This is the third extruder I’ve tried, and by gum, we’ve found a winner! My hands are not so strong and they tire easily. I’ve used both the Kemper clay gun, and a version of Makin’s that is a push extruder. Both are lost causes for me… by the time I get 2 inches of usable extruded clay, my hands are shot.
I ordered the “Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder” from E-bay (regular retail price about $20.00 , hoping that the screw-propelled version would work better for me. I made a variegated blue cane today, and I almost wept with joy. No sore hands! Long pretty ropes! Hallelujah!
OK, maybe I’m overstating my point. But when you find a tool that works well and furthers your creative vision, it’s a beautiful thing. So many more possibilities are now opening up for me. I’ll share more extruded goodies once I get some more time to play….
I have to mention that I found it very easy to clean out. The bottom portion that holds the die also attaches with a screw collar. Unscrew, wipe off the die, scrape out the tube with a toothbrush, viola~! You’re good to go.
(ADDED NOTE 4/27/10: I got a tip from a fellow clayer: if you spray the barrel with a little Armour All before you load the clay, it will lubricate it a little more and the clay is even easier to remove. Nice.)
My seven-year-old came home from school and tried it out, too. He says it’s cool.
You betcha.
Bottom line: it’s utterly CRAFTASTIC!!!
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I make many of the miniatures for my poetry angels from clay. Thanks for the heads up! Since I have arthritis, this sounds like something I should try! Thanks!
Theresa
You’re right, this extruder is totally Craftastic!!!! I make all kinds of polymer clay canes with my Makin’s extruder with no hand problems at all. (I’ve had surgery for Carpal Tunnel on both hands so they are not as strong as they once were.)
Cindy Lietz
http://www.beadsandbeading.com
“I learned by making mistakes… Now you don’t have to.”
I think we follow each other on Twitter, don’t we? Anyway, I landed here looking for a review of this product before I forked over the money to buy one. I agree–regular push-style extruders are really hard on the hands. I rigged up one of my husband’s old caulking guns to put the extruder in, and that made extruding the clay better, but this method was also bulky and difficult. So thanks for the review of this product–I guess I’ll go ahead and buy one.
So wat do u mean screws! Screws as in the top handle twists? Does it take forever? Is it nice clean cut when the clay is extruded through? Does the red and black one that is the orchard sugarcraft clay gun hard on your wrists/hands?
Woah! That’s a lot of questions. But I’ll do my best one at a time.
By “screw”, I mean that the plunger that pushes the clay through the barrel is powered by a handle that you turn in a clock wise motion through the threaded nut. (As opposed to a “push” extruder, in which you have to push down on the handle to make the plunger depress.) It takes a lot more force/effort to push the clay through than it does to twist the handle around. It does take a little longer, I guess- but for me the time it takes to fully empty the barrel is offset by the fact that with a push extruder I often can’t empty it all at once, anyway. I need to rest and after a while, my hands ache so badly that I just give up. I don’t experience any of that hand fatique with the screw-top. Just sayin’.
You also asked if it was a “nice, clean cut.” Well, that depends on how well and how recently you conditioned you clay before you put it in the extruder! Like other clay projects, your clay should be well-conditioned and warm when you load it into the barrel for it to come out pliable and smooth. If you leave it in the barrel too long and it cools too much, you might get cracking. However, I find that with the Makin’s brand aluminum extruder, the dies are well-cut and with well-conditioned clay you get lovely canes.
Lastly, I’m unfamiliar with the sugarcraft clay gun you mentioned. I’d used the Makin’s (plastic) push extruder and the Darice metal push extruder, both of which were just too frustrating/painful for me to use. Looks like I need to test out another one!
Thanks for your questions, and I hope this clears things up for you!-Jenny
You’re awesome timely response was well appreciated Jenny. I will share this review with my fellow girlfriends at our next monthly gathering. We were all talking about what great extruder to get. Looks like we have a winner!!!!!
Woohoo,
Kaiulani
You are SO welcome!!! I hope you all enjoy extrusion with the Makin’s tool as much as I do! -Jenny