Veronica Honthaas on wed 28 apr 99
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Rocky Mann:
The extruder plans you posted were enticing. Is there a possibility you
could also post some diagrams to help clarify the instructions.Thanks,
Veronica
At 07:48 AM 4/27/99 EDT, you wrote:
=3E----------------------------Original message----------------------------
=3EI have been following the thread on ClayArt about extruders. It seems =
that
=3Eall of them have one problem or another: Leaks around the dies. Handle
=3Eslips. Handle too short. Barrel doesn=B9t hold enough clay. Dies are hard=
to
=3Echange, etc. The very best extruder has not been mentioned, ie, the one =
you
=3Emake yourself.
=3E
=3EIn 1971 I had an opportunity to work in a Danish pottery. After four =
years
=3Eof art school I found the working pottery experience an eye opener. Among
=3Ethe many pieces of pottery equipment, they had an extruder, the first one=
I
=3Ehad ever seen. Returning home in 1972 to set up my own pottery, I looked =
for
=3Ean extruder to buy. The only one available at the time was the Super =
Duper
=3EClay Extruder for a cost of =2450. This may sound cheap but please =
realize
=3Ethat the year before, I purchased a new Shimpo potters wheel for =24100. =
I
=3Eknew that the basic extruder was a simple tool so I went to my local junk
=3Eyard to see what I could find. I found a section of 4=B2 ID (inside =
diameter)
=3Epipe threaded on one end, steel rods, and channel iron. The only thing I =
had
=3Eto buy was a 4 1/2=B2 ID coupling. This was threaded, inside, on both =
ends to
=3Econnect two pipes together. I cut it in half, ground the end flat and =
welded
=3Ea 5=B2 X 1/4=B2 thick round steel circle with a 3 3/4=B2 circle cut out =
of the
=3Emiddle. This gave me a 1/4=B2 lip to hold the dies (two 1/4=B2 plexiglass=
glued
=3Etogether.) When the coupling is screwed on, the dies rest firmly against =
the
=3Ebottom of the barrel, there is NO leakage of clay around the dies. I =
welded
=3Ea section of channel iron (looks like the letter =B3U=B2) to the barrel =
which
=3Eextended 26=B2 above the top of the barrel. I cut notches into the =
channel
=3Eiron every two inches. My handle was made from 1=B2 steel rod. I cut this=
36=B2
=3Elong and welded a 3=B2 long rod at the end to form a =B3T=B2. The =B3T=B2=
fits into
=3Ethe notches in the channel iron. On the handle I welded small =B3beads=B2=
one
=3Einch apart for the first six inches. This gave a =B3no slip=B2 area on =
the
=3Ehandle when positioned with the top of the plunger. The plunger was a =
3/4=B2
=3Epipe 26=B2 long. I flattened one end and welded a 2=B2 long rod across =
the
=3Eflattened end. This is where it engages the handle. The pipe was threaded=
on
=3Ethe plunger end and I screwed on a 3=B2 plate. To this I bolted 3 pieces =
of
=3E1/4=B2 plexiglass cut 1/16=B2 smaller than the inside of the barrel.
=3E
=3EMy barrel is 24=B2 long and holds about 25lbs of clay. It is very easy to
=3Echange dies quickly. I coat the barrel and the threads on the coupling =
with
=3EWD-40 and have no problem with rust in the clay. The extruder is now 27
=3Eyears old is used daily and works as well as the day it was made. At the
=3Etime it was made it cost =247 in materials and a days labor. What is on =
the
=3Emarket today is either under build or over priced or both. This is not a
=3Edifficult piece of equipment to make. Make one to your own needs and save
=3Ethe bucks.
=3E
=3E
=3E-- Rocky Mann
=3E Bar Harbor, ME
=3E rockymann=40acadia.net
=3E
=3E
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