How to create gel yarn?

Hey lovely people,

my daughter is creating gel like yarn for her school project.

We originally used like sauce bottles but the problem is our hands get tired and then that becomes the end of the yarn. We have also tried using syringe and it worked quite well but due to the small sizes of syringes it ended fast.

We are looking for something similar to a syringe mechanism where we can just apply the pressure, and open the complete DIYS just need to get this project successfully going..

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EricL

Hello @hhh

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your school project.

The only item that comes to mind is the Paint Partner Aluminium Caulking Gun. You'll need to place the medium in a thin plastic bag in order for this pump to work. Another way to squeeze out a gel like yarn is to use a baker's piping bag. To make the process easier, see if you can dilute the medium you are using so that it will not take a great deal of effort to squeeze the bag.

Let me call on our experienced member @Dave-1 for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Good Evening @hhh

Welcome to the community 🙂

You guys have sent me on a quest to figure out what "gel like yarn" is.... Must admit there are a few types I came across so lets narrow it down....

Painted surface, then yarn is placed over it and the paint and outline is transfered to paper.

A plastic type yarn used for crocheting.

And your question which tends to make me think you are trying to pull a yarn through a medium of paint/colouring/gel for a project.

I will give the yarn being pulled through paint as the likley idea 🙂

I just went and had a look at an old 500ml squeeze sauce bottle I had and the thread looks like it will match up with a 2L milk bottle (it does with a 2L orange juice bottle but the thread is finer on the bottle) This would give you a larger reservoir for the yarn to be pulled through. You may need to trim off the nozzel of the sauce bottle or drill a small hole through the tip (id suggest drill a 3/8" hole)

To drag the yarn through you could use a $2 timber rolling pin from the$2 shop, drill a 1/4 or 6mm hole in the end and then screw a Zenith M8 x 75mm Stainless Steel Hex Head Coach Screw into it. You use your battery powered drill to spin the rolling pin so its a winder and you can drag the yarn through the gel in the bottle and wrap it around the rolling pin. Not sure how much you are after making is all. Id keep the speed low and also rest the other end of the pin on a cut out milk bottle or drink bottle. You could also use a 2L soft drink bottle with a small 1/8 hole drilled in the lid, thread the lid first and then screw it on, same idea as the milk bottle then.

Let us know if I have it wrong as I admit there is a fair chance I have 🙂

A photo of what you have tried would be handy as well 🙂

Dave

hhh

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/50451#Comment_50451

Dave you have given me so many new thoughts!

I have attached what the yarn looks like when it is formed into a yarn from the water bath (Ive got no idea either)

This is a picture of the gelly consistency prior to putting it in the sauce bottles

This is a pic of the sauce bottles

Screenshot 2025-04-02 at 2.42.08 PM.png

and the gel needs pressure to push out or even move thats the problem were having since we cant have forever strength!

Really appreciate your help

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/87443#Comment_87443

Hello @hhh

Let me tag @Dave-1 to make him aware of the new photos you've shared.

I was browsing through the baking section of the website, and I saw the Sweet Creations Icing Syringe Set with 8 Nozzle. This should make it easier to pump out the gel yarn without taking too much of your strength. Please have a look and tell me what you think.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/109246#Comment_109246

Afternoon @hhh

🙂 About half right lol mmmmmm Ok, how about this then

Garden Basics 5L Garden Pressure Sprayer Kit The nozzel is adjustable from a mist to a stream (not sure how much the stream is)

You can keep pumping air into it via the handle. I would suggest to give it a good clean when finished with otherwise the plasticy gel will clag up the tubing/mechanisim for sure.

If this works and you are making loads of the stuff then a little hand held air compressor may be able to be also used. Range of air compressors, small and large You could drill a hole in the top of the bottle and then using the air hose from the compressor screw it in. Thta way you wouldnt have to pump the handle. Id say a smaller capacity compressor btw 🙂 Otherwise it will blow the seals.

Dave

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/121954#Comment_121954

Afternoon again @hhh

If you think that the pressure is too high for the extrusion let us know, one of the community members may be able to come up with a way to lesson it.

Tagging in @Noyade , @TedBear and @Nailbag as hopefully one of us can figure a way to drop the pressure but still have enough to extrude the stream of gel. How thick is the gel consistancy? Toothpaste? Less or more?

Dave

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/130024#Comment_130024

I'm with @EricL - a caulking gun.

But load the entire sauce bottle complete with ingredients. Squeeze the bejesus outta it - wouldn't matter if they're destroyed in the process. They would be cheap sauce bottles?

My wife suggests to load the ingredients into a "cookie gun."

Nailbag

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/87443#Comment_87443

Hi @hhh

I really think @Noyade wife is on to something with her cookie gun. You can see that it has a geared plunger inside, which indicates that less hand pressure clicks on the trigger is stepped up in mechanical pressure of the gun. The range of nozzles should allow you to find a suitable one.

Types into Google "cookie press gun kit" and then click on "shopping at the top, then a range of retail option outlets appears.

Nailbag

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