tips, see also below in Cutting Disks)
...I
have taken some frosting tips and cut off part of the metal cone with my
dremel so that they fit into my claygun. Jackie W.
> Which cutting
wheel did you use for the icing tips?
I just used the flat round cutting
disks that came with my dremel. They cut through the metal okay but it is sharp
where you cut them so it helps to grind them down a bit after.
> How far
down did you find was best to cut them?
As far as how far down to cut
you sort of have to guess at this. I usually cut around them and then put them
into the clay gun to see how close I am to getting them fit. Basically you just
have to cut enough off so that you can still screw the end onto the clay gun.
> How did you hold them while cutting?
They get really hot when
you cut them. I would suggest holding on to them with a pair of pliers when cutting
them down to size. I suppose you probably could use a pair of tin snips to cut
them with also but it just seems like the dremel cuts them easy enough. I usually
cut them outside so that I don't have to worry about having metal filings all
over inside the house. Once you get the tip so that it fits in the clay gun then
you are good to go.
> What clay or softeners did you use in
your icing tips?
I didn't use anything to soften up the clay and it seemed
to work fine. You maybe can't do exactly the same things that you could with icing
but I'm had some great luck with it.
........Some icing tips work better
than others, you just have to experiment.. . .. Jackie W.
...Here
is my attempt to create a way to push clay through metal icing tips
with PVC connectors and wood dowels (website gone)
(one
is shown being held in between the two PVC connectors); I pushed down on the connectors
over a wood dowel
....... I tried once to make some "sort-of-clay-guns"
... I found that in order to extrude a large backup of clay through a small hole
(relative to the barrel size), the opening before the hole needed to be stepped
down or it was just too difficult ... I think I tried decreasing rings
stacked together, and various cone shapes. I ended up with something
that worked, but not well. Got to be some possibilities there though. Diane B.
(website gone)
...DH made me something that had worked well, but it is crude
since he never perfected it and used what we had around to work with. He used
PVC pipe as the holder of clay and I used the dies from the first
dough extruder mentioned with the stained glass windows. He used the
heavy duty caulking gun for the holder and mechanism to extrude. He threaded
the PVC pipe himself on the bottom (there are threaded pipes, but the pre-threaded
ones do not have the proper threads to fit the end piece of the old cookie press
or dough extruder that I wanted to use) and I used the same screw on cap which
holds the dies in place from the first dough extruder mentioned. He cut a
piece of heavy duty plastic and put on top of the clay. It fit the diameter
of the PVC pipe exactly. The caulking gun was used just as with caulk except the
disc could be removed and more clay inserted. But it was a little work to get
the disc out until we discovered we could unscrew the bottom and it is right there!
DUH So far our experience has been that if one can get the clay soft and keep
it warm, then this one would definitely be workable. Jeanne R.
There are also guns with much larger barrels, usually made for extruding earth clay. These look much like a grease gun or caulking gun (but with built-in barrel), and have squeeze trigger handles.
Kemper version
(gold barrel)--Industrial Clay Extruder Gun, shaped like a caulking gun
(for earth clay)http://www.clay-king.com/itemkikeg.html...
barrel
is 14-15"
..Sax 2002
catalog,... 3 aluminum dies, one of which sports a 1/2" diameter hole...other
two can be drilled to suit your needs. Cost is $39.95. Item # is 632-0097
and is on page 447.
Ceramic Supply version (gold barrel) Large Clay
Extrusion Gun & Die Kit (barrel is 14" x 2 1/4" diameter)...
comes with 3 precut dies and 1 blank; additional die kit available.
Gun with 4 dies $38, Die Kit $14" (for earth clay)
..Desiree
bought her (same?) Kemper at a local ceramic supply store ...including
handle? about 20" long and has a 2 1/8th" diameter tube..."works
like a dream") . . .she also shows some multiple-bullseye slices she cut
after extruding a log made with a stack of various colored cutouts
http://desiredcreations.com/Misc_PCExtruder.htm
--see wrapped" in Canes-Instr >
Wrapped for more details)
Scott
Creek version ---Super Duper Clay Gun (shorter barrel
than Kemper ...barrel is 8 1/2" in length and 2"
in diameter) (silver barrel, red handle) & Die Kit ("Medium Size" )
(for earth clay)
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/ClayGuns.htm
http://kickwheel.com/ext.SC.gun.oe.html
(shows the 8 die accessory kit...Kickwheel Pottery Supply catalog)
...disks
are 1/8" aluminum; set of 3 dies come with it, or you can order additional
8 dies, or blank dies (more than one smaller shape can be cut in these and masked
off with a scrap of plastic or sheet metal, if desired)
....Looks
like the cheapest would be $39+SH for the gun and 3 dies, plus another
$20+SH for 8 more dies, plus another $2.50 or so for each
blank die. That would be a minumum of $65-70 for the gun plus 11 dies. (see below
in Cutting Disks for more info on cutting)
Nesco
"Jerky" gun (Nesco Jerky Works BJW-1P). . . used to make meat jerky
but might work for clay. ...3 "dies" which extrude
either a flat ribbon or two sizes of round rope .It looks like (the barrel)
might be easy to clean because it is larger.. . Cynthia
...(the first site
has a good photo, the second was the cheapest at $14.99).
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Dehydrators-Nesco-Jerky_Works/display_~full_specs
...There are 3 shapes it can extrude: thin and flattish (1
1/4" or so wide), small round (1/2 " ?), and larger round (3/4"
?). I can't tell if the barrel and tips are made from plastic or metal (if
certain kinds of plastic, that could be a problem). Also, the two round tips
seem to be elongated sort of like a funnel with a long tip; that might make the
clay harder to clean out. That flat one would be useful though in some situations.
Too bad there aren't more tip shapes! Diane B.
(same page as above)
humongous barrel extruders
VERY
large, expensive extruders... from Scott
Creek (Super Duper Clay Extruders),
North Star and Brent) . . .
&
many dies http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/extruders.htm
(middle and bottom of page)
--humongous aluminum pushers; come in 3",
4" and 5" diameters; the 3" one will make hollow or solid forms up
to 3". Includes a cast aluminum cap, inner die holder for hollow forms, a blank
die and a drilled aluminum die which makes 1/4", 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" coils. Free
instructional video. (~$250-350, without extras)
"When
cutting your own dies from these blanks, just draw your design
on the die, drill a pilot hole in the center of the design, and cut it out with
a carpenter's coping saw. Finish the shape with a small file & emery cloth."
...I love the idea of having multiple cuts in one die though
--what a great idea!. . . And cleaning might be much easier since it's
so wide. DB
.....If a barrel does turn out to be 2-3" wide, the other problem
I can see would be the amount of clay necessary
to extrude a small amount. Would one package be enough? Would most
people want to put one package of clay in to get out only a small extrusion?
...Seems to me that an additional cylinder of clay, formed to the diameter,
wrapped with heavy plastic wrap, could be put behind the clay to be
extruded (to keep from having to use up so much clay). Rosie
Clay guns can be hard on your hands/fingers
if you want to extrude more than a little clay. That's where one of the
clay "pushers" come in.
Some people use a caulking gun or other metal
pusher of some kind (see below), but other people use a wood bellows affair which
literally makes the clay come flying out! DB
-–I’ve
used a caulking gun type pusher and I think it puts way too much
pressure on the thumb and index finger. mamadude
-- With the (bellows) wood & hinge set-up, removing the clay gun and reloading
is a lot faster than the chaulking gun set-up. Kathndolls
--Wow, Diane, I can't thank you enough. I have a health challenge which makes it difficult for me to use a clay gun. After reading your instructions and scrutinizing the photos, I visited Home Depot to purchase the materials to make a pusher of my very own. Put it together in about 30 minutes and tested it. Amazing. Now I'll be able to extrude clay with ease. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ...Okay everybody, you gotta make one. You don't have to wait for a man to do it for you. It's easy. I bought oak only because the pine boards were so shabby. ...Even so, it cost less than $5. Rachel (Alaska)
NOTE: We have not had the problem of barrels bending, or paint flaking or peeling from barrels, with our design for the bellows pusher (...though the WeeFolk version http://www.weefolk.com/pk45.jpg has had those problems, due to a slightly different design)
our
bellows pusher
(lesson
& advantages)
PHOTOS
& mini-how-to of our design
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/DianeBB/tools
(...photos of Kellie's longer
bellows pusher made from these instructions)
http://kelliesklay.homestead.com/pusher.html
It's really
simple ... and the total cost
is around $5.00.
.....we
just used two 11" boards (1"x 4")
.... we attached them
at one end with a strong 3" hinge
.... drilled a 7/8" hole near
the non-hinge end of the one board (leave enough room for a palm
to rest
.....optional: a small stop of
wood can be nailed on the bottom board to keep the barrel end from sliding, but
after awhile it will dig it's own depression in the soft wood, so it's really
not necessary)
When extruded, that clay just comes flying out
(...
I just made this clay pusher and I LOVE it! I am in no way a 'handy man' type person, but it was really easy to make! I just had to buy a 1 inch hole cutting bit for my drill, and a hinge set from the hardware store ....just screw in the hinges, cut the hole, and WOW a TERRIFIC extruder! What fun!! Ruth
This kind of pusher puts no stress *at all* on the hands
or fingers
...all the pushing comes from the palm of your
hand and also the weight of your upper body
leaning over the top board
....or you can
press on it with your foot if you place the pusher on the floor
. . . even faster
...or sit on it, or kneel,
etc. (particularly if the boards are made a little longer)
hole size:
...making the hole
larger ( 7/8"+
), as opposed to smaller, gives several advantages:
...allows the clay gun to be slipped in and out easily
for removal or refilling (without having to remove
& replace the cap)
...no pressure from the upper board will be
put on the side of the barrel during
extrusion, which might cause it to bend or
to scratch the paint off (...all the pressure is on the "wings"
where it's supposed to be)
hole placement:
... It's better to put the hole toward the open
end of the boards than at the hinged end, leaving just enough room for
the palm of your hand to be placed on the board sideways at the very end).
.......placing
the hole in the end which is a wider angle when open,
allows the barrel to stand more vertically, and that means the
upper board won't press on the side of the barrel
when the board is pushed down during extrusion.
...making the hole a tad
bigger also helps keep the barrel vertical during
extrusion because the barrel has the space to
self-correct to more vertical as the upper board is lowered....
......(for
the absolute least stress, make sure the gun is always as vertical as possible,
especially in the beginning of extrusion)
(the
hole in the weefolk bellows is smaller,
and it's located almost all the way to the hinged
end.)
..... There is actually
more "mechanical advantage" to having the hole closer to the hinged
end, but so much force is obtained naturally just from pressing down on the other
end of a 12" bellows that no more is needed.
..... (...if you wanted more
force for some reason however, the boards could be made a little longer).
round the corners and edges of the board with sandpaper at the end where your palm will rest, if desired
a "stop" for the base of the gun can be created, if
desired, by nailing a tiny piece of wood on the top of
the bottom board, but it's easy enough just to set the gun as straight as possible
for the first part of the push to get fa-a-st results.) .
.
.......p.s....in my (unavailable) photos of our first bellows unit,
the instruction to drill a
second hole
is not
needed.
to use
the pusher:
...insert the claygun from the under side
of the top board
...press board down with the palm of your hand or foot, etc.....
voila! clay comes flying out.
(make sure the gun barrel is as straight
up and down as possible for the very easiest extrusion;
you may have to readjust it once during extrusion if you've
begun with a really full barrel).
differences
in design from the original Weefolk bellows pusher:
...The
bellows pusher we designed works superbly and I've never had any problems at
all with it!
. . . .In fact, this whole conversation (and my posting of
our version) came about because I was wondering aloud why no one
seemed to recommend the bellows-type pusher ... it seemed to me that the
bellows pusher was so much faster, and easier on the hands/fingers/wrists.
....Well, someone wrote back to say that she had had a Weefolk bellows pusher,
but had actually bent the barrels of her clay guns with it. . . later another
person reported bending the plungers on every gun she had!
I was stunned since
this was so different from my experience, so I went to the weefolk site to look
at their pusher, and saw that it was a little different than ours:
1.
--our hole is slightly larger (or at least there is plenty of
extra room around the clay gun barrel) so that all the pressure
is on the wings, not the barrel----our hole is large enough to allow
the cap as well as the barrel to fit through it
2. --we placed our hole much farther toward the unhinged end
of the boards
3. --our hinge was on the inside rather than
the outside
4. --we nailed a small stop just past the thumb part of
the pusher (but prob. not necessary)
...Of
these differences, I think the size of the hole
is the most significant. ....the little stop may make a difference too but the
plunger digs more into the surface of the wood by itself than it seems to push
against the stop.
The DH designed ours from hearing the general idea and
he is a physics person, so maybe he just knew to built those features in? All
I can say is try it; it's very simple to make --the only unusual thing one might
need is a 7/8" or larger drill bit. Diane B.
...I
made one of these bellows pushers, and it made all the difference in the world
(I have wrist problems).. . .I did have to make a second one though
because I hadn't placed my holes well the first time, and bent the extruder.
Judy
...As for me I use the cheapest pusher out there a device made up of two
pieces of 2x4 (wood) hinged at one end and with a hole drilled for the extruder.
Can be used with hands or feet! Trina
... A friend just made me a bellows thing
like you described and it works great! I wrap the clay in waxed paper first but
make sure it's well conditioned and soft first, I've found that having it nice
and soft is the key. Then it just comes squirting out when I push on the wood.
I'm now looking for all kinds of things I can add something extruded to. LOL.
Nancy
more on bellows
The
longer you make the boards, the more torque
you will have (keeping the same distance from the end for the hole).
.... Those
with serious physcial problems might want to make
the boards especially long, even long enough to operate with a foot or by sitting
on it...also, if one were really long, it might even handle stiffer clay brands
though they would have to be well conditioned I suspect to avoid cracks on the
outside edges when extruded, and may even bend the disks (some people may put
a washer next to the disk on the inside to help strengthen it.)
Other
ways to use the bellows if you need to avoid having to use or stress a
particular body part:
(....usually I just lean over the top board with
my whole body --with palm on the board)
...but could use a foot... sit on it
(if I can to do this often, I'd build one with a longer board to make that easier
or see tesselene's design just below), kneel on it with one knee (maybe on a garden
knee pad, etc)
My husband Kris already made the wooden presser, and it works like a charm. . . .in fact, I don't even have to use foot or hand pressure if I don't wish; he just picked up a 10- pound hand weight, placed it on the end of the board ...and voila! Nice, steady pressure, no blow out of the disks, no bending. It's great! Pat O.
tesselene
and her husband have come up with a slightly differen type of wood pusher
for the clay gun, especially good for pressing with your feet (or
sitting on, etc.)
....an upsidedown U is created with two
2x4's (about 10" tall) nailed to an 8" or so long connecting
board
........a 1" hole is drilled in the top
of the connecting piece (wide enough for the clay gun barrel, but not for it's
wings)
....cut a 1x2" pusher board (a few inches
longer than the U top, and about the size of a foot)
.......add a plunger-top-size
groove (depression?) on the underside of the pusher-board, and gouge
holes next to the hole on either side (for the wings?), so the clay gun
wn't rock.
.....The sides (of
the 2 upright board?) are angled out in front (front?) to stabilize it (cut trapezoidal
so wider at their bottoms?)
.... to use, drop the clay gun through
the hole in the top... and put the pusher board over it
....
push down with your hands or foot (or sit on).
....The clay just whizzes out!
Very little effort at all... you're redistributing the pressure with the board,
and using the pressure of your foot to push it through. Very nice. My hands just
can't take doing that, so it's a blessing to me. tesselene
.......or, as above,
could use a 10-lb weight on top of the pusher board?
...Mia's photo
of a similarone like this, but hinged and bellows unit is raised on legs
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/cyclopedia/clayguns.html
also see below in
Non-Bellows, for using a donut weight (from
a barbell) alone to act as a pusher (slip over a filled clay gun --wings
downward... press slightly with hands or feet)
... and also Snapple bottle
and small cushion
I purchased a wooden ruler and using a good strong tape, taped it along one edge of the top (of my bellows pusher). So I could measure my strands as I was cutting them. Jenny P.
I've recently seen the bellows pusher hanging over the edge of a stack of books on a table, with the clay gun poiniting down, so when the clay came it it went onto the table. Sharon.
Some prefer the hinged boards, but I like to extrude clay into
a coil on my baking sheet to crochet with, and
the hinged wooden board pusher doesn't allow me that freedom. Patty B.
....I
don't see any reason you couldn't use the bellows for extruding a coil
.... I haven't tried this way, but the bellows could be held upside down and moved
in a circular motion while extruding... they're not very heavy or large, and the
gun is held firmly between the boards by its wings. The few times I have wanted
my strings in a coil in the past, I just held the string loosely in one hand as
it was quickly extruding, and directed it into a coil on the surface of the top
board just below ... then the coil can be moved to a baking sheet, or maybe a
paper could be used on the board to make that even easier.
Non-Bellows
pushers
(see http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/cyclopedia/clayguns.html
for some of the units described below)
Kim's
mostly metal pusher with push-down handle on wood base (Clay
Gun Assistant) . . . looks easy on the hands/arms (shorter footprint than
bellows or caulking gun, but taller); must remove and return cap before refills
...The
clay gun fits into the clay gun assistant through a hole in the bottom of the
assistant. You just remove the end cap of the clay gun, put it through the hole
and replace the end cap. . . . load with clay... and go. Karen
http://www.clayalley.com/tools.htm
Kathy
W's large, all-metal pusher (on a wood base), with two collapsible V-shaped
wings on either side which squeeze together depress the gun plunger... twist
the wing-type crank to extrude.. pusher can be used with one
hand only..... un-crank and re-crank to remove and replace the gun for
refilling... is strong enough to extrude firm clay but must cranked slowly because
the disks can be bent (as with any gun)
http://people.delphiforums.com/kkephart/clay_gun_pusher.htm
(no
longer made?) Cella (Cecelia Determan) offers small pusher for a
clay gun ....you must turn a handle (she calls hers a "squeezer",
but it only squeezes the gun in place) (website gone)
...it works great, the bit I've used it. It's also comfortable to use. I
haven't tried the converted caulking gun, but it seems that it would require squeezing,
which is not easy if you have limited strength in your hands/elbows. For Cella's,
you basically turn a handle the way you would turn on a faucet, and it
depresses handle of the clay gun. (author?)
I have one of Cecilia's clay extruders.
It's a screw-like motion. It works great and it's easy to carry for traveling.
If you're going to do lots of extruding at one time, a modified caulking gun is
the best, but I use Cecilia's extruder for little projects all the time.
Susan
caulking gun
type pushers
...and caulking gun modifications
Marie Williams's husband simply drilled a hole in the bottom of the barrel area of her caulking gun large enough for one of the clay gun's "finger grips" to drop down into (so it would be held securely and in the right place...eliminates need for putting a disk/plug/block to hold the front end orf the clay gun... she rests the barrel on a short glass, holds the the clay gun in position with one finger and squeezes the caulking gun trigger with the othe hand. (see polymerclaycentral link above)
Polymerclayexpress's
shorter (easier to use, and more powerful ) caulking gun
pusher $25; $27 for pusher plus plug adapter ..."Extra Thrust Caulking
Gun"
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/equip.html
Kemper's
EZ Squeeze (must use with Kemper brand clay gun
only) http://www.simplydarling.com/SDCPages/SDCDDDisks/ClayGuns/ClayGuns.htm
...differences from other caulking-type pushers: 1. doesn't need plug ("holder"
is built in to the end of caulking gun) and 2. doesn't use the plunger from the
clay gun itself; uses the plunger that's part of the caulking gun... 3. must stop
extruding short of full press because of design
.....(new . . .to be available
at the Clay Factory? http://www.clayfactory.net/
...not available yet, or
gone?)
using
a hardware store caulking gun as a pusher:
----(....Be
sure the caulking gun you get has an opening at the
front large enough for your
gun body, minus the disk holder, to go through. I had to exchange
caulking guns because of this when I first tried it... CC )
--Here's
the quickest adaptation for a caulking gun. Get a friend to cut you a piece of
1"dia. pvc pipe that's maybe 3" long. Slide this over the barrel of
your Clay gun. Lay the clay gun in the caulking gun so that the thread top is
outside the slot. The pvc pipe will hold the rest of the clay gun from moving.
This is how I use mine and I can empty a full clay gun in 5 or 6 squeezes of the
trigger. Sandy?
--Polyform's lesson
for (only) a 2" PVC plumbing "fitting"
or they
suggest a 3-way edging clamp to use with a caulking gun as a pusher http://www.sculpey.com/frameset_tipsandtechniques.html
--Nan Roche's lesson (see "steps 1-3") on using a Cox caulking
gun as a pusher (text instructions, photo doesn't show well), using
piece of: PVC pipe - 2" x 1" diameter - 7/8" diameter, rubber O-ring,
metal washer with 2" outside diameter and a 7/8" hole in the center, and
1/2" round rubber furniture caster
http://www.hgtv.com/HGTV/project/0,1158,CRHO_project_13529,00.html
--Sue Lee's wood disk with depressed hole in a caulking gun as a
pusher --bottom of page (but she says later she prefers the bellows?)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/cyclopedia/clayguns.html
mtdews' caulking gun with large washer to steady gun & extruding
with it (website gone)
adapter
plugs/disks (for caulking gun pushers)
Polyform (sells a?) ...2" PVC plumbing fitting which fits inside the slot of the caulking gun
adapter
plug disk ($2) for standard size caulking gun ...accepts the nose of a clay
gun, so can be inserted inside (Sue Lee's Polytools)
http://www.poly-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PI&Product_Code=AD&Category_Code=MISC
misc. info re pushers
Having to remove and
reload the gun from a pusher frequently
can be annoying, especially on larger projects or frequent changes of color. One
helpful idea is to have multiple clay guns which you can pre-load before
beginning.
..... Another
idea could be to buy one of the larger clay guns made for earth clay (maybe
the shorter one, or put some kind of baked or other plug behind
the clay to take up more space), then drill a *small* hole in one of their
customizable dies. Then you could extrude and extrude without having to
reload (which is even a pain for shorter projects . . . that's one reason I like
the bellows pusher though since as long as you make the wood hole large enough
to accommodate the cap as well as the barrel, it's simpler to pop out the whole
thing and reload).
.....I'm not sure of the physics of the thing but it seems
when I tried to make some "sort-of-clay-guns" with icing tips, PVC connectors,
and wood dowels, I found that in order to extrude a large backup of clay through
a small hole (relative to the barrel size), the opening before the hole needed
to be stepped down or it was just too difficult ... I think I tried decreasing
rings stacked together, and various cone shapes. I ended up with something that
worked, but not well. Got to be some possibilities there though. Diane B.
When using large barrel guns for clay extruders, there is the problem of keeping the clay warm ... maybe we could wrap them with microwaved gel packs or rice bags, or just wrap well to insulate). Diane B.
No Pusher?... low tech solutions
I
have found a way to get the clay out of the gun without killing my hands
...
I put the clay gun on the floor, with the opening that the clay comes out
of pointing straight at the ceiling. It helps to do it on carpet, because it tends
to slip on smooth surfaces..... I sit in a chair or on the couch, then put one
foot on each side of the clay gun wings (the part where your fingers usually
go). I make sure I'm wearing tennis shoes so I don't kill my feet.... I just push
down with my feet and use my hands to guide the clay out of the gun. It is
a little akward at first, but you get use to it. The clay comes out FAST
I
load the extruder and put it in a vice (which my husband has screwed
down to his work bench).... I line it up straight so that half of the "thumb
press" and one of the "finger grips" are between the claws of the vice.....then
I turn the handle and the clay extrudes as easily as toothpaste from a tube.
I took one of the weights ("donuts") off a barbell on my rarely used weight
bench. (It is the large, thinner, old fashioned metal kind.) ...the hole
is just big enough for the barrel of the clay gun to fit thru
...I
just fill the barrel with clay, push in the plunger
...slip the gun
in the hole of the donut .... stand the clay gun, holes-up, on the
floor
....the weight of the donut starts pushing on the wings (and I can
use my hands or feet very conveniently to help)
....the only thing you
have to do is guide the snakes of clay
to keep them off the floor as they grow!
The circumference of the donut means
the whole thing can't tip over. Works like a charm! Ronda in Oregon
I
got creative. Here's what I used:
1 clay gun + 1 rinsed-out Snapple bottle
+ something soft and small for cushioning
...stand the clay gun
up on a carpeted floor with extruding end facing up
...place the open mouth
of the bottle over the clay gun until it is stopped by the gun wing handles
...put
your cushion on top of the bottle and gently sit down on it, gradually
The clay will be easily extruded into the bottle. Lisa
(but
be careful with the glass!... or maybe use something
like a metal coffee can over the glass bottle?)
Most clay guns come with about 20 aluminum disks and cost around $10. Some of the disks are larger/smaller versions of the same shapes. (website gone)
I am working on (more shapes for) metal discs . . . .Karen http://www.clayalley.com
Re
the disks bending, I haven't had that problem with any of mine --although
I always warm the clay before extruding which helps. I have heard that some people
put a thin washer inside the cap just behind the disk, which should create
less stress on the disk itself. Some of the shapes don't work as well this way,
of course.
I've also heard that some of the disks (the later ones?) are being
made with a different metal or strength. I do notice that the one I have
that says Kemper on the barrel seem to be stronger all around (although
it seems their flatter disks are a tad too large to fit into the other guns.)
I thought I was always buying Kempers, so maybe they farmed out production to
Asia, or maybe they weren't actually Kempers. Diane B.
...I had heard from
Howard Segal that Kemper (I think) is now making the discs out of a heavier
metal that's rolled at the edges giving it extra strength. Does anyone have one
of these and do they last alot longer than those cheapy aluminum ones? Susan
...You can find the replacement disks at the ClayFactory. Look under Kemper
tools. They have to be by special order and sell for $2.49. http://www.clayfactory.net
I contacted Kemper [Kemper Mfg.,Inc. PO 696 Chino CA 91710 ... I can't find
a web site for them... ] about making a "new... improved.. stronger" set of discs
to prevent "blow outs"??? I bet Polyform and Amaco have a lot of influence at
Kemper! Maybe our favorite clay suppliers can help too?? Let them all know! The(ir)
extruder was intended for the ceramists but now that Kemper lists polymer
clay "first" in their "uses" for the extruder... pc must be the most popular use
for it?!?! Seems logical that since pc is more firm...the discs should be more
firm?!?! Cella in SDak
Polyform introduced the Sculpey clay gun. Its discs are definately stronger than the original Kemper ones. I haven't experienced blow out with them at all but I have with my Kemper one.. . . a set of kemper discs weighs 5 grams and a set of sculpey discs weighs 25 grams. ..as opposed to the aluminium type material used in the Kemper tool, these are listed as die cut steel. ..they will fit into the Kemper gun...but they're not sold separately at this time. Petra
I have found that the clay guns produced by Darice/Catan's have much stronger disks --they are reinforced with a thicker edge than those that Kemper makes . . . Darice/Catan's sells throughJo-Ann Fabrics as well as many craft stores. mamadude
I have a few very old Kemper clay guns and they are far superior to any of the newer ones that I have seen from Sculpey or Kemper. Don't know what has happened, but I find that with the newer clay guns the plunger does not fit very well and even threads are not very well done. Jeanne R.
I've been extruding clay a LOT lately and
when my tiny one hole (favorite) disk blew through the front of the gun last year,
he put 2 washers in; one on either side of the disk.....it's takin' a lickin'
and is still tickin'! ....er, extrudin' ;-) Patti
....
what I did was to get a washer the same size as the disk, then I had someone
drill out the hole bigger for me. I put this into the end of the
cap, then put the disk on top, now I never get blow outs. Jenny P.
My husband Kris already made the (bellows pusher), and it works like a charm. . . .In fact, I don't have to use foot or hand pressure (either works fairly easily) if I don't wish; he just picked up a ten pound hand weight, placed it on the end of the board, and voila! Nice, steady pressure, no blow out of the disks, no bending. It's great! Pat O.
I
needed a half circle that was smaller than the size that comes with the set of
Klay Gun disks. I ended up holding an X-Acto blade perpendicular to a circle
disk so that, as the clay was extruded from the gun, the blade sliced it
into two half circles. This is admittedly easier using Wee Folk's
Klay Gun Pusher, and a second person would have made it even simpler.
. ..
Maybe you could use this technique with the square disk and slice it on the
diagonal. That way, you would get two half-triangles extruded at once.
I'm now looking at all those assorted disks, wondering what other sliced shapes
I can come up. And what happens when you load two disks into the gun at once,
such that one disk covers part of another's pattern?
square
disk: I use mine to make small square canes to cut up for small 'real' mosaics,
and to use to assemble mosaic canes. Crafty Owl
also checkerboard
canes . . .and Trip Around the World quilt canes (see Canes-instr.
> Quilt)
....mudra's diagonal rows of colored square logs for beads
(same as 1/4 of TripAroundworld cane)
http://fotoforum.gazeta.pl/3,0,773930,2,76.html
I saw these real small brass stencils....and I bought a snowflake design.... I grabbed my Cut All shears (or tin snips if you have them), drew a circle around the small snowflakes and cut them out. Put them in the clay gun and bingo, it worked! Custom clay gun disc! I don't know how long it will last as I noticed a small bend after about 10 barrel fulls. But if you turn the design around, it could work for a while! There were 3 small snowflakes so I was able to cut them all out to use! Karen R.
...try putting thin, large-hole washers behind the "disk" in the clay gun barrel?
PVC
pipes cut in half lengthwise, or half-tubes of (various shapes)
made from other materials can be used to create long clay pieces
as well
...fill your
trough with clay, trim, and carefullly remove.
...or if you have
a decorative layer you want to use (cane slice sheet or transfer, e.g.),
do as Patty B. did and lay that #1 sheet in first, face down, and an acrylic
rod or cornstarched dowel to press it in well; then trim overhang;
lay in a narrower strips of clay until full, pressing down; remove carefully
and use
...(see
more in Beads>Rollers>Trough>Making
your own ...and details on making a hidden-channels, cuff or tile bracelet
(with a transfer) using this technique in Jewelry
> Bracelets)
any shapes of bead roller could work for long shapes as well, and may even be a supplement to the clay gun for even, though larger, "extrusions"
additional disks, for sale
My (old) Wish
List for Clay Guns and Disks .....(now
there ARE some...yay! ....see
just below )
hole SIZES
-- Disk holes any size larger than what's available now would be great.
Taking a wild guess I'd say the most useful size might be an average of 1/2 to
3/4" for the actual hole?? The idea would be to create *canes* most of all (there
are other uses of course, for twisted ropes, framing, etc.). If the price were
reasonable or if one could buy them a la carte, I'm sure there would be loads
of demand!
hole SHAPES (my wish list --there could be more though
that I can't think of right now though!) --round (several diameters) --half round
--quarter round (grat for pinching the pointed bottom out longer, and using between
round petals in a flower cane) --quarter moon (great for making eyelids, petal
outliners, etc.) --larger multi-hole one for extruding multi-colored hair, for
example, from 2 or more colors of clay put in the barrel at the same time
The next ones are similar to quilt piecing shapes; i.e., the sizes and proportions
would compatible for fitting together into one "block" to make lots of patterns:
--rectangular (maybe one similar to the proportion that exists now, plus at least
one longer, thinner one) --trianglar (half-triangles--2 make a square, AND quarter-triangles--4
make a square, AND long tapered triangles--3 make a rectangle) --square (either
4 or 9 of these would fit together to create the same size square as the triangle
combos above)
other shapes: Many of the shapes used in icing tips
would be great, especially things like the starburst-type shapes and the leaf
shape (imagine being able to create leaves with polymer like you would with icing
tips!). Of course, as long as we're dreaming here, how about interchangeable tips
like the icing tip couplers?? so one could easily switch colors/barrels or tips.
YES!
more --The disks would need to be really strong (steel?) in order
to sell well, I would think, or at least the demand would be higher. Some of these
sizes could be created for the guns that are out there now, but it would be even
better to have a larger gun too that could extrude more volume and have more torque.
If the gun were easier to clean than the existing ones (by having a really
tight fit for the plunger end area, for example), I can guarantee a great demand!
Perhaps even selling one or more easy-to-use tools for cleaning existing or new
clay guns would be a way to go. Diane B.
Quilted
in Clay Disk Set (now offered by Jenny Patterson!!!--- yay!! ) .....16
very strong steel disks
...extrusions from
these disks will fit together to create many, many block designs
...can
also combine extrusions from these disks with square and triangle extrusions
created with disks from other clay guns (standard Kemper
KlayGun and Sculpey Clay guns) to create an unlimited number of quilt designs...
also SugarCraft and Makin's gun if purchase special metal washer--adapter ring--
from Tamila's site (Jenny may eventually sell them too)
...can
also use for elements in any non-quilt canes too, of course
http://www.quiltedinclay.com/artist_tools/disc_set.htm
..........(Dec.
09, 2005.... MORE INFO TO COME HERE SHORTLY --DB:
from Misc-Temp2)
Polymer
Clay Express ... very strong steel disks, in sets
....
use in Polymer Clay Express extruder ...will those fit in other
guns though?
.... quilt shapes, floral shapes, and
moulding shapes available for
....more expensive
than most disks
see guns above in Clay Guns
> suppliers, brands--sizes,types > larger small guns
(Oct.02:)...
I am working on (more shapes for the) metal discs --so I printed
out your wish list!
Karen http://www.clayalley.com
(none yet?)
Darlin' Designer Disks
made and sold by Tamila Darling .....sets of plastic disks
...many different shapes (mostly pictorial...
animals, leaves, geometrics, Halloween, Xmas, body parts, etc.)
...disks come
only in 20 themed kits....($1 per disk, but can't be purchased separately)
http://www.simplydarling.com/SDCPages/SDCDDDisks/ThemeKits/ThemeKits.htm
...cleaning the Darlin' Designer Disks: since the plastic
of the disks is eaten into by raw clay, Tamilla recommends
cleaning them with a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol, then dish soap (to remove
the alcohol which could have a drying effect on the disks); the disks could probably
be left in a dish of alcohol for an hour or so, then washed at one time later.
....her disks may not fit all guns; however the edges can be sanded
to fit, or she sells an adapter ring for the Sugarcraft gun (smaller-barrel) ...
and for use with Jenny Patterson's extra disks in ________________ guns
....the
extrusions can be sliced after baking (while still warm) to best
preserve the shape, or they can be refrigerated or frozen first . . . Leigh partially
bakes the outside of her raw extrusions with a heat gun before slicing
...Stargazer made a yin-yang cane with the "comma"
disk.... she made her interior dots in the commas by using a needle to
make/enlarge a hole, but a small straw could be use to remove a round hole from
the comma shape and a rope of clay inserted/pressed down
...these shapes are
great for buttons for dolls...or other little embellishments for
figures, or for necklaces, barrettes...Anita
...could be little
spacer beads for almost anything. . .memory wire bracelets., etc. Kathy
...I have (many) containers filled with extruded shapes just waiting
to be used. Tammy
..see
many more samples of how similar pictorial extrusions could be used
at:
http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/USAGEpics.chtml
(3-4 pages)
....Linc
sells the canes (not the disks for making the canes)... pre-baked
odd-shaped canes
(Chop 'M Stix) must
be warmed before cutting the slices
....order
page for Linc's
canes of tiny gingerbread people, stars, snowman, few animals, etc.
http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/store/page1.html
someone suggested using some of your least-liked disks then cutting new shapes in them with a (hand) jewelers saw --Chris Hentz did this at Arrowmont
I
would use small needle files and rasps to make the triangle in an
aluminun disk
....first drill holes where needed, then just connect
the holes with the files
....aluminum
cuts fairly easily and quickly, and a hole of less than an inch
in a thin disk wouldn't take very long. Steve
or
could cut down the larger disks from other extruders?
... or
could solder, glue or tape a smaller disk to a larger disk to be
used in a larger extruder?
Also in regard to the dies
that Carl H(ornberger) made, all I remember is that he said he sweat soldered
these together somehow.
...can't recall what he made them out of - copper
or brass maybe? Geo in MI.
....He said he used
to drill holes in dimes before he came up with the copper(?) ones.
Carl was in Chris Hentz's class at Arrowmont in 1997. Chris is the one
who suggested using a dime and a jewelers saw. Chris had made two
dies which he used simultaneously to make hollow tubes that he cut with a
thick tin snips to create hollow, pillow shaped beads. He was using the same principle
as his baker father to make doughnuts/long johns. Cella in SD who was also in
the class....and who's dime didn't fit her extruder perfectly.....
(the bit I use for cutting most metal (with
my rotary cutter?) is a 'disk' (# 426) that is about
the size of a quarter. It cuts anything slick as a whistle. I can cut screws
in half with it. I thought it would cut a metal icing tip easier then trying
to cut by hand with wire cutters.)
...It's too big
though to cut inside the tiny clay gun disks....
the priority there, I would think, would be to hold that disk so it wouldn't fly
away (like into your eye), so wear goggles.
... I don't think the Dremel
is too fast, & mine has a slow speed also. Actually, I think fast would
be better with the soft metal & you won't have to push hard.
......maybe
using a stone
bit (#84922)
or a high speed cutter (#125) for carving & grooving,
would work.
.......the cutter #125 is cone shaped & could probably
cut a triangle?? Judy
Just a word of caution here! ....grinding
stones for the Dremel or other high speed tools are not
safe for
aluminum... this soft metal
clogs the stone. The stone will overheat
and explode!
....instead, to shape aluminum, use high speed steel cutters or
drills, and hand files
......and always
wear safety goggles when using a Dremel
type tool. I have been hit in the face several times over the years when cut off
disks break (fortunately no injuries) and cut
off disks always
break. Steve
I
just talked to my husband about cutting dies in thick aluminum
(re the Super Duper gun, et al.). He said several important things I needed to
understand:
To cut through thick aluminum *wouldn't* be simple for
most people.
....As they mentioned, you'd want to drill
a pilot hole first, but the actual sawing action (using a carpenter's coping saw,
but outfitted with a metal-cutting blade, or jeweler's saw?, possibly followed
by emery cloth) would be somewhat tedious and timely.
....He said if you saw
too quickly, it's easy to make an uneven
cut .....ditto with the filing rasps (though rasps do come in shapes like triangular
and round as well as flat which would make cutting triangles, e.g., easier).
...What one would really need (esp. to have a small business for making
these) would be something called an arbor press, so that the holes could
simply be punched out rather than drilled/filed. He said he thought one of these
machines would cost $100-200 ... some punch shapes may be available for sale,
but some of them may have to be machined (by the same person or at a machine shop).
The way this machine works is sort of like a hole puncher. If you were trying
to punch out a triangular hole from a die, the blank die (which may have a pilot
hole drilled in it) would be placed on a flat base piece having a triangular hole
in it; then a rack-and-pinion (non-electrical) lever would press a somewhat sharp
triangular-shaped rod down through the blank die (and through the matching hole
in the base). Presto! Diane B.
What about asking at the local high school shop class? They could probably make them there....bet they have the right tools and could drill a disk pretty quick. Sarajane H.
shrink plastic disks
... I made a disk with a sheet of shrink
plastic ....it took a few tries to figure out what size the original should
be to end up with the right shape after baking since it shrinks about 60%
....I
squeezed a small amount of clay through to try it
...it probably won't
hold up for long, but it was cheap & quick ...and maybe
good for specific or complex shapes you don't need much of
.... (they broke in half
. . . phooey!) ... maybe they would be stronger if they were two thicknesses
glued together, or if they were backed with a metal washer,
etc, or if the clays used were very very
soft? Diane B.
.... polymer clay cannot be left
on this type of plastic, as I remember
...think the plasticizer will begin begin to eat
through it (and could be what weakened mine even more?) ...but the disks could
be cleaned with alcohol just after use to prevent that?.
... is this what Darlin
Designer Disks are made from? (it's recommended to clean them off after
use too)
The clay needs to be soft enough to extrude.....
ALL clays should
be warm when extruded using one method or another.
If the clay sits in the barrel for a long time, it will be harder to extrude
(so remove it and re-warm it, or warm the from the outside,
as below)
--In general, if you're using Premo
or Sculpey, simply run the clay through the pasta machine (or twist and roll
with your hands) until it's fairly pliable before extruding (of course, leached
Premo may not work as well).
--If you're using Fimo Classic (or any
stiffer clays), or if it the ambient temperature is really cold,
you'll need to soften the clay even more:
.....mixing the clay with
a smear of Vaseline (or other diluents or softer clays)
is recommended for Fimo Classic.
.....otherwise, simply run the filled
barrel under hot water for a few seconds just before extruding, wave a
hair dryer at the filled barrel until it gets hot, or keep your gun (or
an extra gun) on a hot pad or clay warmer between uses (wrapping
with paper may insulate the clay a bit though)
(see more on softening
clays in Conditioning > Some Ways to
Warm Clay)
At first, extrude slowly to keep stress on the disk to a minimum. I haven't had any trouble with disks "blowing out" of any of my guns, but I always do warm the clay first.
washer
options (if you need them) ....the best washers I've found
are ¼-inch "hardened" washers --much stronger than
the thinner ones
1. don't use a washer (best, but you may need one if your
disks are bending and you can't soften your clay sufficiently)
... if using
one though, the outer parts of the multi-hole disks and the larger
clover shape disks will be masked off by it
(website gone)
2. insert washer into cap rounded
side first, then insert the disk rounded side first
3. if you need to cut
(or scrape across) the top of the disk cleanly, reverse washer & disk, and put
rounded sides down (someone mentioned having the washer hole enlarged; that would
be great, but who would do it?!)
If you
want to keep the inside of the barrel pristinely clean
(or
protect against other colors that may have been left in the barrel)
Makin's
Clay has come out with a new clay gun which may eliminate the need
for using this method, or for cleaning the barrel after use, because the interior
disk which pushes the clay has an 'O' ring around it that cleans the
barrel very well as it extrudes (...leaving little residue --but
still some residue???)
....see this gun above in .
LESSON..--Clean Barrel Extruding
with Paper:
--cut a piece of ordinary white paper, tracing paper,
patty paper, or parchment paper (waxed paper or others may also work), into a
rectangle approx. 2¼ x 3½" (website gone)
.......
(if you like this method, you may eventually want to cut a stack of paper
at one time . . . from stacks of 8½ x 11"sheets, I cut a tad less than
2¼" on the long side (x5), and 3½" on the short side (x2)
--roll the clay (or multicolor clay pieces) into a log narrower than the
clay gun barrel, and shorter than the barrel's length
...... (the
more clay in the barrel, the more difficult it will be to extrude the first
part of it)
--leaving the leading tip of clay sticking out just a bit,
roll the clay log up in the paper (about one and a half times around; more may
be better in some cases?)
--fold over the extra paper at the back
end, and cut off just past the side of the log
--then scrunch the extra
paper so that it isn't
hanging over the edges, but still completely
covers the clay (the better you do this, the easier the removal later!) (website
gone)
--insert the paper-covered log into either end of the barrel, attach disk and cap (& washer, if needed), and extrude
--remove cap and press firmly on the plunger all the
way to the end...or keep the gun in the pusher for this step; doing either will
pop out the whole compressed paper wad, wrapped around a pea-size amt.
of remaining clay
(--discard the whole thing, or open and retrieve the small
bit of clay)
This method may
not
work as well for techniques where you want
the clay to stick to the sides
...for
example, when using automatically wrapped logs for things like (sanded-back)
multi-color Balinese Filigree, sanded braids, or
dot slices canes ... because (at least when using the multi-hole
disk when making BF), the extruded colors tend not to switch quickly
from one color to the next, & ropes end up with streaks
of colors along their outsides. Saran might
work better though?
...However, you can do this with a slightly
diff. technique (and the barrel still stays clean).... I learned this at the
CT Retreat.
......Tightly wrap only the last inch or so of the
snake of clay you are putting in the clay gun (with a strip of wax paper).
......Twist
off the end leaving a paper "tail"..........Put the whole thing in the
clay gun, with the wax paper end last.
.....When you are extruding, watch
for the bit of wax paper to come through, and then stop.
.....(All
you'll have to clean out is the disk and a bit of the threaded piece
that holds the disk in.) It really works! Libby
Also, wrapping the clay with paper insulates it a bit from any heat in the metal barrel ...that's why it should only be wrapped once. This shouldn't be a problem if you use the clay right after conditioning or warming though.
**It turns out that the Sculpey clayguns have a slight lip at the front end of the barrel which prevents the plunger from pushing through and out the end!. This means that the clean extrusion method will not work with this gun (as well?) because the paper will get stuck at the end. It's possible that adding several washers (of smaller diameter than the lip) behind the log and paper will allow those washers to be pushed through and out, releasing the paper?
(--to extrude in the regular way, just don't use paper)
OTHER
RELEASE METHODS:
... How about running a cotton ball lightly coated with
mineral oil through the gun before adding clay?
(Or using the same
kind of saturated cotton ball to clean the barrel, possibly holding it with long
tweezers, running it up and down? DB)
Jaqueline finds that she can prevent
some sticking by smearing the inside of the barrel with a bit of Vaseline...
...Somebody
(forgive me for forgetting who it was) on these boards came up with the idea of
using Armor-All (which is a good release agent for molds) in the
clay gun. It should make the clay slide better, and not stick to the sides
where it's so hard to clean up. . . . or use mineral oil?
Molly: using
amor-all works great. clay doesnt stick to the inside much at all. I put it together
with the shape i am using and then squirt once into the barrel and put the plunger
in so it coats that as well …the extra runs out the end and then i put the clay
in…. a few bubbles of armor all comes out but doesnt effect the compisition of
the clay at all. (BUT... this will affect its ability to later accept sealers
or paint???)
I have noticed that Armor-all causes me lots of problems with the clay gun
when not used very carefully. Right now I am making "stain glass" with tinted
liquid sculpey. For the lead, I extruded black Premo. When I used it with Armor-all,
the liquid sculpey would not flow and adhere to any
spot that had been in contact with Armor-all. ...I've also noticed a distinct
weakening of clay when using Armor-all. If I used it on thin
pieces of clay, they often would not hold up to any stress. The same clay
was very strong without the Armor-all. Jeanne
…try adding cornstarch into Klay Gun barrel, then using toothbrush?
Other
ways to clean (summary):
... bake or freeze them.... use
nipple brushes or toothbrushes... hot water and soap...
baby oil, baby wipes... paper towels... Scotch Brite pads...
baked clay plugs.... raw sticky (boxed) Sculpey clay...
large drill bits.... tubs of alcohol, etc.
...Also, some
people coat the inside of the barrel with Vaseline or ArmorAll before inserting
the clay; this will keep it clean but ArmorAll at
least will prevent certain other things from sticking to the clay later (finishes,
paints? powders?, etc.), and some say it weakens the clay, so use care.
Do
whatever works best for you.
Some people have a number
of clay guns and use similar colors in each, or have one separate gun
for multi-color BF and other techniques where you might want
the clay to stick...
.....I use the same
gun for very similar colors. ....White has it's own gun... Reds..... so
on!!!!!....You can get the clay guns wholesale at a discount for quanities,so
they are really inexpensive that way
…if there is residual clay on the sides of the chamber, it is extremely difficult to push through, regardless of the type of clay used.
It isn't necessary to totally clean the gun after each use .....just slide the plunger in and out until it slides freely, then load....and don't overload, fill 1/2 way. Donna Kato
The
easiest way I've found so far to clean a barrel with clay in it is with alcohol.
--If you open a cotton ball, press it around the head of a toothbrush
(with short bristles) so that it covers the top of it and the cotton is somewhat
thinner just in front of the bristles, and pour a bit of alcohol on it, you can
then scrub and twist it a few times;
-Or scrub with an adhesive, cotton
panty-liner (7", extra long) rolled up over a nut pick, soaked in alcohol
(the nut pick grabs the inside of the roll).
...The DH also managed to clean
it pretty well with a very small piece of thin fabric, cut in circle just
larger than the barrel diameter & soaked in alcohol, then pushed through
with the plunger.
I have a small
jar filled w/ rubbing alcohol. I drop the gun in there and let
it soak a bit
....and then I have a nipple brush
from a baby bottle clean
