lucy-extruderI started by buying an extruder at a local craft store that seemed like the best one.  Unfortunately, it was really hard to crank and I was supposed to hold it at the same time.  It was too hard on my hands.

I read about putting it in a vice.  That worked until the vice began to tear up the rubber coating on the extruder.  The extruder kept slipping and I kept tightening the vice.  I think I even dented the metal cylinder a bit.

I read about using Vaseline to lubricate the interior, but wasn’t sure how that would mix with polymer clay.  I liked the discs that came with it, but I needed a better extruder.

The LC Czextruder is wonderful.  It’s well-built.  It has its own holder and it cranks easily.

extruder-discs
The extruder discs are in sleeves made for coin collectors. I store them in a 3-ring binder. The ClayCore extruder adapters are above in an empty PanPastels container.

I bought all the Lucy discs in order to get the ones I really wanted. Many I’ll never use. I also bought some Makins discs and ClayCore extruder adapters.  The ClayCore extruder adapters make easy, small, tube beads.  Extruders make cane building much easier, too.

clay-core-discs
ClayCore extruder adapters in different sizes.

Much of my frustration with polymer clay has come from tools that didn’t work as well as they should.  I use the LC Czextruder and other Lucy tools because they work well.  I’m grateful they exist.

 P.S. I bought all these products myself and received nothing from the manufacturers.