Friday, May 21, 2010

What a Caulker (corker)!

Now when it comes to tools I know there are a lot of people out there who like to make their own. I admire that, but I’m not one of them. I’m more than happy to pop down to the shop and buy myself a shiny new ready made tool. So I must say I was rather proud of myself recently for doing a bit of DIY in the tool department.

I’ve been playing around with some new work that will require handles. Now I can pull handles from clay, but I seem to be only ever able to pull one kind of handle. Every time I try to make them a little differently they just don’t look quite right. So I decided to save myself a whole lot of time and frustration and whip myself up a little hand extruder with the help of this video (via ceramic arts daily) and a very amusing character called Dave Henry. A quick trip to Bunnings for a caulking gun and some PVC pipe, a bit of drilling and sawing, and voila, my very own hand extruder with 3 different handle forms (so far). It’s a corker! I keep hearing James Bond and Mission Impossible soundtracks in my head as I aim at the bench and watch the handles ooze out!

5 comments:

Gail Walker said...

I'm impressed and off to the hardware store for parts and pieces to make my own! I only work with paperclay, but uniformity and balance are endlessly pursued even in so humble a medium! P.S. Love your work!

Unknown said...

Wow bam! That looks awesome! Duh-dun-nuh, duh-dun-nuh-- doodly-dooh, doodly-dooooh... (that's my version of the mission impossible theme.)

Mel Robson said...

Thanks Gail, and enjoy your new extruder! Jesse...fine version of miss. impossible! Stuck in my head now...again!

Sophie Moran said...

Well impressed Mel. Have similar relationship with tools - a kind of "need to do this now" approach.

small forest said...

The possibilities of this are endless. My mind is humming now! Thanks, :)