Extruder Adapter Set-up and a Clay Marking Tool

We purchased the Driver Adapter from Cynthia Tinapple some time ago.  It is a tool that connects a polymer clay extruder to your power drill making it much easier for extruding your clay.  We still hadn't used it yet until we finally reorganized the studio.  We have been using the extruder tool more these days so I wanted it in a spot where it would be handy.

This is how the set-up now looks on our clay desk work area.

The vice is a screw down type and we didn't want to drill holes in our table so we attached it to a wood cutting board.  The cutting board is then clamped down onto the desk so it can be moved to another location if needed.

The drill we are using is cordless so can be a little heavy when the battery is attached.  I happened to have a box that was the perfect height to sit the drill on so we don't have to hold it while extruding the clay.  To use the adapter, we fill the extruder with clay and attach both ends.  We then insert the adapter end into the drill and then place the extruder into the vice so it is lined up and even.  There is a piece of parchment paper in front for the extruded clay to fall onto.

This set-up works really well and makes extruding the clay so much easier.  The clay we are extruding in the above photo is for our toglet buttons so they are consistent in thickness.  We are using a washer we found in just the right size to use as our die.  To make them all the same length I came up with my own marking tool.  I cut a strip of plastic canvas and cut out sections to create notches for marking.  On the opposite side, I cut out notches at a different length.  This tool works great when making beads as well.

Polymer Clay Global Perspectives Book Arrived

Each year I treat myself with some new books for my birthday and this year I purchased Cynthia Tinapple's new book, Polymer Clay Global Perspectives.  As soon as it arrived in the mail and started reading, I knew I made the right choice.

The author, Cynthia Tinapple, is known for her blog, Polymer Clay Daily which is a morning read that many polymer artists look forward to in the morning with their cup of coffee to start the day.

Cynthia is a good writer and I love how she talks about polymer clay and it's history.  She has an interesting chapter on Assessing your work and how she discovered five categories that inspire artists:  The Experimenters, the Disciplinarians, the Naturals, the Socializers and the category I fit into, the Problem Solvers.

The photos are extremely high quality and a real bonus are some of the projects or tips from a wide range (125) of polymer artists from around the world.  I especially like the layout how she places the captions for the photos on the adjacent page so you get the full effect of the photos on the page opposite.

Over time I have had the opportunity to get to know many other polymer artists from around the world and so makes this book even more special to see them and their works displayed.

In you have any interest in polymer clay, I highly recommend this book.  You can order it here, OR, if you are in Canada, you can order it here.