I had been thinking about 3D printing an extruder for a while, but before I got around to doing that, I was able to make one with items found at a hardware store. I had stopped using my makin’s extruder after noticing that some of the embeds I made with it developed DOS (Dreaded Orange Spots) over time. (I live in a high humidity climate)
I have also noticed DOS on embeds that I piped. Which makes me think that perhaps my piping tips are not made of stainless steel, or that they may be coated with nickel. I have also suspected titanium dioxide as the culprit. Perhaps because the white makes the DOS more obvious. I’m not certain, but I want to avoid using metal tools that I’m not 100% sure are stainless steel in my soap making to at least reduce a variable. I considered an extruder like this one, but I could not figure out what metal it is made of, or if it is made with carbon fiber.
Update: One of my viewers shared with me this cookie press that is made of stainless steel, and the discs I made for my DIY extruder fit in it. (Thank you Dawn!)
When I was considering purchasing the larger extruder linked above, an idea presented itself and I googled DIY extruders in YouTube. I found this videoo particularly helpful. It is a DIY extruder made for clay. I thought that with some modifications I could use it for soap, and it worked! It did have some leakage of soap though. My next project is to make it with a pipe that has threading, and then 3d print a cover that allows for the use of the extruder disc.
Soap dough that is on the firmer side seems to work best, because it does not curl as much and it creates a fairly straight embed.
Here is a list of what I used and a link to the video:
TOOLS:
- Hand saw: Like this one or this one. In the video we used a larger one because I could not find my smaller one, and it was too much work to get the miter saw out just for this.
- Sanding paper or a dremmel to soften the ragged edges in the caulking gun
MATERIAL:
- 1.5″ pvc pipe or threaded pvc pipe, which is already short and does not need to be cut.
To purchase any of the extruder discs, or the push disc, you can visit my shop.
Soaps by Glenda 