Hello All:
A potter friend and I are looking for plans to make an extruder. Anyone have a plan he/she'd like to share. I have one in my head using pvc pipe and threaded end caps. In one end I'm thinking about inserting a valve and use an air compressor as the method for introducing pressure on the clay rather than some sort of hand and plunger. An iron worker friend of mine is working out the different shaped solid and hollow dies.
Any ideas, suggestions or comments?
Diego
Diego, Have you seen the new book by Pottery Making Illustrated? It's called Pottery Making Techiniques. There are instructions for making an extruder with a bumper jack and one with plywood. Both are wall mounted. It also has an article on making your own dies, even dies for hollow extrusions. It's a really good book.
If you want plans for a smaller, hand held extruder, Tony Olsen has one on his website. My computer is eating my links, so I can't put my hand right on it. Gaye
that sounds like a good plan for a bomb. you should also build a steel shield around it. pvc isn't made for that kind of pressure. you're also going to need a really large (expensive) compressor, since you'll need high pressure.
use steel pipe instead.
Here's the link Gaye:
website. My computer is eating my links, so I can't put my hand right on it.
I went with the Tony Olsen plans. I'll experiment with the air compressor later. Not in the mood to blow myself up right now. I did that when I was a kid when my best buddy and I made nitroglycerin on the stove in his house. Missy came in and turned on the light. It makes the coolest blue color and is great at shattering windows. Packs a wallop.
I used the larger calking gun but had to grind the plunger to fit
2" pvc hole. On the other end I put on a cap, drilled a hole for the largest die I'd use. I placed a washer that just fit down the inside of the 2" pipe for a die. It works great and makes the most perfect little one inch round coil. I'm going to make more of the tubes so that I can pack up five or six at once to have them ready.Thank you all.
Diego
on his website. My computer is eating my links, so I can't put my hand right on it.
So, a follower would be similar to the little piece of plastic inside a tube of caulk that pushes the material along? I'd have to find something that fits pretty snuggly I'd imagine. Then, a way to retrieve it once it reaches the end.
I'm just looking down the road for production purposes to be able to load up, say, 50lbs of clay in the hopper then have a way to control air flow. I've got a good sized compressor and a control valve where I can have it squeeze out as much as I want then turn it off at the extruder... not at the compressor. I'll have to play with the pressure to see what works best if at all.
Thank you Tony,
Diego
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