In this video I'm going to show you a quick and easy way to make cool looking
handles like these.
Hi, Marie here from Pottery Crafters giving you tips tools and techniques to
help you make beautiful pottery. When I started making mugs I was actually
afraid to make handles. My mugs had no handles, did yours?
This is what I ended up with when I pulled my handles. I didn't make them
quite thick enough. I like the extruder on the wall but I'm
not making 50 mugs at a time plus it was a little hard for me to use. This is
exactly what I needed. Mine is the Super Duper clay extruder
from Scott Creek Pottery. Kemper and Shimpo also carry their own versions of
the handheld extruder. It's a great helper for beginners or anyone that's
not that good at making handles. This one included a half-inch coil die and two
blank dies which I made two smaller coils with and bought a set of eight
handle molds. You can choose from many different dies and make your own that's
great. This little baby holds over a pound and
a half of clay and can make up to a dozen handles at a time. Let's make some
handles.
These are the patterns that the dyes make. If you would like a handle for a
cup, it's a smaller handle. If you'd like a larger mug handle, this one's a nice
one. You can be creative and make all different patterns. This is how easy it
is to make a cool handle. Take some nice soft well wedged clay your extruder and
pick out a die. Now hold the top handle press the release button and pull the
plunger back.
That's how easy it is. Untwist the cap, make sure your clay is a little smaller
then the tube and slide the clay right into the tube. I like to have a little
clay left over to stick my die on. Choose your die.
Twist the cap back on, make sure you don't twist it too tight because it'll
be hard to actually open up again. Make sure your extruder is vertical because
that helps to stop the clay from curling. As you're bumping your handle all you
have to do is press the handle and here we go, see it starting to curl right
there. All you have to do is straighten it out with your finger and continue to
press down. I think that's a good size for a handle. Just take your finger and
pull it off and there's a cool handle.
Make another. It starts to curl, straighten. Now another cool handle.
Now if you want to be creative and make another handle in a different way just
unscrew the top push the die off.
Select another die.
Place it right on top of the clay, twist the cap and you're ready to go again.
Press your handle, there's another cool handle you can make.
That's how easy it is to make a cool handle. These are some handles that I
just finished. This one has been bisqued already. It's actually two different
patterns together. I love the great patterns you can make with these handles.
Makes it so creative so beautiful adds just something extra to your cup or your
mug. On this one I actually used this die and I used it for the top also.
Then I used this dye for the top of this jar. You can be creative. Here's another one
I put together. Give it a little twist.
Here are just a few of my finished handles.
I love the decorative choices you get with the handheld Extruder. Now your mugs
don't have to be hard to make or have no handles at all. You can make handles like
a Pro, Plus save a lot of time. How do you make your handles? What are your favorite
handles? Let me know in the comment section below and click that subscribe
button. Also in the comment section are more show notes and pottery making Info.
Click here to go to my other video about attaching handles to the mugs in
five easy steps and keep making that beautiful Pottery.