I have never had much luck with tappits. Truthfully it has been a disaster everytime

I was wondering if anyone has used the clicksticks ( I think that's what they are called); it has an ejector. I think I found a link, hope this works.


http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=27003&name=Script%20Upper%20Case%20Letter%20Clikstix%20by%20Windsor%20Tooling%20Company

TIA!

I have Clikstix and prefer my Tappits lol, nothing wrong with Clikstix I just feel the Tappits are super easy and produce cleaner lines. What types of issues are you experiencing, maybe we can help and save you the cost of new letters?!

There's a thread on them here, with some pics of them used on cake:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-705403-.html&sid=05561161c7420939a716e0ef9c9220ec

I have the Groovy sets - so quick & easy to use!!

...Tappits are worth persevering with though - when you get the hang of them they're a piece of cake

I remember someone posting a tappits tip to use Saran wrap in between the fondant and the tappit...since I started doing that, using tappits have been much easier!

I can't quite get the hang of the Tappits letters and I've done every technique on here! So far the Saran Wrap between the letters and the gum paste work the best for me...that and making sure my gum paste is almost dry before using it! I still get those little papery edges that look ragged. Hate those. Try to clean them off and the letter breaks. Aaaggghhh!!!

my success on the tappits letters has come with some practice, but I have the cricut machine so I already had some ideas in mind since dealing with those quirks.

I actually use the cricut mat to cut my tappits letters, it's a perfect square. I roll the fondant until I can see the little lines on the mat through the fondant. After cutting my letters I put them in the freezer for a minute or two then i can use a little scraper to get them off without bending them. I move them to wax paper and let them sit for a couple hours before putting them on the cake. They won't be all the way dry so they will still bend to fit a round cake.

HTH!

I didn't realize anyone had responded to this, sorry!

I can't do anything with the tappits, have tried for years. Either the letters are stuck in there or, if I do manage to get them out, they are mangled and mis-shapen. SO aggravating! I will try to search for other threads, the search function on CC hates me. I have had better luck recently by searching on Google for links to bring me back here.

Thank you all for your replies

I just purchased the clikstix but haven't tried them yet. There is a video on youtube , I think, that shows how to use them and it looks very simple.
Just google clikstix and you will find it. Good Luck!

Hmmm, I have heard many people say they have issues with the Tappits.

Well most the time I buy the product for the look or style I need. Tappits tend to have the best variety I've needed in the past.

I use gumpaste or fondant with Tylose added and roll really thin through my pasta machine. Let it dry a bit on both sides, cut it with the Tappit then wacko on the counter, the letter flys out.

Then when spelling out the name (etc.) I "fluff" the serifs getting them into the pretty shape they should be in.

The whole thing takes time, a bit of patience and some fussing to get lovely letters and numbers.

Oh just looked at the clickstix [sp]. They are really large and would have limited use as I prefer the design to stand out not the lettering, IMHO.

The clikstix are super easy to use. Love them!!! The funky tappits I had a heck of a time with. On my last cake I finally had success! I worked a lot of PS into it to get it very dry and then rolled it out very thin and then let it sit and dry. The Dora cake has funky tappits and the Lesley cake has clikstix.

   http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1951470


  http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2083036

Ellie1985, your cake looks so beautiful!!!

Oh yes Lispeps I forgot about rubbing the edges with my finger for a clean cut...........thanks for the reminder.

So, are the tappits really not designed for use with fondant? That could be a large part of my problem. I don't usually have gumpaste on hand.

I use Tappits with fondant all the time. I roll it out very thinly, and let it dry for a few minutes before I start. Shop-bought fondant takes longer to dry than MMF, I've found, especially Duff or Fondarific and definitely the darker colours.

I use a paint bush to dust the Tappits with corn starch/corn flour and then cut out the letter. I make sure I press very hard onto the counter top to get a good cut and rub my finger over the edges to smooth them down. I do have to whack the Tappits on the counter a few times before the letter comes out and I've learned a few extra tricks along the way.

If half of your letter comes out, gently push it back in and try again. That way you won't damage the part that's already hanging out. If it STILL won't come out, use a pin to gently prise the stubborn part out, BUT push it back into the mold again to help it regain its shape before you whack it for the last time. I do my letters as far in advance as I can, that way they can dry out and I won't damage their shape when I come to put them on the cake, or paint them with luster dust. Persevere! You will crack it!

I've read about bad experiences with Tappits several times here on CC, but I ordered some and I love them. I usually use gumpaste, roll it out, let it sit a few minutes and start cutting. I have to coax some of the letters out but no real problems. I love them!

I love mine, I use them all the time. They take some time getting use to and sometimes they can still be hard to work with, but I love the results!!!! I put crisco on my work surface. I take a brush and put just a little amount of crisco on the tapit. ( you can also put a little corn starch on the tapit instead ). I take my fondant and add tylose to it, roll it out thin, let it sit until it starts to get a little hard then use your tapits. Sometimes they stick to the work surface and other times they stay in the tapit so just take a toothpick and work it out very carefully. Good luck!!!

Corn flour is the same as corn starch. EnglishCakeLady has given some sound advise. I find that the UK premade version of gumpaste called "Flower Paste" works the best for me.

Another way to use Tappits with fondant is to add a bit of Tylose to help is harden up just a bit.......

Here's a you tube tutorial by Edna De la Cruze on using the tappit letters.

I use funky tappits all the time, with fondant and gumpaste. I use plenty of PS in the process and just remove it after the letters are done. Roll fondant very thin, make sure nothing sticks to your counter...have it kind of dry. Put some PS on the tappit and then place it on top of the fondant, press really hard and then while pressing move the tappit around a little to break away from the remaining fondant...this will give perfectly clean edges. Then place 1 hand in one end of the tappit, use your other hand to BEND the other end up and let it SLAP back onto your counter, this releases the letter with no problems. HTH

Tappits are so small. what do you use when you need larger letters? Maybe 1in or so??

Ginger6361, the funky tappit upper case letters are pretty large...just measured them to be between 1-1.5" tall depending on a letter.

I just started using Tappits letter cutters. I love both the funky and the script. I roll it out thin enough that i still get the funky letter design, i let it dry for about 10min. Then i press the letter and move it back and forth to help release it from the rest if the fondant/gumpaste. It usually peels off pretty easily. Sometimes i have to use a toothpick to take it out. It has worked well for me.