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Review on πŸ–οΈ Walnut Hollow Crank Handle for Extruder by Gelin Battle

Revainrating 2 out of 5

Does not work well.

Doesn't work at all. For $20 I expected better results. TL; DR: The o-ring is constantly being dislodged (pushed back) during use, which allows clay to enter the sides as there is no o-ring to prevent it. About half of the clay was stuck in the barrel around the bolt. Tried it 3 times and it worked every time. I made sure I replaced the o-ring as it should be. There were also tons of metal splinters stuck to the clay on the propeller. It doesn't look like a food safe product. Full Story: I conditioned Primo Black Clay until it was perfectly soft and smooth. Before using the Walnut Hollow Clay Extruder for the first time, I wiped it down as others said it contained lube. There wasn't any grease on the barrel, it was just on the clear o-ring on the trigger head. After wiping it down and wiping it all the way around, I reinstalled the o-ring on the pushrod as it came, just to be safe. I screwed on the handle to make room for the clay, then inserted the clay into the barrel, then screwed in the head and took the shape of a disc with 7 round holes. The crank turns quite easily initially (when it works) and my little 6 year old was able to turn it while I held the barrel. The sound came out of the holes and at first everything looked great, but then I realized it was getting harder to turn. Finally I pushed it until the trigger was against the disc, removed the disc/head and unscrewed the grip from the barrel. The crank is stuck in the barrel. With a lot of effort I found out why it got stuck. About half of the clay I used got stuck around the bolt, making it extremely difficult to remove the push rod/bolt/crank from the barrel. Investigating further why this was happening, I noticed that the clear o-ring that was originally on the pusher head had shifted leaving all the sound behind. This o-ring prevents sound from entering through the pusher head, but since it is always displaced, sound always enters. I tried 3 more times and it happened every time. I made sure I replaced the o-ring right where it should be. It's still happening. The quality of the materials is actually very good and not flimsy at all (metal materials and rubber grip around the barrel) and I love everything else about this extruder. My only problem is the o-ring. The O-ring fits the pusher head perfectly and will not stretch or wear out. I don't understand why it keeps shifting as I slide through fully conditioned soft clay. This is very frustrating because I wanted this to work so badly. Once the o-ring is in place (if there is one at all) it's not difficult to turn (my 6 year old is quite small and can do this as long as I hold the barrel). It's not that difficult to clean. I just use a toothpick to clean the cap threads. I don't recommend this product unless I can somehow figure out how it works so the o-ring doesn't fall off every time!

Pros
  • Features a smooth, easy-to-turn crank with 20 unique disc designs. I'll add
Cons
  • later.

Comments (1)

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May 10, 2023
Much better than those cheap ones!