Extruder Plans

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

"Diego" wrote in message
...
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


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:

http://tonyolsen.com/up/extruder/

(GaSeku) wrote in message

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

thanks!

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

"Lori" wrote in message
m...
Here's the link Gaye:

http://tonyolsen.com/up/extruder/

(GaSeku) wrote in message

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

Diego,
If you use air, you would need a 'follower' on top of the clay to keep the
air from just blowing by and out the die.
Tony
http://tonyolsen.com/up/


"Diego" wrote in message
...
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

"Lori" wrote in message
m...
Here's the link Gaye:

http://tonyolsen.com/up/extruder/

(GaSeku) wrote in message

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

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

"tony" wrote in message
...
Diego,
If you use air, you would need a 'follower' on top of the clay to keep the
air from just blowing by and out the die.
Tony
http://tonyolsen.com/up/


"Diego" wrote in message
...
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

"Lori" wrote in message
m...
Here's the link Gaye:

http://tonyolsen.com/up/extruder/

(GaSeku) wrote in message

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