One surprising benefit of the method demonstrated by Liam Besaw is that using the extruder saves considerable time when producing handles compared to forming them by hand. The maker shows a wall-mounted metal lever clay extruder being employed to create handles for glazed ceramic mugs and vessels. The construction involves packing blocks of brown clay into the extruder barrel and securely mounting a custom die paired with a cutout blocking plate into the extruder's bottom collar. A long, ribbed ribbon of clay is pressed out by pulling the long lever, and sections sized for mug handles are then cut or pinched from this strip. The maker utilizes reclaimed clay in this process. A standout detail is that the custom-drilled plates create textured, ribbed clay profiles meant to interact with glazes, which is a fascinating approach to surface design. While the process is detailed, an open question remains regarding the use of plaster handle molds, as the maker has never used or known of such tools.
Project by Liam Besaw. Watch it on their YouTube channel: