Makins Extruder

[Carrie]

 
You are droll, Jan!

[jembox]

You are droll, Jan!

Yes I Am Carrie Thanks you very Much.!!!

[Carrie]

Right!

I've just killed my Makins extruder and another is on its way from Emma so l  want to be sure l understand exactly how to look after it!

I have recently been using warmed clay, not too full, warming the extruder, etc, but it was getting stiff.  I thought it was the clay but l guess it was long-term damage from before l read all your hints and tips! The thread has worn away near the end.

So - l like the idea of a scrunched up piece of plastic but if l forget (if  ) how do you get at the gasket (ring?) to clean it? Do you unscrew the top bit?
I can't undo that on the old one but l guess it must have come off when it was new - l really don't remember!
Is it definitely OK to take off the gasket?  Cleaning inside is no bother if all that happens is it gets dirtier.

[Klynn]

I still have not used mine - I don't know how it works - I might take it to the guild meeting in a few weeks. I know lots of people there that use them. I learn better if I see it used once and then I use it.

Kari

[Peter]

The rubber gasket just pops out and can easily be put back. After killing a large number of Makins my routine is....

!. Make sure the clay is warm
2. Don't overfill
3. Wipe around the rubber gasket with a baby wipe before use
4. Slide a baby wipe through the tube before use.
5. Clean with a baby wipe after every use.

If you run out of rubber gaskets you can get replacements from the plumbing aisle in most major DIY outlets (can't remember the size but it is just a simple "o" ring).

The baby wipe REALLY helps no end to increase lubrication and help the clay slide through.  It also helps to stop the gasket from shredding.

So far this extruder has lasted almost a year which is about 4 times longer than any other.

[Carrie]

Thank you, Peter    Very helpful.

But goodness me - you did get through them before you did the baby wipe onslaught 

[jembox]

And don't over tighten the caps - hand tight is good enough.

[Carrie]

Good point, Jan. 
The new one is here, thanks to Emma's speedy system, so as soon as l can bring myself to remove the cat from my lap l shall be off to try it out 

[Bonipie]

I will have a CZExtruder today.  I charged my drill battery yesterday.  I have been extruding old scrap for that 'natural' look.  My stainless steel extruder is holding up fine, but I can't hold onto the extruder tight enough.  I have it in a vice and this is working, but some of my parts are giving out.  I have always extruded small amounts of clay (a little goes a long way), but with the scrap, I am using a lot more at a time.  Yep!  That's what I told Honey.  He's ok with it as he buys a new r/c airplane.  Christmas is coming!

I bought the xxl all in one, no little bits at a time for me.  I have a go at it and give a report.

Hugs, Boni  in Wonderful Yuma, Arizona

[monkey ann]

Boni, I got the XXL (no extras), used it for the first time yesterday and was very impressed.  Looks like it is built to last.  The bit that pushes up the clay is not attached to the screw shaft and needs to be manually pushed down the tube, before the clay goes in.  I have a length of wooden dowel for this, it doubles up for cleaning too, with a baby wipe tightly wrapped round the end, not got the fancy brush that's in the set.
I used it in a vice and turned it by hand, was at a group clay meeting and hadn't packed a drill.  It seemed easy enough to turn without the drill.   

Hope you like yours when it arrives.

[jembox]

Boni I use mine with drill - when I fill it full it puts more pressure on everything till you get half way down then it gets easier,  so keep the drill slow

[Bonipie]

Hi, Jan and Monkey Ann,
First report on the cxextruder.  First, thanks for your input.

I did get the all in one.  Took a bit to sort things out.  Like, where to put the 'vice', and how to attach it to table, which way, turned it around, and around, end to end, etc.  Sorted out what screws to what.  What goes into where.

Anyway, my report.  I used my stainless steel one a lot, and wanted to extrude leeched clay.  I was having a lot of problem holding the tube tight enough, even in my vice.  And, turning the handle was not a picnic, either.   With the cz, when you put it in their 'vice', it holds the extruder very well.  I have a block of wood under the extruder-it's a long tube just hanging out there without any support.  After a while of extruding, something is going to happen to something.

I used the drill, and it worked very well.  I just laid the drill on the table by the extruder and pushed the button-didn't even have to hold the drill.  Then, I tried the handle.  Handle was easy to put on, and worked extremely well.  I tried dry clay with the smallest hole die, and the clay extruded like butter.  There was no effort.  So, the drill was very easy, but the handle was just as easy.  I'll probably just use the handle.  Only problem here was that the Z handle does not have a 'hand grip'.  The end of the handle is threaded, so I think I'll try to find a hand grip.   Something like my Atlas pasta machine handle would be great.  But, like I said, the handle works well.

Agree with Monkey Ann, the little thing that pushes the clay out was kind of funky-didn't really have a way to get it out without something to shove it out of the tube.  And, it was really hard to move.  I needed to push it out with something really substantial.  I finally took one of the O rings off it-it has 2.  Works quite easy with just 1 O ring, and seems to work properly.

I tried several dies and was quite happy.  I'll have to spend some quality time with them after our retreat at the end of the month.  There's a new die disk coming out.

After I sorted out everything, I'm very happy.  It does what I was having a problem with on the standard extruders.  It extrudes very well and very easily.  I'm a Happy Camper.  And, the Magenta is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Hugs, Boni  in Wonderful Yuma, arizona

[Carrie]

What are your feelings about having to file off all the little metal tags after pressing the discs out?

[Bonipie]

Carrie,
I'm a wire person and have some very cool tools.  One is a pair of large (big jaw) pair of Lindstrom cutters-don't know when I would have ever bought them, just not my kind-too big (they just showed up one day).  But....they cut those little tabs just fine.  I wouldn't use my little cutters-I have used small cutters on big wire before, and one side broke right off.  The little tabs are really substantial, so glad I have the right tool.

Do you have the extruder?  It's a little iffy in a couple of areas, but it does the things I need it to do very well, and I'm pretty good at figuring out or working around other things.  I haven't used all the discs yet, but have been happy with the quality of the ones I have used.  I always thought the dies supplied with the others were a bit flimsy with rough edges.  I always wanted better, and these are those.

I think if I couldn't cut off the little tags, I would just remove all of the discs at once, and grind them off.  I haven't had to cut all of the tags, some break close enough.

Hugs, Boni  in Wonderful Yuma, Arizona

[Carrie]

I have two of the discs, which fit the Makins extruder just fine.  I used a metal nail file - l certainly don't have cutters suitable...and any in DH's workshop would be too big l think!  I subsequently asked about the tags and they said filing is what they suggest     Quite a bit of paint comes off as well....

I can't understand why they sell them like that.  I think its a real design flaw - maybe they are a slightly looser fit in the Cz one they're designed for because l did have to file back completely before they'd fit