Making My First Polymer Tubes

Tubes – what to do with them?

Recently I took Cynthia Tinapple’s class ‘Extrusions’ at CraftCast.com.    They have great classes!  https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/learn-make-extraordinary-polymer-clay-extrusions-cynthia-tinapple  
One of the new tools I learned about was the tube adapter for the Makin’s Extruder.  I would tell you the make etc. but after I unwrapped the three adapters (each was for a different size tube), I threw away the packing. I think I got mine from Cool Tools.  I did not find this video until after I made my tube and even though it is for metal clay, it is a good demo by Cool Tools to show how the adapter works in the extruder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTdD8MVifWc

This is what it looks like.  It’s the circle with the raised stem.  There were few directions so I played around with it and put the clay in the extruder, put the adapter with the stem side out next to the clay and the round disc in the cap and screwed it all together.  I extruded!  A long tube came out and I was so excited. 


Then I wondered what I was going to do with the tube!  I played!  And here are a few ideas I came up with.  Not bad for my first tubes!  What do you think?

vertical tubes with retro extrusions wrapped around the tube

Horizontal tubes become beads

Fun necklace with curved tube beads in different sizes


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Location: Prescott, AZ, USA

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