I looked on ebay and tried looking a couple of other places, but I'm still not sure about what type of extruder to get! I use fondant a lot and would love one of these! I saw the thread about using a Play-doh fun factory, but I looked at those and they don't make all the shapes I want, so I figure I would just end up buying an extruder anyway!

Any advice?

I would definatly go with the sugarcraft gun. It is about $30.00 but it is made for fondant and it will last. I purchased a clay extruder a while ago brought it home and looked at then took it back to the store. It just didn't seem like it would last long, plus it had a twist handle on it, that wasn't going to work. The sugarcraft gun is really easy to use and it comes with 16 different discs. I got mine from sugarcraft.com I looked all over the internet and that was the cheapest I could find it with shipping. I think I paid somewhere around $40 with shipping.

You are not going to believe this, but I just purchased one on line from Beryls.com... Link below!

Don't buy the ones on Ebay... They are hard enough on your hands using clay... I don't know how many I purchased and threw away!

The one at Beryls.com is a hand action one... just squeeze it in your hand and it spits out the fondant... I sure hope it comes with directions.

Not sure of the shipping yet, but I paid $35.00... I know I paid that much in all the other clay guns I bought... I belive it will be well worth the investment!

Good Luck!

http://www.beryls.com/home2.htm

page down a bit... you'll see the picture!

I just got mine from sugarcraft.com for about $35.00 a couple weeks back. I used it once and love it. It was so easy to use.

I just got mine from Beryls.com and it is great. I think I paid $6.50 for shipping, so I wouldn't think it would be much more than that for you.

I also got mine from Beryls and I love it. Just add a little crisco to the fondant to soften it so it will go through the gun easier.

If you make a lot of fondant ropes, I would suggest a Kemper clay gun, has a large capacity to make an unbroken rope to go around whole border, plus operates like a caulking gun so soft on the hands. I've seen them on ebay.

Those little bitty metal Kemper ones are impossible to use! My next "toy" is going to be the Sugarcraft one.

I saw Duff using a huge one to make a Yak cake... anyone know what he used?

My bad, I didn't know Kemper make small ones.
This is the type I was referring to -
http://www.nationalartcraft.com/subcategory.asp?gid=10&cid=190&scid=1242
As you can see, they are big mommas.

By the way, check out this nify adapter!
EZ Squeeze Adapter Clay Extruder Gun (you need to scroll down a bit to see it)
http://www.baileypottery.com/potterytools/kempertools.htm

That's cool!

So how would you make a "custom die"? I have no clue about metalworking....

Kitagrl, the adapter I mentioned above could be used with the smaller (cheaper) clay extruder which does have hair discs. The larger ones I think only do a larger rope, for borders and the like. If you are just making hair to use as hair, you don't need a lot of it and wouldn't need any adapter, just the small extruder like this type which is widely available - Michaels etc.
http://prairiecraft.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/claygun2.jpg
or the sugarcraft gun which I've not used but others have mentioned above, which costs a bit more, but is I believe easier on the hands. I found that mixing fondant with some gumpaste, plus greasing the sides with shortening, makes it easier to extrude.

I can't decide what I want! I wish I could just buy all of them and try them out! I haven't done any paid cakes, not that I would be against doing a few! I would love to make ribbon out of fondant easier than trying to "cut" it myself, which I did on my last big cake - it needed to be long, to go around a 1/2 sheet cake, but I had to have seams!

It seems like there are several good options, I'll have to look into each of them more closely before I decide I guess!! I would like one that's not hard on my hands, has a decent capacity, and can do many different shapes! (I'm so stinkin picky!)

I think Duff goes to home depot or lowe's for some of this tools. I love how he has a little work shop in his bakery full of power tools to use.

If I am not mistaken, I think the extruder he had was a chalk gun.

My DH better watch out... his power tools are going to be converted to baking tools if he doesn't start using them!

Don't forget you can always put your fondant in the microwave for a few seconds at a time to soften it and make it easier to go through the clay gun.

BTW, I have the one from sugarcraft.com and LOOOOOOVE it!

I have the sugarcraft gun that I purchased online from Jane Ashter in the UK. While I do like it, it doesn't hold much fondant/gumpaste, so it has to refilled fairly often. I'm pretty sure I paid about $29 USD for it.

I just ordered (this past week) another one that is larger. It's a clay extruder similar to Duff's but not as large. http://www.clay-king.com/extruderlist.htm It's the medium one and with shipping it came to about $27.

I can't wait to try it. The only downside is that there are only three pre-cut discs (and one blank). Soon I'll ask my DH to drill the blank one for hair/fur. I'd do it myself, but I hate the noise - it gives me a headache.

I'll be trying it out this week so I'll let you know.

Kitagirl, that's great. I'm hoping to use mine tonight or tomorrow at the latest. I can't wait to try it. I have another gumpaste tiara to do and think this will make it much easier with longer pieces.

Let me know how it works for you on Friday. Good luck.

Hey - if any of you have tried yours out yet - please post!! I want to order one soon and would like more opinions on the different ones you have purchased ! These things are soooo cool!!

I realized that the dies I needed for the extruder to make my 2nd gumpaste tiara were for the small extruder and I hadn't planned yet on how to adapt them to the larger one. So I still haven't used the larger one yet. Sorry.

I want to figure out a way to be able to make some sort of adapter so that I can use the dies interchangeably.

That would be nice! I looked at the Kemper large model, but the dies are mainly for "ropes" and "ribbon" , not much variety on shapes - I was hoping for more - I wonder if another large extruder would have dies that would work on this one?

There are definitely other dies for the medium extruder I got, just not the same variety as the smaller one. I'm sure my DH and I can figure something out. I just have to find the time to show him. Or more realistically, find a day when he has time.

Do these extruders work with MMF? I'm guessing it's more stiff than other fondants might be.

I tried mine! It still takes some muscle to press out but then I may not have worked my fondant soft enough. But its nice to be able to get a LONG unbroken piece of fondant.

I had also ordered a second set of dies with it and so the two spares I am giving to a friend for him to drill for me... I am going to get one with three semi small holes and one with like six very small holes. Pretty much all I ever need from an extruder is round snakes of various sizes so that is fine. I had to use my old tiny one for my purse cake this weekend and even my husband was shaking and turning red trying to get my final tiny "snake" out of that thing. haha.

I will say that "Clay King" has excellent service in that I ordered from them on a Wednesday and I had my gun on Friday! Really fast shipping.

I'm glad to hear that it worked out for you, kitagirl. I want my hubby to make about two trefoil dies for me and also the adapter. I love making the twisted rope design from the trefoil instead of using two pieces or three for braiding, if I don't have to (and if I don't need two colors).