Give Your Cranking Hand a Break

If you’ve ever extruded a good amount of polymer clay by hand, you know that little crank can get old pretty quickly.

The Clay Extruder Drill Adapter lets a drill do the turning for you. The adapter fits over the turning mechanism of a compatible clay extruder and captures its T-bar handle inside the side openings. The hexagonal shank fits into your drill chuck so the drill can rotate the extruder handle for you.

The goal isn’t speed-racer extruding! Use your drill slowly and steadily. You’ll still get the job done faster than hand cranking, with the added benefit of producing nice, straight extrusions without the wobble that can come from turning the handle by hand.

Please Check Your Extruder Before Purchasing

This adapter requires an extruder with a T-bar/crossbar-style turning handle. If your extruder does not have this type of handle, this adapter will not work.

To help you check compatibility:

Adapter dimensions: 0.78″ diameter × 1.30″ H (20 × 33 mm)
Center opening: 0.51″ diameter × approx. 0.67″ deep (13 × 17 mm)
T-bar openings: approx. 0.28″ W × 0.59″ H (7 × 15 mm at the highest point of the arch)

Need a different size? The model can be scaled in your slicer to accommodate other extruder dimensions. Scaling may also change the fit of the T-bar openings and drill shank, so this option is best suited to users who are comfortable adjusting 3D-print files and verifying fit themselves. I tested these dimensions on my Makins extruder.

Important Printing Instructions

This little tool has to withstand considerable twisting force, so print strength matters.

For the strongest result, I recommend:

Material: PETG
Infill: 100%
Walls/Perimeters: 5–6
Layer height: 0.20 mm

I do not recommend PLA or reduced infill for this tool. I tested that combination myself—and broke it. PETG printed solid proved better suited to the job.

Use a well-tuned PETG profile with good layer adhesion, and always operate the finished adapter with your drill at low speed.

Your download includes the geometry-only 3MF file needed to print your Clay Extruder Drill Adapter.

Please note: This is a digital product—nothing will be shipped to you. Your files will be available for immediate download after purchase. Want to use your tools for your creative business? Please visit our Licensing page for our simple commercial-use guidelines.

A Little Something from My Workbench

Some of my favorite tools begin with a very simple thought: I could really use a…(insert a need here!)

So I make one.

Sometimes it’s for polymer clay. Sometimes it’s for organizing my studio. And sometimes an idea sends me down a completely unexpected rabbit hole. If I create something that earns its keep around here, I figure it might be useful in your creative space too.

That’s what you’ll find in Specialty Tools: the useful little things I’ve designed for myself, tested in real life, and decided were simply too handy not to share. I hope it helps you too!

clay extruding

Specialty Tool – Clay Extruder Drill Adapter