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Whether you're in a professional pottery class or just an open studio, you might have noticed the extruder on the wall. It looks a bit like a metal version of a Play Doh machine you probably had as a child. And it even works the same way as well. By adding clay to this contraption, you can begin to create shapes which can then be turned into elegant finished pieces – all without much effort or ingenuity.

Using the Extruder

When you get to the pottery studio, it will help to get an initial lesson from a qualified instructor or experienced student, if possible. This way, you can ask questions before you start pushing clay into the contraption. You will need a piece of clay about 8 inches high and as wide as the extruder itself. If you're not exact about your measurements, that's okay. The more clay you have, the longer your piece will turn out to be. You will pull up the handle of the extruder and make sure it stays out of the way as you load the metal case. Push the clay into this case, pushing it down into the bottom of the container. Once you are done, bring the handle and the lever back down onto the top of the clay. Take the handle and push it all the way down as far as you can, making sure someone else is there to catch your piece when it comes out of the bottom.

Special Concerns with Extruding

The first thing to keep in mind when extruding is that you will need a partner to help you. This is a two person machine. You will also want to choose a die cast before you put the clay in - where you will put this die will depend on the machine – hence the need for help or a lesson from someone who already knows how to use the machine. Make sure the die is securely in place before you place any clay into the container it sits at the bottom of. It will also be a good idea for you to clean out the extruder after you use it so as not to cause troubles for other people's pieces. The clay you are using should be slightly soft so that it is easy to push through the machine, but not too soft or the pieces will fall apart in your hands.

What Can You Make?

Extruding works well for creating vases or log shaped items as well as long ribbons of clay for handles and designs. You might also want to create larger pieces with longer tubes of clay from the extruder, building pieces with three vases all linked together. You can also take your larger piece and cut it into smaller pieces to make several small pieces, if you like. The extruder is far simpler to use when compared to the pottery wheel or some other art tool, but it will still create just as lovely of results.