I just got mine tonight. I think I got a little too excited because I got the 2" the 4" and the 6". Let's just say I have smooth frosting OCD.
ok this is too funny. frosting ocd
Hey, I have the same problem! Once I found out this trick, I just wanted to make and smooth cakes all day long. I was so excited. I would hover over them waiting for them to crust enough to try it. How sad is that?!
One thing I was going to mention to people who try it and like it, buy like 1 or 2 refill heads so that you can have a clean dry one ready if you have to wash the first one! Just so you don't have to sit and wait for it to dry if you wash it. (Like if you didn't wait long enough for it to crust and you get icing all over it... I don't know who would do that... dummm deee dummmm... 
)
Thanks so much Melvira. I will try this technique soon. I always have trouble getting my icing smooth. I've also tried other methods and I can't get them right to save my life. (Not knocking the other methods) I will go out this weekend and get one. Can't wait to try it. Thanks again.
I'm about to try it in a few minutes! I went out and bought the roller yesterday after reading the first page of this thread and right now I'm waiting for the cake and fillilng to settle so I can ice it and give it a try.
Smoothing buttercream is a nightmare for me, and I've only actually ever done ONE cake that was halfway smooth, so if this works you're going to be my new hero!
Got my roller...s...a little tray, a roller and a refill of the dense foam variety....for only 4.88 cdn 2 Home Depot.... may just turn out to be a bestbuy....will try it next week Melvira...thanks for sharing and I'll check in and share my results for sure!
THANK YOU for the incredible hint!!! I am going to give it a try!!! I've added these rollers to my shopping list for when I am on that end of town this week. Who'd a thunk???? Rollers for cake - now my family will think I'm REALLY off my rocker 
So I sent my hubby to the hardware store (he was going anyway) and asked for him to pick up a roller for me. I have some in the basement but they've been used for paint (I tend to like to change the colors of my walls on a regular basis). So I explain what I need and send him on his way. He came back with a six pack of foam covers, with no roller. I asked him how exactly he thinks I am going to smooth buttercream without a roller . . . HE wants to know why exactly I would want to put a roller on my cake. Even after explaining it to him, he just doesn't get it. Men! And I thought this was the one cake thing that he would "get" since it involved Lowe's! So much for bonding over buttercream.
After I bought mine yesterday it was sitting on the counter with a refill pack of the foam part and my husband comes along, stops and picks it up [insert confused look] looks at me and I say "cake stuff", [insert REALLY confused look] then he realizes he probably would get a hernia trying to grasp this concept and puts it back down, says "Oook Spooky Boo (my nickname) whateeevvveeerrrr you say...." and walks away.
I think I've been to Home Depot more for cake things lately than he has for anything at all lol.
Hahaha! JulieBugg, that is hilarious!! I can see the look... I get that look from my husband all the time. He has learned not to ask though, because he knows I know what I'm doing! (Usually!)
Hey CK... Husbands... *sigh* Dumber than stumps 99 percent of the time! But we love 'em anyway, don't we? The next time he asks you to grab the hammer for him, bring him a drill. 
Melvira I love you!!! LOL I just finished smoothing the cake and it's a miracle.. I swear I never could have gotten it this smooth before!
I'll post pics when I'm finished with the cake tomorrow.. THANK YOU!!
Yayyyyyyyyy Julie!!!!!!!!! *Jumping up and down!!* I can't wait to see it. I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!
Edited to add: Hey Good36, I just saw your question... I got mine at a local home store, it's called Menard's. I don't know if that is national or if it's just an Iowa thing... sorry!! I just want to go buy one and ship it to you so you don't have to deal with that silly old cardboard!! 
Well, I will be going to Home Depot tomorrow for my new "cake tool." Can't wait to try it!!
Menard's makes me laugh hehehe.. It's not a national thing but a midwestern thing I think..
I used to take a trip several times a year from Tennessee up through Indiana and Chicago on our way to a vacation house on the Wisconsin peninsula and we'd hear the Menard's commercial on the radio all the time..
I can still hear it in my head.. "Save more money at Menaarrrddddd's" HEHEHE!
No, no, no... it's "Save BIG money at Menard's!!" hahahahahahaha!! Of course, around here we just hate the Spokesman they used for the longest time. He was this annoying old man who looked like a drunk (big bulbous red nose, etc.) and he just had this voice. I can't explain it, but it was like nails on a chalkboard when he spoke. 
I bought my paint edger from Wal-mart the other day. Love it lots for smoothing frosting. I love the tips I find on this website. Here's one for you. I've found that I need to put dishwashing soap in each tip as I wash them (my dishwasher just doesn't do the job) so I filled one of my old foaming handsoap dispensers 1/3 with dish detergent and the rest with water. I just fill the tip with the dish detergent foam and the dishsoap does most of the cleaning for me.
Zmama said it all - label your tools! I cannot tell you how many tools have gone to the reconstruction of my son's Saab!
Now here's my tip for everyone -
Keep a small jar filled with hot dishwashing liquid near your work station ( I use a mason jar with lid, and nothing but Dawn dish liquid). As you are done with your icing tip, drop it into the jar. Let them soak until cleaning time. The Dawn has grease cutters in it that makes cleaning the tips very easy.
Theresa
I live in a teeny-tiny little town (seriously, like less than 500 people) north on highway 61 from the Quad Cities. I used to live in Davenport (in the QC's, right on the Mississippi) but moved out here after my Grandmother (my best friend) passed, and we decided to honor her by buying her home and (SLOWLY) fixing it up. This is the teeny little town I was born in, so I guess I'm just returning to my roots!
cake...cake...cake...cake...cake...
I'm chanting for JulieBugg's cake!! I have to 'go to town' today (yep, that's what you call it when you live in tiny little town) and that means I won't be on CC ALL DAY!!! 
WAHHHHHHHHHH But hopefully when I get home tonight the cake will be here! YAAYYYYYYY!!!
BTW Julie... I looked at your other cakes and I'd hazzard a guess that you don't need much help from ME to make an awesome cake!! You RULE girlfriend!!
Ok girlies here it is! I teach college freshmen Chemistry Lab and one of my students asked me to make this for her homesick boyfriend from South Florida (hence the Palm Beach sign). She emailed me a picture of his car and I tried my hardest at making my gimpy little MMF version look as much like the real thing as I could lol.
The cake actually looked smoother in person, I think every little imperfection popped out in the picture! Thanks again Melvira, I'm not as good at this as you are yet but it's wonders away from what it would have looked like had I not come across your miracle-working tips!
ps- Please excuse the sad little discolored spot on the side lol. I got a little careless and took a chunk out with a dowel rod and had to patch it. 
Hopefully the colors will adjust and blend better as it sits and the patched spot crusts more!!
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