How Do I Make Even Ropes

Decorating By lanalei Updated 24 Oct 2009 , 5:26am by luvmysmoother

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lanalei Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 3:31am
post #1 of 9

help! I need to make EVEN ropes to go around cakes between layers. how do I do it? icon_cry.gif

8 replies
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Texas_Rose Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 3:33am
post #2 of 9

A lot of us use clay extruders for it. It's food-safe as long as it hasn't been used for anything but food. You can buy it at the craft store. The best one is made by Makins and has a t-shaped handle at the top. You can buy it at Hobby Lobby for about $30, less if you have a coupon.

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lanalei Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 3:42am
post #3 of 9

Thank you so much, I am off to the nearest Hobby Lobby. Can't wait...... thumbs_up.gif

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tomswife Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 3:50am
post #4 of 9

FYI - I got one by sculptey @ Joanns Fabric for $7 - it is a little hard to press but for the price, it is a gem...I LOVE it!

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sammie192 Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 3:52am
post #5 of 9

ok I had this question a while back. the smoother you use for fondant you roll the smoother over
the log of fondant(roll in your hand a piece of fondant in to a log) then move smooth side to side slowly and you will be making the rope. maybe someone can explain it a little better. until then give it a try.

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FlourPots Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 12:01pm
post #6 of 9

I use an extruder and the method sammie described.

When you add gumpaste or tylose to fondant it does not come out of the extruder looking good (in my experience), no matter how soft and pliable it is when you put it in the chamber.

So for those times, I start with a ball and use the fondant smoother to turn it into a log or roll...it works perfectly...it elongates and is 100% smooth and free of marks. Depending on the size of the ball, you can get it pretty long and surprisingly even and consistent.

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SuzyNoQ Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 1:07pm
post #7 of 9

If I needed a big one I would use my dh's jerkey cannon. I might have him make me plates to go with it since he only uses it once a year anyway. On this weeks Ultimate Cake Off one of the competitors used a caulk gun and some pvc tube and a plug with a hole drilled in for the appropriate size.

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Lambshack Posted 23 Oct 2009 , 1:20pm
post #8 of 9

I'm not sure which show I saw this on, but if you start making a rope by hand - rolling it with flat open plams - you will start to notice uneveness and the 'grooves' from your fingers. Once you get it to the approximate thickness you want, take a clean cardboard cake round, and lay this flat over the rope and gently slide it over the rope - instead of your fingers pushing and pulling, now the cake round is doing it, but with a flat surface.

Works like a charm, AND, there is no messy extruder to clean up. I love my Makin's extruder for the small ropes, but for larger ones to separate layers or for larger cakes, this process works great!

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luvmysmoother Posted 24 Oct 2009 , 5:26am
post #9 of 9

I bought the extruder that needs to be pressed down by hand rather than twisted and it HURTS - Also if I accidentally get air inside the extruder it makes a scary sound like a balloon popping - I have come to love uneven ropesicon_smile.gif But I'm definitely going to try the tips above myself - hope it worksicon_smile.gificon_smile.gif

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