{"id":5206,"date":"2009-08-15T03:03:26","date_gmt":"2009-08-15T10:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/?p=5206"},"modified":"2014-04-29T16:39:12","modified_gmt":"2014-04-29T23:39:12","slug":"clay-extruder-cleaning-maintenance-tips-project-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/clay-extruder-cleaning-maintenance-tips-project-ideas\/5206\/","title":{"rendered":"Clay Extruder Cleaning and Maintenance Tips… Plus Project Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Polymer<\/p>\n

“The extruder in my studio will now live next to the pasta machine.” ~Illaya<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want your polymer clay tools to last, you will need to keep them maintained properly. This is certainly the case when it comes to your polymer clay extruder<\/span>, or clay gun as some people call it. Listed below are 5 cleaning and usage tips for the Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder Gun:<\/span><\/p>\n

1)<\/strong><\/span> Use softer clay in the barrel. You can sneak in a little crumbly clay along with the soft clay for techniques like the one used to make Jupiter Beads. But a whole barrel full of hard clay, may end up breaking the plunger or stripping the threads on the screw handle.<\/span><\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/span><\/span> To clean the barrel and plunger remove clay first, and then completely unscrew the plunger till it reaches the end. Never unscrew the handle without removing clay because it can cause a vacuum which could break the plunger. Undo the screw caps on both ends and slowly pull the plunger straight out of the barrel. Don’t tilt the plunger at an angle because the rod could get stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/span><\/span> Once the extruder is disassembled, clean the barrel on the inside with rubbing alcohol or a paper towel. A baby wipe will also work as an alternative. Check for clay stuck in the threads of the caps and on the extruder disks.<\/span><\/p>\n

4)<\/strong><\/span><\/span> Clean around the black rubber o-ring on the plunger with a baby wipe or rubbing alcohol and remove any excess clay. Check for damage of the o-ring and replace it with the extra one that came with your tool if necessary. Rub a small amount of Vaseline or Armor All on the o-ring, wiping off any excess.<\/span><\/p>\n

5)<\/strong><\/span><\/span> When replacing the plunger, insert it straight into the barrel and thread the top and bottom caps back on. Clean as a whistle and ready to get back into some extruding action!<\/span><\/p>\n

Other Clay Extruder Resources and Technique Articles:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n