Most of our customers use the Tube-Wringer as a tube squeezer. That’s the purpose for which it was built back when John Gill created the Tube-Wringer.
However, we have a growing number of crafters who have reached out to share how they utilize our Tube-Wringer to create patterns on metal and polymer clay. Because so many of you have contacted us or created YouTube videos about the many ways that a Tube-Wringer can be used as a crimper or corrugator, we wanted to do some experimentation of our own.
Here are three successful trials we did on some lightweight jewelry blanks and polymer clay.
Trial #1: Pewter
Pewter is an alloy containing tin, antimony, copper, bismuth, and sometimes silver. Back in the days of the Revolution, pewter was used commonly for dishes and in cutlery. Unfortunately, that type of pewter also usually had lead in it.
Luckily for us, we know that lead is poisonous, so most pewter these days is lead-free.
In this trial, we used a heavy-duty Tube-Wringer to corrugate a square pewter stamping blank. This jewelry blank is a very lightweight, .22 gauge piece.
When I gripped it in the Tube-Wringer, it felt very solid, and I was a little worried it wouldn’t come out with a strong pattern. So, I braced my hand against the table and ran the blank through. It went through quickly, and the ridged design looked lovely.
You can see the whole video here:
Trial #2: Copper
I purchased an artisan blank made of solid copper for this experiment. I like the look of antiqued copper, so that’s what I went for. This square blank is .24 gauge, a little thicker than the pewter.
Even though this piece was a bit thicker than the pewter, it was more malleable because it’s solid copper, so when I fed the blank through, it didn’t feel quite as daunting. In the end, I got a great crimped look in the copper that I really like.
You can see the whole video here:
Trial #3: Polymer Clay
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have tried to crimp all sorts of malleable materials with little success. However, one of our amazing customers shared that polymer clay is the way to go if you want to crimp something pliable and forgiving. So, we got some to try out.
Here are two things we learned:
First of all, as you might expect, the cooler the clay is, the easier it is to feed through the Tube-Wringer.
Second, the Tube-Wringer that works best for manipulating polymer clay is our cheapest product – the light-duty Tube-Wringer. You can use the rollers of any of our other tube squeezers to get a corrugated pattern in the clay, but if you just want to run the clay through a corrugator, use the light-duty.
Here’s a video of the successful trial and the result:
It is so amazing to see all of the ways creative people are using our Tube-Wringer! We have shared videos in the past which showcase artists and DIYers using our tool for everything from squeezing tubes to creating homemade audio products.
Whether you are a DIYer, an artist, or a crafty person, we’d love to hear how you are using your Tube-Wringer! Connect with us via the contact page or on our social media and tell us how you are using your Tube-Wringer.