Gen. info
....uses
for pasta machines (summary)
........getting acquainted... creating stock
....general
care--important
Types & brands
of machines... (+ current problems with Atlas machines)
....bad ones?
Where to buy?
Feeding Tray
Motors
Handles, clamps, scrapers, rollers
Making
sheets
Making very thin sheets... & narrow sheets
Problems
...uneven or ragged edges & rippling (& too wide)
...sticking
...bubbles
...streaks!
.....stressing
......using clay barriers to avoid streaks, or colors
......cleaning
(& preventive measures)
Noodle attachments
Thicknesses
& measuring
No pasta machine?--other
ways ...guide rails
Misc info. &
books
More Cleaning (spot, prevention,
intact, take apart, removing fenders)
Repair
(rollers, blades--rough or bent... gears --clunking noises, or one side wider)
PASTA
MACHINES
(the roller type)
General Info.... Uses, etc.
Having a pasta machine isn't essential...
...BUT...
having one sure does make a lot of clay things much quicker and
easier
......(actually some of those things may not be worth doing very
often if you don't have a pasta machine
......... though see below in "No
Pasta Machine" for other ways to make sheets and slabs)
SUMMARY
1..make the clay pliable and ready for use, or to "condition"
it ... (much quicker than conditioning by hand)
2..mix new colors
more easily
3..create sheets ......to be used in many ways:
.......use
alone
.......cut out shapes (with cutters, etc.)... or cut into
strips (for weaving or onlay or or mica techniques)
.......make cane
components (sheets for wrapping, stacks, etc.)
.......beautiful gradient
blends ("Skinner" and other blends)
.......marbled patterns
of color, or partially marbled
.......single, smooth sheets
from cane slices (or embed single cane slices or other clay
bits into sheets)
.........these can also be use as "fabric" for figures
.......create
textured sheets (...or texture mold sheets)
.......make
very thin sheets of translucent clay for see-through coverings
and other techniques
.......create
sheets for "covering" other items... or for making vessels,
draped bowls, etc.
.......do
technique called "mokume gane" (stacking of thin sheets, which are distorted
then shaved)
.......do
various techniques with clays which contain mica, etc. (like "ghost
impressions, "invisible canes")
(here
are a few GlassAttic pages which deal with the techniques mentioned above:)
...Conditioning
...Color
...Sheets
...Cutters
...Canes-gen
& Canes-instr.
...Blends
...Texture
...Translucent
& Transfers
...Covering
...Vessels
...Mokume
gane ...Mica
some suggestions for
just getting aquainted with your pasta machine,
...or to create
"stock" anytime you don't feel especially creative
condition some of your clays for future use
make regular
bullseye canes (also called wrapped canes) ....see this page if you want
more info: http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/canes--instructions.htm (click on
"Bullseye-Wrapped")
make Skinner blends
.....if you
then make plugs from the resulting blend sheets, they can be easily
turned back into blend sheets to be used in various ways
.....if you go ahead
and make your blends into bullseye canes (which are really jellyrolls,
aka spiral, canes --made with long, very thin strips of blend sheet), you can
later use these almost anywhere you'd use a plain log or a wrapped/bullseye log
When used, these blends make something simple look very complex, and just
generally give a lot of bang for the buck anywhere they're used!
To
extend the life of your pasta machine and to avoid problems &
repair (for those, see below):
... any time you pass clay through the rollers,
the clay slabs
should not
be much thicker than the
widest opening between the rollers (in order to avoid straining
the pasta machine.. could break off and
misalign the teeth, for
example)
... In other words, don't try to jam a
ball of clay, or even a thick slab of stiff
clay, through the rollers
.......You can also run the clay through a
thinner setting (before folding it in half and sending
it through a thicker setting); this will cause less stress on the teeth. Elizabeth.
...
If you let kids
use your machine, be especially vigilant because they are almost certain not to
be able to remember this!
(..if your clay is very soft, this may be
somewhat less important).
....I'm careful about running clay with inclusions
in it through my pasta machine - sand
in particular can scratch the rollers (so roll it
between sheets of waxed paper to prevent that).. and make sure the opening
is wide enough. Irene
It's a good idea to alternate the side of the machine you use when doing repeated passes. ...don't always use one side of the rollers or the other to condition color (can cause your rollers to wear out of alignment). Elizabeth
A
pasta machine won't be heavy enough to crank with its handle
unless it's clamped down (attaching a motor will allow it to
avoid clamping)
You'll need to have a table (or stool, etc.)
with a suface that's not too thick to accomodate the clamp in order to clamp it
successfully ...... if your tabletop is too thin, add a small block of
wood between the underside of the table and the top of the screw-in bolt
.......if
your table is too thick, you'll have to find somewhere else to clamp it,
or buy a larger clamp form the hardware store.
...my pasta machine, Dremel,
and a worklight on a pivoting arm, are all bolted to a wooden barstool
that sets next to my worktable and can easily be moved out of the
way. Lisa
When using a motor on your pasta machine, a
change in sound is normal when you feed a piece of clay through.
...however,
if you should hear the motor really
slowing down and laboring, to dissipate any excess heat that's
built up in there let it run for 10-15 seconds after the sheet is done ....then,
you can either continue to feed clay through again or turn the motor off (once
the motor is turned off, it has no way of bleeding off excess temperature other
than the slow exchange with surrounding air.)
If
you want to make a sheet which thicker than the widest
pasta machine setting (which is about 1/8"), just stack
several sheets together (be sure to roll the sheet down gradually to avoid
air bubbles.... a bit of liquid clay can be used between the layers if you feel
it necessary
.....unfortunately,
there isn't a way to seamlessly create sheets wider than
the pasta machine (6" for most pasta machines), though the sheets can be
widened after removing by stretching it, using a hand roller, etc. (adding a second
sheet underneath can keep the top sheet from thinning too much)
...sheet
length is practically unlimited.... just add more clay, or create a
narrower sheet with one of the techniques in Blends
> Width
I *knew* (I should get a pasta machine) but hesitated..."I
don't NEED it," said I, massaging my wrists. "I'm
saving money," said I, ignoring the days lost to CTS and aching hands. "I LIKE
working with tiny amounts of clay"...and so on, sez I...till I got a pasta roller
and saw the light after we started going through it in pounds. Ah, its SO much
better this way. Sarajane
TYPES & BRANDS of pasta machines
If you're in the US, due to the "Great Pasta" trend, pasta machines are quite common. Many stores that have a good array of kitchen applicances, will likely have some type of pasta machine (see below for more places to find one).
NOTE:
There are basically two "kinds" of pasta machines available
......(there's
also the roller attachment sold for the Kitchen Aid stand mixer).
...The
first is the kind which is electric, and mixes the
dough before extruding it through preset holes for the diff. shapes of
pasta (like macaroni, etc.)... this is not the type
we use!
...The second kind is usually hand cranked and looks
very different, having two long rollers to pass the clay through (it *may*
also have a set of attachment rollers for making long strands of linguini and
fettucini, though some machines may not offer these (you don't need them!). This
is the one we use, and they cost $20 - $45 bucks.
.......These usually come
with a hand crank, but a motor can be bought and substituted for
the hand crank (or I think some of them may come already that way). Motors are
wonderful!! ... but they're expensive. I would guess that most people who end
up doing very much with a pasta machine end up buying a motor, and most of us
with any physical problems definitely want to buy one. (see below for more on
motors).
.....Many of us eventually have a second pasta machine as well (some
are less expensive or sold without the extra rollers which makes them cheaper)
which we take to classes, or you can remove the motor and reinsert the
handle though that's a bit of bother. Classes have often not allowed motors in
the past, though they're being accepted more and more nowadays as long as people
don't use them while the teacher is talking ..and those with physical disabilities
certainly need to be accommodated as much as possible).
Pasta
mchines made in the Far
East
are cheaper
in price, but less sturdy than
Italian-made ones.
...however...
they'll usually work fine if you're
careful with them --especially being sure not to feed clay into the rollers
which is more than a tad thicker
than the opening which stresses the machine (see General Care
above for more details)
....these
machines are also fine for beginners or for those who aren't sure how much
clay they'll do (again as long as they're properly handled)
....they
can be purchased for around $25 in various stores and online, and the Amaco
can be purchased for around $15 from Micahels with their frequent 40%-off
coupon
Most
people who do a lot of clay especially buy one that's made in Italy
...Of those, mmany of those will buy an (Mercato) Atlas brand (not
a Villaware Altas--see below in Bad Ones), or a Pasta Queen or Imperia,
etc.. At least those are the most frequent brands we see from Italy.
Atlases
{2007--
there are currently problems with the Atlases though... please
see just below}
I'd recommend a Mercato Atlas, since I've found
other PMs that sport the
name "Atlas," but they're not of the same high quality. Desiree
The
most commonly available pasta machine and the one most clayers have
has a 5.75" roller width (150 mm) (...Mercato Atlas 150...
also others)
....The widest manual pasta machine for home use has 6.75"
rollers (180mm) ...Mercato Atlas 180
(...There is even a wider
pasta machine which has 7.8" rollers (190 mm) ...Trattorina
by Belpasta)
Desiree's photos of 150 mm Atlas, and also 180
mm, plus an unusual 110 mm (4.25") size (Mercato...
still available?)
http://www.desiredcreations.com/Misc_PCLittlePMTale.htm
( ..and for photos of Trattorina, see below)
I think you'd be able to more easily get replacement parts for Mercato Atlases, and Atlases are easier to disassemble (still true?), if ever you have to. Desiree
I
highly recommend the Atlas 180...it is the widest I have found.
Desiree
...If you do all small pieces then the more narrow machine may work
for you, but I do a lot of vases and votives where I want the widest
sheet of clay possible. Linda H.
... However, the thickest
setting on the wide Atlas is only about the same as on a medium
setting on the normal size Atlas!. Dorothy
The pasta
attachment which is sold as as option for Kitchen Aid
stand mixers is probably an Atlas (without the rest of the pasta machine --crank,
stand, etc.)
... the mixer itself functions as a motor for the
rollers, and can be set at any of the regular Kitchen Aid speeds, I thinki
....it's
made by the same Italian manufacturer as the hand-crank units, has spring-loaded
nylon scrapers (Old Salt)...and has plastic
gears inside. rob pinion (from 2 amazon.com customer reviews)
.......some
other amazon reviewers said metal shavings came out
when the machine was new, and also that there was grease ("streaks"
presumably) just when new?... so this may be the same as Atlas 180
rather than the 150
current
Atlas problems
(late summer 2006 - 2007)
There
appear to be at least two issues going on with the newer version of the Atlas
machines… the new non-metal scrapers, the new gears, and the fact that
once taken apart they many not work as well
…the new 150 has the scrapers problem
only
…the new 180 has the scraper problem and other problems
SCRAPERS
….white (rubber?-tipped) plastic scrapers have replaced the metal
scrapers
…rubber can cause drag
(rubber is okay tho’ for use with actual pasta dough
because it’s softer and also flour-covered which helps keep it from sticking)
…the new scrapers create ridges on
settings 1 and 2, and on thinner settings the clay ripples even more
……the
new scrapers may also cause small air pockets
in the clay from catching and pulling on it (caused by the rubber getting marred?)
…cleaning the
scrapers is much more difficult (especially with
stickier clays?),
so previously-used colors get onto the next clay (can’t easily get to
the scrapers because of a ridge that catches the clay)… so a lot more time needs
to be spent cleaning between colors
(There are replacement metal
scraper blades available and some machines are being sold with those already installed…
they make the situation much better, but those replacment blades also may
not be quite the same as older metal blades --see below in Fixes)
...(also
probably the pasta attachment unit which can be used on the
kitchen Aid stand mixer)
GEARS
+ SHREDDING + OTHER PROBLEMS in quality:
…new gears seem to be made of
different material or lower quality (thinner?) than before
…..they grind and
catch a lot (esp. on widest setting), and can wear out much more quickly
…rollers
become non-parallel
…fine black metal flakes sometimes fall under the gears
and get onto the sides of the clay as it passes through (worse with stiffer clays?)
TAKING APART ...if taken apart (even correctly), these newer machines may not function as well as they should or as well as older machines would when they had been taken apart (non-even openings, grinding, skipping, etc.)
fixes for Atlas problems?
One
can purchase replacement blades (metal) and put them into the newer machines,
following lessons on taking pasta machines apart if necessary (see below), but
the newer machines seem to be harder to take apart and may also have problems
afterward that older machines didn’t after being taken apart.
….also, these
replacement blades also may not be quite the same as the older metal ones
replacement
blades
Gary Valenti, Inc , 718-417-6227, www.marcatousa.com
(specify “all-metal” and give model #)
machines
with replacement blades….. or replacement blades alone:
….PolymerClayExpress is currently not selling the Atlas 180 because of
its problems, but is still carrying the Atlas 150 (which may have
replacement metal blades alread installed?) …they will carry the 180 again when
the problems are resolved
http://polymerclayexpress.com/equip.html
….Mona
Kissel and her husband are offering some fixes and machines:
..…..if you
send your machine to them, they will do a "modification" to it
which allows easy removal of blades without tools (for cleaning)
....
and will also adjust rollers to help with uneven sheets (will that
fix the gear problems though?), and remove fenders if your request
($20 + shipping both ways... 7-10 days)
.…..or buy an Atlas 180 with
replacement metal blades already installed (plus their "modification")
http://www.monakissel.com/toolspasta.html
other (reasonable) pasta machines
Italian
(no recent changes in blades?? for these other Italian machines --as with the Atlases)
I assume there
are other Italian brands floating about (that are of the same h
gh quality as an Atlas).
.... but there are others out there that only
look like those.
BEFORE PURCHASING at a store, check the machine very carefully
.
....the pasta machine should feel smooth to the
touch and be smooth in operation.
... It should feel solid and
substantial.
While in the store, take the machine out of the box. ...Crank
it. Twist it. ...Feel it.
...... If the surface has rough
areas, burrs, rust spots.....or if it feels wobbly
or loose... or it squeaks
or grinds when rolling or transitioning between
settings... "Put the machine down, step away, and no one will get hurt". ;-) Desiree
(NEW--2007) Eberhard Faber Fimo
Pasta Machine not yet available in the US?
http://craftcellar.co.uk/index.html?lmd=39142.949826
...
it may be that you've stumbled on one of the "new" pasta machines that was "coming
soon"....but don't know that for sure. The Craft Cellar site did say "New for
2007" though.
....I wasn't able to find it at the Eberhard Faber site,
or any other site besides the Craft Cellar (in the UK) for that matter
(!), although a search brought up some that looked like Amacos maybe, which were
listed as "Fimo pasta machines" (think the word Fimo was being used generically
for all polymer clay there though).
....I think it's not just a rebranded
Atlas either because the rollers are incoporated into the machine instead of being
removable. It does, however, look exactly like my oldest one which is one
of the Pasta Queens (made in Italy). If that's true and they haven't changed
the design, or if they've rebranded another machine that's similar to my old one,
I'd buy that in a heartbeat. It would be sturdy like the older Atlases, but without
their problems.
.....btw, since the rollers aren't removable, that
would add a bit of weight and size... BUT it also makes the machine better in
that it doesn't have to be clamped to a suitable edge (it's heavy
enough to stand alone, anywhere you want) ...it's also a bit more stable if using
a motor with it.
....it has 9 thicknesses, where I have 7 on my Pasta
Queen
...the opening sizes are a bit different from mine, I think (but
that could be just a later model?)... they range from 1.0mm (.04 inches)
for the thinnest setting to 3.5mm (.14 inches) for the thicknest which
is just a little thinner than the thickest on the Atlas--12.5 mm.
...sheet width is the normal width of around 6"
.. it's reasonably
cheap too for a "good" pasta machine... less than $30, but you'd have to add
shipping. DB
...one person reported it worked fine... a second one said that
one of the rollers on the first one she bought didn't revolve, but the second
machine was fine
I loved my Domus!
(Unfortunately I disassembled it before I ever found instructions for doing
so ("how hard can it be?") and could never get it back together. Now that I know
how, I can't find all its parts... It *is* possible to disassemble these.)
....The
Domus was such a workhorse! I didn't realize how ...sturdy it was until
I didn't have it any more, so I bought an Atlas, and was aghast that I bent the
scraper blades within a few weeks of having it. I was used to being able shove
chunks of clay through the rollers with ease.
.....I recently bought
another Domus on eBay, but the scraper blades are slightly rusted and I haven't
gotten around to derusting them yet. Irene NC
...mine says Excelsa Modello
Depositato... sounds like yours . . . a real workhorse. Sue
I
have had two Pasta Queens.
...the one with removable noodle
cutter rollers was fine, until I let some of the kids
in a class use it; now it works but clunks on each revolution
.
. . . the other Pasta Queen I have is a very heavy one, and the extra cutter
rollers aren't removable. (It says Made in Italy on the front plate—that’s
the important part).... It's a great pasta machine and has held up to everything
I've done with it so far
(of course, I've been careful to use sheets of clay
that are only slightly thicker than the setting I'm using though --that
is, since the kids messed up my other one!) Diane B.
I love mine! ...a Pastafast ...which isn't that popular I guess, but it's a wonderful machine. Never had a bit of trouble with it....it was my first machine (bought at Cost Plus). Jan
Imperia
... made in Italy ....great
pasta machine... sturdy
....Linens 'n Things carries Imperias (can use their
20% coupon... must sign up for mailings to get coupon?)
.....I
have an Imperia pasta machine that I've been using for about 2 years. It
works great for me. It is very sturdy, and cranks fine for me. Marlene
....The
Imperia has different widths and makes different thickness of clay
than the Atlas (doesn't have the thinnest settings?),
which could make it more difficult to use some of the instructions in books and
magazines for making a clay project . Dotty
....I had been initially impressed
by the solidness of nearly every aspect of the Imperia pasta machine. It's a heavy
and sturdy looking little beast. So, this weekend, I took apart a brand new one
to see what what was under the hood. My evaluation is based on taking apart and
comparing the components of pasta machine brands such as Pasta Queen, Atlas, Trattorina,
Imperia and a couple of no-names. I was very disappointed
with the scrapers
(those blades that keep whatever material that passes between the rollers
from wrapping around the rollers). They're little more than stiff aluminum
foil. The scrapers may be adequate for pasta dough, but IMHO they wouldn't
last under serious or over-zealous
polymer clay conditioning.
These scrapers can be easily bent (if rolling though too-thick clay) ... Desiree?
Most(?)
pasta machines come with a removable noodle cutter unit which creates
long strips of several widths (linguini, etc.). This unit is often removed to
reduce the weight and size of the pasta machine because it's seldom used (possibly
for weaving or making tiles). Some have permanent noddle cutter units built
in.
...And some pasta machines can be bought without noodle
cutters
...if you want to use a motor with
your pasta machine though, the ones without cutters may be
less stable and you might have to put a support under the motor or clamp the pasta
machine down to keep it from wobbling excessively?
... removing the
permanent rollers from a very-small Atlas with a hacksaw & Dremel
http://pcpolyzine.com/0301january/littlepm.html
and http://www.desiredcreations.com/Misc_PCLittlePMTale.htm
non-Italian
Amaco
(made in China for Amaco)
...Michaels (and other craft stores) now has a pasta machine
from Amaco which they're selling for around $25 (...using Michaels 40%
off coupon brings this to about $15)
...also available online, mail
order
...it would be fine though as long as it's handled
with care --e.g., never run through any clay that's much
thicker than the width of a particular opening
...mine works great...
and now I have a separate machine just for white and translucents.
Angela.
(when compared to an Italian-made machine:)
...the
dial for thick/thin settings are backwards from the Atlas settings. Patty
B.
...the widest setting on the Michael's machine is thinner
than the widest setting on the Atlas.
...when cranking, the handle is
harder to turn, and less smooth. Julie
...I
found it to be "clunky" when cranking (compared
to an Atlas). Patty B.
...I took mine back ...it would be ok
for just conditioning clay though
.....it also left lots of continual
horizontal lines on one side of the clay(??). Stephen C
"Ultimate
Clay Machine" .....from Makin's Clay (an
air dry clay)
....this new pasta machine is created specifically
for clay (but Makin's clay is softer
than most polymer clays)
....it has a non-stick coating on the rollers
(not the particular brand of non stick called "Teflon" though)
....has 9 settings...and is 7" wide
....more expensive
than Michaels' Amaco pasta machine (about $50 --but good place to
use their 40% off coupon... and Joann's will match their
coupon?) ... in Michaels, there will be no "Makin's
green" color on these
machines, by their request ... also available by mail order
...the new Makin's
Clay pasta machine is very much like the Atlas 180, except
for the added coating... I have no idea yet how compatible the coating
is with the clay's plasticizers
....it works wonderfully with my motor
and comes with the standard handle and clamp, but no
cutters. Patty B.
http://www.clay-essentials.com/productpages/pastamachine.htm
Makin's guidelines and warnings re using its machine
... e.g., any particulate
inclusions besides mica powders may scratch
the non-stick rollers
...these guidelines are both for using their air-dry
clay and "other clays" on the same page, so some of them may not apply
to polymer clay
http://www.makinsclay.com/US/eng/products/UCMtechsheet.htm
MORE CONCERNS
about Makins' machine:
.... bottom line: may
want to wait till they get all problems fixed before buying one?
(....this machine originally had a problem with burrs
on the metal
when it was first introduced, which left scratches, etc., on on the clay
....it was taken off the market, then reissued with plastic scrapers)
...
now however, the plastic scrapers
seem to get distorted or out of place, causing rippling
and/or bowing of the clay sheets on the
thinner settings... also worse with the softer clays
...it
also seems to leave a fine grain
patterning on sheets of mica clay which
are put through its rollers (more than most other pasta
machines)... can roll over sheet with a brayer afterwards to remove them?
...mine
makes a much louder noise (like metal rubbing against
metal or something) than her older machine (Italian-made tho?) . Susan
What
to do?
....some clayers elect to return the machines, and some may wait
for a newer version
....some clayers report that this bowing tends to settle
down after awhile, but some extra passes or other things may have to be done (leaching
a short time, or powdering with cornstarch)
.......some people also feel that
cranking the handle slower makes less friction and works better... but some people
feel the best sheet is gotten from quickly passing the clay through (friction
may or may not be causing the problems)
...I had to take the 'fenders' off
tho -- the clay had been sticking to the fenders
and making it bunch up going into the rollers, or just plain tearing
the clay apart. I'm much happier with the machine since hubby took the fenders
off.
.... ...He took a screw out of the side where the handle (crank) is, and
took that cover off. Then he took the nuts off of the rods on either side of the
handle (holds support/braces in, which holds the whole thing together. That gave
him enough leeway to spread the sides apart just enough to pop the fenders off.
Watch out here tho, as he said one of the rollers popped out - he just
popped it back in. Squished the sides back together, put the nuts back on the
support rods and tightened them up. Put the side cover back on and put the screw
back in. Waa-laa. I'm sure you could probably just pop them off with a screwdriver,
which is what I was going to do till hubby saw me with a tool in my hand, lol.
(though this will void the ability to returj the machine because advised
against by Makin's -- no reason given)
...My old Imperia machine
seems so much sturdier and of higher quality (but it is small and doesn't have
the high settings unfortunately). Susan
The pasta bike is a little three wheeled hand gadget that lets you cut strips out of sheets of pasta... for making wide noodles, lasagne, etc. Like a quilter's cutting wheel, but has three wheels instead of one... not very sharp, and the one I got had a broken wheel, so I never did try it with clay. The wheels are hard plastic, so they'd probably get eaten by plasticizer, anyway. Elizabeth
(see below for
bad machines and wider ones)
7-8" Trattorina (pasta) machine
http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_AdvTrattMaint.htm (Desiree's photo of a Trattorina, and lessons on cleaning and lubing it; also removing noodle rollers from the Trattorina pasta machine)
The Tratt is approximately 195mm wide, as compared to Atlas's 180mm
width of their extra wide PM.
.... note that the Tratt is a unibody
PM....the flat and noodle roller pairs are permenantly built
on, which is different than the Altases where you can remove the noodle
rollers (noodle rollers usually account for about 60%-70% of the PMs weight and
are not usually used in polymer clay). Desiree
I bought my Tratt from Polymer Clay Express, but I think they are no
longer being made? Every once in a while you can find one on ebay.
Also there is a place in Canada that had a blurb a while back about carrying
them soon. http://www.italiankitchenware.com
. Valerie
The Belpasta
company is in Boston Massachusetts. This thing is huge! Check it out: http://www.belpasta-trattorina.com/pastamachine.html
( $99 at King Arthur Flour-- much more $$ now?)
-7.8" rollers
for bigger sheets
-2 clamps hold it down--this thing never moves
-best
of all, the roller "cleaners" are located so that clay that gets stuck
in them does NOT contaminate clay that comes out after it. I run color
after color through this thing, without having to clean it!
-2 sizes of noodles
(yeah, that's standard)
..Mine was also gritty
when I got it and seemed "stiff" as you state, although,
I figured out a way to put my Pasta Facile motor on it and don't know if it's
still stiff feeling or not. The motor doesn't seem to have any problem with it
and once I got rid of the gritty packing material
they shipped it in, everything has been fine. . . . The best way to get rid of
the gritty stuff is to run scrap clay through it quite a few times once
you've thoroughly cleaned it. Meredith
....As far as I can tell, the best
reason for having one is that you want to roll out wider and thicker
sheets. For anything else, I have to say that the Atlas is better. My Trattorina
is also stiff, though I figured out that the squeaky
sound was coming from the handle and a couple of drops of oil fixed that. It is
easier to dig out accumulated clay, but it also collects
a lot more accumulatd clay than an Atlas does.
I wish I could just lop off the huge noodle cutters
and save the space! Jody B.
...it's HEAVY . .
. it should be pointed out that it not only makes thicker sheets, but thinner
sheets of clay, too. I use the thinner settings for all kinds of things more
than I use the thicker settings. .. . I have heard some people say that they have
a hard time making the dial stay on the setting they want (they tape it). I have
only heard of two cases of this now. . . I am able to dial in between settings
and it stays, even. . . . Last thing is I really would suggest getting the
motor on this particular pasta machine. The only modification that
needs to be done to fit the motor onto it is to drill the casing in line with
the hole for the motor bracket, (the one that comes with the Pasta Facile motor).
If you buy the new stainless steel motor, www.appliances.com) it *doesn't* come
with a bracket and I think you really need the bracket to be able to adapt the
Trattorina for the motor. It runs very well with the motor. I can even change
settings when the motor is running and clay is being run through it to get a gradated
thickness for a wrap.... Meredith
...I got one of these for Christmas and
you will love it. Had hubby take a few of the guards off, without interupting
it's functioning properly.Threre's less you can remove on this one. It's nice
and heavy and so much better than the less expensive machines. Rolls like butter.
LOL I am sure this will become your favorite machine! deb jean
...
I plan to remove the two pairs of noodle rollers to really lighten
its weight, sand off any rust, clean and grease it good and put it back together,
making it *better* than new. Desiree
...I THOUGHT I was going to like it lots... because of the extra thick settings...
and the fact that it's wider than the atlas. But I found it way too bulky
to use comfortably.... for me anyway. I find it difficult to reach
all the way behind it to
get the clay as it rolls out. It doesn't fall *down* where you can catch it &
pull it towards you, like the atlas does.... and it's size is a drawback when
you have to reach around it. However, I hasten to say... I didn't really give
it a fair try yet. I think that it will be much better if I can get the noodle
units out of it as Desiree suggested.
...I feel the same way, Joanie! I have finally made peace
with my Brat the Tratt. It's my primary machine now. ...I have come to appreciate
the wider and thicker sheets because of the work I do but for the average
clayer, it might not be worth it. I'll have to go do a comparison, but
I don't think the #1 is twice as thick as the same setting on the Atlas.
I use the #4 setting a lot and it's just the slightest bit thicker.
I've used sheets from both machines together with no problem. Jody B.
Slab Rollers (the humongous rollers!)
slab rollers made for earth
clay come in various sizes (you can drool over these photos, but probably
can't afford one!)
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/slabrollers/slabrollers.htm
I'm going to try a do-it-yourself pc slab roller.... I've got some pvc pipe and endcaps in two sizes for diff. thickness slabs ...all I need now is a large smooth surface Pat
What about using the roller from an old wringer washing machine? I may be mis-remembering, but it seems as if those rollers were infinitely adjustable. I'm trying to remember just what my grandma's machine's rollers were made from. I think they were metal. I saw one at an estate sale recently... Talia
BAD machines??
The Dick Blick catolog also has a pasta machine for poly clay users. It's
$24.99, Al Dente, Villa Ware.
You can get a new pasta machine for $25.99 from Dick Blick catalog. 1-800-447-8192
It extrudes down to # 7 (made in China?)
This is something every polymer clay
player should know about when considering pasta machine purchases. The link you
provided http://www.jackbergsales.com/appliances/latlaspastamachine.htm
shows the box with the labels - 'Atlas' and 'VillaWare'... 170 mm. This
is not the same as the "Mercato
Atlas". I don't know why it isn't, but it isn't. I had the chance to do a
hands-on exam of a VillaWare PM and it was LOUSY, LOUSY. Very poor construction,
craftsmanship, scratched rollers, squeaky grinding feeling when cranking the handle,
jagged unfinished edges (which means you can get those tiny little cuts and scratches
on your hands and arms). If I recall, the box said Atlas and "VillaWare, but the
machine itself had the infamous label - Al Dente. [forming a cross with two fingers
to ward away evil spirits] . . . .:^O On the other hand, the Mercato Atlas
is a fine machine. I got my Mercato Atlas via appliances.com. I suspect you
can acquire that specific brand from a few vendors, but you want to ask what's
on the box. And if you happen to get any brand of PM that just doesn't seem to
be a quality product, send it back, complain and ask for a refund. Desiree
....It's an "Al Dente", has 7 settings, and mine lasted about one year - apparently
the gears stripped; the rollers slip very badly. Dawn S.
....I have to agree
with Sharon. My Al Dente is very problematic. At this point I have removed all
the guards and I am very careful with not letting the clay wrap around. Removing
the guards at least stopped the streaking and the other problems. Tara
....oh,nooooooooo!
i should have warned you guys about the al dente machines. i hadn't had mine a
month when the silver coating on the rollers began to peel off and transfer itself
onto the clay as it was passing thru.
...HOWEVER, I bought a Villa Ware
on eBay, and when I took it out of the box, it was an Atlas, only without the
Atlas name on it. *g* . . . A "Pasta Queen" is another Atlas brand. Just make
sure you're getting the roller type and not the extrusion type. Elizabeth
...Recently I checked out what was called an Altas pasta machine at a local cooking
supply store. The box said 'Atlas by VillaWare'. The brand label on
the actual pasta machine, however, said 'Al Dente'. The machine itself was
poorly made, IMHO. All the metal edges were rough and sharp, the gears
clanked and squeaked, the rollers were scratched. Perhaps this was a case of a
wolf in sheep's clothing. I trust a pasta machine that actually has the name "Atlas"
on the machine itself is a fine quality device. Desiree
You can get those little MINI PASTA MACHINES at appliances.com... they're cheaper
& fun for small skinner blends. I think they're called the Ampietta?
Joanie
...I purchased a few minis some time ago and found that they didn't
hold up too well. I dropped them (accidentally) and the plates from below popped
off. Donna
...Luckily they can be popped back on. I popped one off doing a
demo, once and it actually works better since I popped the blade back on. Given
that they're created as children's toys, they're pretty nifty, but definitely
not intended for heavy duty. I certainly wouldn't use it for conditioning. Halla
Since "Ampietta" could be translated as "little Ampia", perhaps it is the smaller version of (a regular size) Ampia (which is okay?)? Deb
(see also current problems with Atlas machines above, particularly the Atlas180)
12" wide machine (.....orig. for cold porcelain)
from ColdPorcelainCreations...
Bradenton FL, 941-727-7293 ... $70 ... 12" wide
....they say it's okay
for polymer clay, though it was originally made for "cold porcelain" paste
which is much softer, so probably not good for us)
....no housings to speak of...simple looking ..2 built-on clamps for table top??..hand-operated
...the
rolls are made of metal, easy to adjust... can roll your paste thicker than #1
on the atlas and as thin as # 9, with the atlas... It is not heavy. Yvonne (of
ColdPorcelainCreations) http://www.coldporcelaincreations.com/doughmachine.htm
I
have the Dough Machine from coldporcelain creations.com
...compared to an
Atlas, it is almost useless for polymer clay
...If
you are thinking of purchasing it to condition clay, don't bother. It's not the
lack of scrapers... it's the spring-loaded width adjustment.
If the clay is not dead soft/limp, it forces the rollers apart rather than the
rollers forcing the clay to conform to the desired width. stargazer
I got
one, and so far I'm not sure I'm all that excited about it...... first, it is
fairly pricey. $70 plus S/H.
.....The
thickness settings are actually two knobs (one on
either side of the top of the machine) and they don't
have markings for thicknesses (and no
easy way to mark them yourself)... you have to tighten down on both
knobs to control the thickness and it's not easy to get
them exactly the same (which will produce an uneven thickness of clay)
...takes some fiddling to get it straight (do-able, but just not as simple as
turning a knob on the Atlas). Kat
... (because there are no
scrapers) the clay wants to feed out around
the rollers ...that's ok so long as you're ready to catch it as it
comes out the other side
...no option for motorizing
it.
...no information included for replacement
part options,
if needed.
...setup was mostly easy, except for a white metal plate
that came in the package with no explanation as to where it goes. The machine
originally comes from Brazil, and the setup sheet is in another language. LOL!
I figured out where the plate goes based on where there are screws on the machine,
though I don't know if it's all that essential.
caneguru
Online & Mail Order
CHECK
all prices (and types) offered at the following online sites, since they seem
to change frequently!
...as of Feb. 2005, the lowest price for
an Italian-made one is about $40?
I suggest ordering
from Polymer Clay Express http://polymerclayexpress.com/equip.html
....I bought both of my machines from Polymer Clay Express, the Atlas
and the Trat. I just feel that supporting our community is important, so I try
to purchase from other clayers or businesses that support clayers. You will find
that Polymer Clay Express is VERY competitive in their pricing. Valerie
.
. .polymerclayexpress.com has pasta machines without (extra cutters
attachment?) for $30 or 40? plus shipping.. I just got one there for
Christmas.. .. dave
(NOTE: having no cutter attachment can mean that if you use the machine with a motor, it may have to be clamped down rather than standing on its ownbecause of the lack of counter-weight on the back of the pm)
lots of links to places that may have
pasta machines
http://tinyurl.com/4emoj
I
just got a brand-new Atlas 150 at Kitchen Etc. online for $29.99.
...This
is the price Donna Kato http://www.prairiecraft.com
was asking for the pasta machine without the cutting attachment.
It's the best price I found unless you want to compete on eBay. Barbara
http://prairiecraft.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PM
I finally found a pasta machine with a more than reasonable price and shipping cost at (Tammy Sims' supply site in Michigan) http://www.polymersuppliesonline.com/ , which was suggested to me by Geo and Dorothy. Emily (gone now?)
Canadian supplier (Atlas & motor)
http://www.shadesofclay.com/Articles/products/ToolsandAccessories.html
You
can order one from Kitchen Etc. http://www.kitchenetc.com/catalog/specialty/spec.htm
for $29.95...I think they charge $5 for shipping as well. It's the Atlas made
in Italy too... that's the best one.
....Kitchen Etc.
http://www.kitchenetc.com/ or http://www.kitchenetc.com/Products.cfm?sku=000177329
.This is an Atlas 150, made in Italy... I bought my pasta maker from Kitchen Etc.
It arrived in seven days, just like they said it would. gail
Italian
Home Cooking's pasta machines .....also motors
and extra handles or clamps
http://www.italianhomecooking.com/pastamakerbybrands.htm
Prizm http://www.prizmart.com sells ...flat shipping rates - $7.50 for up to $100... I bought my Atlas 180 PM from them for $35, and that's NOT a sale price (the 150 is $30). Lisa (no longer have?)
I bought mine from the King Arthur Flour Company. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/cgibin/htmlos/0383.3.0348356507 You can order their (free) catalog by calling 1-800-777-4434. Nuchi (all they have now is the Trattorina?)
http://www.calibex.com/serv/main
http://www.claros.com
http://www.appliances.com
E-Bay
online auction site: http://www.ebay.com.
. . I don't remember who it was that mentioned running searches on eBay for pasta
machines using "pasta maker" and "noodle maker", but bless you!!!!
I've had a search bookmarked for pasta machines for ages and have never been able
to win the high bid. I just got 2 Atlas pasta machines by checking the other searches…
Jean/PA
I
looked at a lot of auctions, and it seems to me that after you pay shipping, you're
not likely to get a really screaming deal, maybe just a kinda okay deal. gail
Have you tried eBay? I usually sell used pasta machines. I take them completely apart, clean them inside and out, put them back together and then sell them. ...These machines come to me extremly dirty. It's hard to believe that people won't take the time to take them apart and clean them throughly. They weight approx 9 - 10 lbs, so I do charge $15.00 for shipping.. . . You can check out my auction at eBay (to see if I have any listed at the time). . . The reserve price is $19.95 + $15.00 for postage. The machines weigh approx. 9 - 10 lbs. My eBay id is Daezhavue. Go to SEARCH, BY SELLER, type in Daezhavue, and click search. This will bring up items that I currently have up for auction. I usually check my mail on yahoo about every 5 days or so. Dee
What about Overstock.com http://www.overstock.com?
LOCAL
Always take the machine out of the
box, put the handle in and crank using a few different thickness settings
kand just make sure everything works (both rollers move, turns repeatedly,
etc.)
.... also check for any other difficulties such as grinding or
squeaking, feeling of looseness of the
parts, poor construction or craftsmanship, scratched rollers, jagged unfinished
edges, etc. (...all pasta machines have handles which will fall out
easily so that wouldn't count)
If you live in a large enough area, there may be some form of recycle store like a Salvation Army or Goodwill. Check them out for appliances. You might find a decent pasta machine for a song. Desiree (ALSO, garage sales –DB)
Just bought my Atlas
Pasta Maker in Linen & Things in San Diego for $29.95.
.....My
Bed, Bath and Beyond finally has Atlas 150's. With a 20% coupon
they are $31.99 plus $2.48 tax.
I've seen pasta machines at Lechter's, Service Merchandise, and Macy's - if you have any near to you. Other dept stores might have them. Italian groceries, too.
I got a tip from a woman who is "leader" of the local guild here where I live and she told me that Cost Plus has pasta machines all the time for around 25.00. and she told me that it is the good one.,, Katherine (see above)
I
got mine at Lechter's (kitchenware store found in a lot of shopping malls)
but I've also seen them at Butterfield's (more upscale kitchen store also
in shopping malls.)
Just got home from True Value Hardware, and what
I found was 2 different kinds of pasta machines...both only $24.99. One was a
"Pasta Queen" and the other was the good ol' ATLAS. Call around to your near by
stores...I found that not all of them had them in stock! Maggie (sale price through
Dec. 19, 1999)
FEEDING TRAY
an
upright, metal sheet which attaches to slots at top back of an Amoco pasta
machine (or Atlas 150?) (or other?
pasta machines) so that one won''t have to hold a long sheet or
strip of clay with the left hand while cranking or motoring it through
the rollers
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/equip.html
http://www.shadesofclay.com/Articles/products/ToolsandAccessories.html
I read in a polymer book that you "should not use" a motor.... Apparently that book was wrong (!!)
When using a motor on your pasta
machine, a change in sound (slower and pitch change) is normal when
you feed a piece of clay through.
...however, if you should
hear the motor really
laboring (slowing down too much) when you're sending something
through, let it run empty for 10-15 sec after the sheet is done,
so that it can dissipate any excess heat that's built up in there.
......then, you can either continue to feed clay through again, or
you can turn the motor off (once the motor is turned off, it has no way
of bleeding off excess temperature other than the slow exchange with surrounding
air.)
...the laboring can be caused by putting too thick
a clay pad in the rollers too (which can also
mess up the gears), so only put through clay that's
just a bit thicker than the opening you've set between the rollers
(unless you're using very soft clay)
...You can also run the clay through
a thinner setting before folding it in half to send it through the
thicker setting- this will (make it thinner and) cause the machine to labor
less and build up less heat - it will also cause
less stress on the sprockets. Elizabeth
...Hmm,
my motor gets warm too but never noticed that it got hot
... never thought to turn it off to cool down either, but then I don't
generally let it run and run, since I usually turn it off after I've completed
a mini-task.
(....well, there were a couple of times when I had to condition
and mix colors of LOTS of clay for giving kids' classes. . . maybe I turned it
off occasionally then, but now I'd probably just pop an ice bag on the
sucker and keep going! . . . or maybe point a little fan at it). Diane
B.
My motor wobbles as soon as I put clay through! ...it doesn't
seem to be defective; just doesn't "fit tightly"). Barb
...You know, mine and many others' also wobble a bit... I also worried that something
was wrong at first, but turns out nothing is wrong... the thing just wobbles
normally (I never even notice the wobble anymore, after thinking
initially that it would drive me crazy!). Diane B.
....first, check and make
sure you have a tight fit on the bracket that holds the machine.
If it isn't a tight fit, take a good heavy duty pliers and squeeze that sucker
in so you have a good tight fit! (?).
..... also, I put a piece of Lucite (or
piece of wood) under the front of the pasta machine, under the bracket
so that it would be flush with the (surface the pm is sitting on) which also cuts
down on some of the movement!
....I had a similar problem. I have the noodle-cutter
attachment on the pasta machine and it balances the machine. You can
also use a clamp to hold it steady to the table. Sally
....the Pasta
Facile motor has the metal bracket that attaches onto the side of the pm &
clamps the motor into place. I'm using it with the Atlas 7" wide pasta
machine, without noodle cutters.... my clay guild has several Atlas machines
& one of them uses the Imperia motor with no problems or wobbles at all, so I
wasn't prepared for this one to do so... Barb
You should get a bracket-frame with your motor. It's a metal "arm" that attaches with a nut & bolt to the pasta machine itself, using that hole at the center bottom of the handle side..... The motor sits in the frame and you pivot the arm to hold the motor against the side. Irene NC
brands, types
There are some key differences between
motors that you should research
.......but you don't have to get your
motor right away because the motor
you buy will depend on
which pasta machine
you buy, or already have. Desiree
...You
can also buy pasta machines at various places which are already
fitted with an appropriate motor
.......there
doesn't seem to be any price break on those though.
Mercato's
PastaDrive, which has a silver housing, is
exclusively for Atlas pasta
machines (but see conversion
plate below
for extra $), ...it has only 1
speed ... and I think it's a little more powerful (??) than the
Imperia (Pasta Facile?, Pasta Ezee?). Desiree
Imperia's Pasta Facile
motor (white housing) is adaptable to most any pasta
machine, and has 2 speeds.
.... the Pasta Facile
comes with a brace which helps hold it in place on a pasta maker.
.....The
Pasta Facile seems to hold up better than the silver colored plastic one
(Pasta Drive) which is sold on some online clay companies.
.....I also like
that it has two forward gears (speeds) as well as the "pulse"
function which I don't use
.....I've had a used Pasta Facile motor
on my Atlas 180 for over 3 1/2 years, and it works beautifully.
.....it's
is available from chefscatalog.com for about $80.00 plus shipping. Patty B.
......the
Pasta Facile is made in Italy... and that 2nd speed can really zoom
!! ... a great advantage IMO! DB
...
I have used this brand of motor for a year and am very happy with it ( as is my
arm, formerly known as the Big Pain --tendonitis). The price is (was) $65 + S&H.
LynnDel
VillaWare
180 Pasta Machine Motorizer (...looks
like a Pasta Facile .... bit more expensive?)
...."powerful
and quiet".... 2 speeds ($70-90)... made in Italy...anyone
know more about this one??
..."works with
the Atlas pasta machine, and VillaWare's Imperia and Al Dente pasta machines".
Pasta
Ezee motor
....fits onto a standard pasta machine.... manufactured by AEPI
for A.I.T. and available in select gourmet specialty stores. Barbara McGuire
We
would like to introduce our new custom-made pasta machine motor.
We think it is the very best available on the market today.
...It is quiet,
powerful (1/3 hp), well made, and will give many years of good service.
It comes with a one year warranty on parts and labor and there is free email and
phone support for as long as you need it.($495)
...I am an engineer
and my wife is a polymer clay artist. When we could not find a pasta machine
motor that was good enough for Jeanne to use in her work, we set out to design
and build a motor that would do the job right. We think we have succeeded and
are now offering it to other polymer clay artists to help them in their work.
Photos and othe information are available at our new website . We would be happy
to answer any questions you might have.. Vince & Jeanne Rhea
http://www.heartofclay.com/motor/motor.htm
SUPPLIERS
I
got my motor at a local swanky kitchen supply store -- about $80
and worth every penny.
PolymerClayExpress has 2 (Altas)
pasta machines with motors (also with or without cutter attachement), &
also sells motors separately
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/equip.html
http://tinyurl.com/8j2j8
(Google results for "Pasta Facile"... many places
to buy)
http://tinyurl.com/9anxe (Google
results for "PastaDrive"... many places to buy)
http://tinyurl.com/c484s
(Google results for "PastaEzee"... many places to buy)
(...not all places that sell pasta machines will also have pasta
machine motors)
eBay
auctions .....Before you shop, you might want to check out "completed auctions"
for *pasta motor* to get a general idea of what they have been selling
for in the past 30 days (if one is exceptionally high in price...re-read the description
to see what makes it mooooore wonderful than usual......OR if 2 inexperienced
bidders met!!! ;o)
.....Remember to have patience....there will be more
motors offered soon.
.... Lurk a bit. Read the descriptions carefully....ASK
the seller questions if in doubt. ...if it ain't in the description, ask --don't
just "assume"! (of "Bid in haste. Repent in leisure."!! IMHO) Cella in SD
.....(one seller at e-Bay) puts them up for sale about one each week).
. go to ebay and look for the seller category. ...type this seller's name:
pastamama20 .....then check under the page where it says seller's auctions.
mamadude
fit
Many (but
not all) pasta machines have 2 holes on the side which a motor
can fit into:
...the crank hole will be for the motor's shaft...
and the clamp hole will be for the bracket that holds the motor on.
LynnDel
Marcato's (Atlas) PastaDrive motor mounts
very differently from the Imperia one (and will not fit on
all pasta machines).
.....the only difference between a Marcato pasta machine
that doesn't take a Pastadrive motor and one that
does, is that side panel with the two little holes.
......it is
dependent on the pasta machine's side panel having two little holes for
the two little mounting bolts on the motor to fit into (the holes are positioned
kinda at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock)
..When
I got the Pasta Drive motor, the darn thing doesn't fit on my machine! There seem
to have to be other holes in the side of the machine to have the motor
attach to to keep it from falling off. Karen
(Or) you can buy an adapter so that you can use a
motor on a pasta machine that doesn't have those extra holes.
...I
had recently purchased the Pasta Drive motor, and found I couldn't use
it because my pasta machine frame didn't have the holes that the motor mounted
into....so I contacted Gary Valenti and they carry the conversion kit for
$6.50 total.
....(importer of Atlas Pasta Machines... sells replacement
parts --Gary Valenti, Inc. 54-36 Flushing Ave., Maspeth NY 11378, TEL.: 718-386-0896)
Gary Valenti, Inc. and Marcato both have new websites, but with only e-mail addresses
so far: http://www.garyvalenti.com
.....I
had contacted another vendor (appliances.com),
but theirs was $8 plus another $5.10 for shipping! slarussi
http://www.appliances.com/XPA19V177C.html
... You can purchase that side panel separately at applicances.com and,
remove the old panel and replace it with the one that will accept the motor
mounts. Desiree
I don't
think the "old" pasta motor fits the new wider Atlas
180, or even the newer 6", but if you order from appliancesonline.com
(gone?) by phone, you can tell them which pasta machine you have
and they will tell you which motor fits it, and vice-versa. Zig
....Howard
at the Clay Factory says that motors won't fit on the larger
7" pasta machines (Atlases?). However, someone else mentioned
that there are motors "for the newer machines". . . anyone
know about this?
....How odd that these motors aren't fitting standard machines.....I
have a Pasta Facile motor (from a kitchen supply store) that I got in 1997.
It's the kind with the white plastic housing. It fits any of the many Atlas machines
I have, including the new 180 mm wide, as well as the Domus machine
I bought on eBay. Irene NC
(For foot pedals, see Tools/Dremels/Misc)
WHY
TO TREAT YOURSELF TO A MOTOR!
(or, I'm-a-believer)
& NOISE
If my
motor ever burnt out, the first thing I would do is get on the phone and order
another.
.... I can do things with it that I couldn't do without a motor. I
can condition so much more clay then by having to hand crank. What a life saver
it is. Or I should say an arm saver. Lucille
Once
you get a motor you'll wonder how on earth you ever got by without
it
.........I got mine in 1997... it's still going strong, and I use it
a LOT. I've never heard of anyone burning out one of these motors.
.....My
shoulder and elbow no longer ache from hand cranking.
.... I can condition
*more* clay *faster.*
.... And I can make Skinner blends as long as my arm
since I have both hands free. Irene
10
Reasons Why You Should NOT Buy A Pasta Motor, by Donna Zeffren....
;-)
1) You might become spoiled, and lose your sensitivity for
those who still crank by hand...
2) You might finish conditioning your clay
so quickly that you will have extra time on your hands and have to do housework
or something unpleasant like that...
3) Your Skinner blends might be so perfect
and quick since you have both hands free that you might lose your excuse for not
making hundreds of them...
4) The noise it makes may disturb and scare off
your kids, dog, husband, inquisitive neighbors, and others who love to "visit"
your workspace when you are busy...
5) You won't be able to develop that attractive
enlarged right bicep which is so popular among Italian ravioli-makers...
6)
Your right hand may get bored, atrophy, and wither right off...
7) You might
feel left out of conversations where everyone is discussing how miserable it is
to condition FIMO...
8) You won't have anything to do with your clamp, and
might feel guilty for ignoring it...
9) You might let your hair dangle over
it while it's running, and get sucked in and be flattened like a pancake...
10) You might like it a lot, and lower your self esteem by feeling stupid that
you didn't buy one before...
.......So, by all means...DON'T BUY ONE!!
.:-D . . . A reformed crank, Donna
I
don't find it too noisy, either. I just turn up the music. :) Irene
........I use a Walkman radio --with earbuds--for long sessions
of pasta machining. . . Diane B.
........Most conclusive about how anyone can
get used to the (noise of the) machine... my cat used to bite my legs when
I first started using it. After 5 or 10 times, he stopped (even though he still
sat at my feet or right next to me at the table). He's the one who always hides
when he hears the vaccum cleaner. Randi
Another
advantage of having a motor is that you no longer have to clamp your
pasta machine to anything!
.... (I’m not sure if this is true for pasta
machines with the extra rollers removed though??).
Mine simply sits on a stool next to the work table, and it doesn’t move
around at all. ...seems so much more portable too since I don’t have
to clamp and unclamp any time I want to take it somewhere. Diane B.
If
you want to take your motor to a class or other group function
....first,
try to condition most of your clay before you go.
....Certainly
do not run it while a
teacher or demonstrator is talking!
....Ask your group how they feel about the noise... if motors haven't
caught on much in your area yet, you may need to use it in a corner or
in another room
...generally, those with physical problems who
need to use a motor are usually allowed to use one (but they should be
as considerate as possible)
...another possibility would be to have everyone
use the same pasta-machine-with-motor--especially those folks with arthritis or
other physical problems; they could stand in line (then there'd be only one going
at any one time).
HOWEVER
. . . (to quiet a pasta machine )
(this is new one Jeanne
and her DH built, or a first generation of it, or what?)
....We
used the (a?) motor which we already had and which we knew was very, very
quiet and yet very strong. It has no noise at all when just running and not hooked
up to the pasta machine. When hooked up it is like a very small fan motor--sounds
almost like a battery operated little motor--a soft purr.
.......All of the
(added?) "contraption" was as you guessed it, to slow down the turn of
the pasta rollers. Believe me, if hooked up directly, there is no way to keep
up with the clay shooting out of the machine. I counted my pasta machine roller
turns and it was about 30 + or - a few revolutions per minute. ( We had to do
that for him to do the calculations to know what size belts, etc he needed.)
The motor we were using was 1725 rpm. So without the "contraption", clay would
be flying all over the place! And I think unsafe for claywork. This is a standard
appliance motor and the kind that would not cost a fortune and the type that one
could easily run across in a garage sale. .... He has mentioned all kinds of things
about AC vs DC. (This I think I remember was in regards to using a foot pedal
for speed like a sewing machine. Slow and fast as you want it.) Gearing down,
etc....... We have wondered the same thing about a motor already being out there
that can be adapted. ...I'll keep you posted if we run across one that we can
just make a simple adjustment, it's quiet, it's inexpensive and it works! Of course,
I'll have them for sale. ;-) Jeanne Rhea
I'm guessing that the "transfer stuff"
(pretty technical, eh?) in the middle is because the motor is more powerful than
the regular pasta machine? I'm wondering if there is a motor out there that doesnt
need the conversion for the speed....that is, compatible rpms. I don't even know
what the rpms are for my own motor! Lori
To be cost effective he may
have the coupling shaft (or whatever it is called that must fit appropriately
into the pasta machine) custom made and sell that with instructions. He made the
shaft yesterday for mine and it is quite a job if not done in a machine shop.
It has to be exact or it would be no good for the pasta machine or the motor.
It will take a lot of legwork, research and experimenting to find exactly the
right motors which are currently being made, which have at least two speeds,
quiet, and then figure the specs so a person could get the materials and do
it themselves. And I'm not certain how many different shafts would have to be
made to fit all pasta machines. (I am ordering a new pasta machine just to see
what we need to work with. I want the best for claying there is so send me the
brands.)... I suggested that he try to teach a class at a retreat of some
sort so we could cover our expenses as a business expense--but I don't think he's
into that yet! Just imagine quiet pasta machines for conditioning as a retreat.
Hope I answered all of your questions. We will pursue this and see what can be
done. Jeanne Here's a picture for you to see.... We had picked up some old motors
at a garage sale ...Two of them are so quiet you can barely hear them run. Since
they have very fast rpm, DH did some math and figured out the size pulleys
and belts that he needed to make it run roughly the same revolutions
as my old motor. This one is faster, but I don't mind. It works
like a charm. I have pieces of clay that are over three feet long and smooth.
I can condition an entire pound of clay in just a couple of minutes. And it is
so quiet I watched the PBS special on Jazz in my work room and conditioned clay
for over an hour. DH didn't even know that I was using the pasta machine! Now
we will search for a good motor that has two speeds (OR MORE!) or he will
make one somehow. (It is so great to have a hubby who lived in the bush in Alaska
for several years and can adapt something for every thing. ...And he'll refine
the design so it doesn't take up so much space, and design a cover for the belts.
I hesitated with showing this to you all as it looks a little funky---but hey,
it works. http://www.glasgow-ky.com/vintage/pasta.jpg
Jeanne
If
you don't have a motor on your pasta machine, it won't be heavy enough to use
without clamping it down.
..You'll need to have a table (or stool,
etc.) with a suface that's not too thick to accomodate the clamp in order to clamp
it successfully ...... if your tabletop is too thin, add a small block
of wood between the underside of the table and the top of the screw-in bolt to
make it clamp tightly.
.......if your table is too thick, you'll have
to find somewhere else to clamp your pasta machine or buy a larger clamp form
the hardware store.
If you handle
seems to come out of its hole frequently, wrap a bit of plastic wrap or
the fingertip of a rubber glove or one of those fingertip mini-condom-looking
tyings around the end and reinsert it.
handle kept coming up until I slipt
a small, long balloon on the end and inserted back into it's slot. Works great.
Jeanette
At a recent Mike Buesseler workshop, Mike mentioned that he uses
a small strip of duct tape around the handle end. I didn't have any duct tape,
so I used a bit of masking tape, which I'm still using and it's still holding
(much to the relief of my cats). Bonnie
what about a balloon? Geo
My pasta machine is permanently attached to a small wooden board. When I use it without the motor, I use the Easy-grip type of clamps which pump on and then a little lever is pushed to quickly and easily release them. (With the motor on the machine, I don't need any type of clamp.) Dotty in CA
DON"T LOSE YOUR HANDLE (esp. if you buy a motor --and take it off) ….(if you do) you might consider taking your machine to a machine shop and have them make you one. I've done that for a couple of kitchen items, and they made the part while I waited. They weren't nice and shiny like the original, but in both cases they were an improvement on the original in functionality. Neither shop charged me nearly as much as I was willing to pay.
…if
you lose the clamp that comes with the machine . . . . (go to the hardware
store and buy a C clamp;) make sure you don't get a clamp that is too small. There
is a large-ish hole down near the base below the handle where the clamp can go.
Some people just clamp the base to the table without using the hole - that works
well, too. Meredith
..clamp to replace the one on my Atlas 150?
...... I
found my clamps at Home Depot ...they are black plastic and work
very well, much easier than the clamp that came with my machine. Look in the section
where the saws, buffing wheels, etc., are kept. Sarah
According to Appliance.com, these are the people to contact for replacement
parts for the Atlas machines. The Valenti Company, 54-36 Flushing Ave., Maspeth,
Queens N.Y. 11378, 718-386-0896. Kimba
Another online source is at http://www.happycookers.com/
...They also have a retail store near Gilroy, CA... They sell the Atlas replacement
handle for only $2.99 and the clamp ("vice") for $1.99. MLBee
I found yet another web site; a source for pasta machines, parts and accessories. Their prices aren't as good as appliances.com, however. http://www.fantes.com/marcato.htm The reason I thought it worth considering is they also sell, seperately, the clamps and handles (cranks). Desiree
I got my first atlas free at a garage sale because the handle and hold-down clamp were missing. The rollers were rusty, and a fair bit of sanding was needed to clean them up. Had to hold it with one hand and turn it one crank at a time with a screw driver in the other hand, but it "worked!" Don
Marcato does carry
just the scraper blades. Just email them and ask ...Judy
"Scrapers
and Rollers for the ATLAS 150 Pasta Machine can be purchased from
us.
The pricing would be as follows: SCRAPERS - $5.00 SET ROLLERS - $5.00
EA.
Payment can be sent with order or we accept Mastercard and Visa (name,
billing address and expiration date required). There are no additional shipping
charges.
54-36 Flushing Ave, Maspeth N.Y. 11378, 718-386-0896 http://www.MarcatoUSA.com
"
for info on scrapers, see below in "Problems"
for info on keeping clay from sticking to the rollers,
or to the stationary bars as it comes out of
the pasta machine when parts have been removed, see below in Problems >
Sticking
making SHEETS
from slices, or from anything
One of the main things people like to do with a pasta machine is to create even sheets for stacking/stripes, rolling up, wrapping (see Canes), merging lots of cane slices or other squiggles/bits/etc, making drapable clothing or bowls (see Vessels/Draped Bowls), etc.. (lesson)
--To create
an even sheet of cane slices, the slices need to be laid close together
(or they can be overlapped) on a base sheet (which may show through or not depending
on whether areas aren't covered by the slices); or the slices can be laid on a
piece of paper/parchment without a backing.
--(Hint: square slices are easier
to lay together without overlapping than round ones; I sometimes sharpen the long
edges of a squared cane before slicing by pressing my thumb and forefinger down
each edge.)
--(For non-overlapping slices) the more consistent the
thickness of the slices are, the easier the rest of the job will be! You may
want to refrigerate your cane before slicing or rotate it between
slices to avoid squashing it more in one orientation than the other.
--Place canes really close to each other, straightening out/stretching any uneven
sides with your thumb and forefinger before placing.
--Now you may want to
eliminate any larger holes between slice corners by placing your finger on an
area and wiggling it around while pressing slightly --don't rub your finger
over the raw clay though or it will smear (could be sanded after baking though).
--At this point you can either run the sheet through the pasta machine, or you
can place a sheet of parchment or paper over the top of the slices and
press down any obvious bumps. Then rub your finger briskly over the entire
surface to smooth it; it won't smear because of the paper. You should be able
to feel any uneven areas through the parchment; you can also use a roller.
The sheet can be run through the pasta machine after rubbing also, if you want
(some people leave the paper, others don't, but be sure to peel back the papers
most of the way so that they won't cause drag/distortion if you don't remove them).
--Because there can be some unevenness around the sides of your rectangle
now (esp. if you used the pasta machine), you can use a fingernail or straight
edge to push them back a bit before removing the paper and using.
Anything you can put together can be flattened into this type of
sheet.
For example, You could also add other things in the spaces, mix up
your canes, add other patterns, flatten a wad of marbled colors, overlap slices
(spirals are popular here), or add squiggles, twisted square ropes (see Clay
Gun), or slices to a background sheet.
Laurie passing
a sheet of overlapped long spirals through the pasta machine after laying them
on a base scrap sheet
http://www.geocities.com/turkeymama/Clay/FIMORockPurse2000.html
Those (thin) sheets
can be used for all sorts of things. I've seen many miniatures done by some of
my guild mates that do the draped fabric thing - it seems to work very well. I
have a little tiny bear that is holding an afghan blanket that was made
from a slice of one of my canes - too cool. author?
my bear holding
a tiny quilt made from 4 cane slices (cane was thinly wrapped with lavender
before slicing, to create lattice and borders) (website
gone)
pressed-chunks sheets of clay
...chop
up some clay (mica or pearl-mixed clays will show a more 3-D crumbly
look), then run it through a pasta machine or brayer it flat . . the edges
will be very ragged, and the sheet will look stonelike
.
. Here’s what I would try. Condition your clay. If it very soft and sticky like
Premo leech it a little first. Roll it out to the thickness you want. Then chop
that sucker up all around the edges. It looks to me as if individual pieces/chunks
were pressed back together. Not sure if you should texture before or after the
chopping. Denise
...your theory about large chunks scattered onto a (base)
sheet sounds good . . . Catherine
http://www.good-night-irene.com/WallStuff.html
Just remember that the patterns are likely to be distorted to some degree. To minimize that you can send the clay through the pasta machine twice, once in each direction (especially if the amt. of flattening will be about the same), or you can try to have your sheet as close to the resulting pasta pass as possible before putting it through.
For keeping the sheets narrower than the full width of the pasta machine (e.g., for Skinner Blends), see Blends > Continuous Blends > Limiting Width
(for uneven
sheets, and/or ragged edges,
etc., see below in "Problems"
)
(for avoiding air bubbles in sheets, see below
in "Problems")
making
very THIN sheets (esp. of translucent)
(& avoiding
sticking)
(see also Translucents > Thin Sheets)
It's useful to be able to make very thin sheets of translucent
for various techniques:
...as just a regular sheet of clay, for example,
in mokume gane or other stacks of "colors", for wrapping around canes,
etc.
...as a transparent, protective covering layer over
transfers, or over any other materials which need protection on clay (metallic
leaf, colored pencils, some inks, glitter, etc.)
.......when
used this way, the thin translucent sheets can also be sanded and buffed
to get a kind of glassy effect
...as a transparent layer
under transfers to allow something behind them to
show through
......for example, Gwen's "faux enamel"
technique where a transfer is created on
a very thin sheet of raw translucent & then it's flipper over onto metal leaf,
which will then show through as "background" for the image .... Celie
Fago has done some neat things that way too.
It's
not easy though to create very thin sheets of clay without
tearing or creating holes in the thin clay
though, especially in soft clays like translucents.
...Gwen feels the translucent sheet is thin enough only if a newspaper can
be read through it.
Here are some methods that clayers found helpful for making very thin sheets of clay... many of these proceed as usual until the thinnest settings on the pasta machine are use:
....these
techniques may also be used to keep the clay from sticking
to the rollers...
.....and/or to keep stray colors
or grey streaks from getting onto clay sheets:
Running
clay through the pasta machine between waxed paper
or parchment...(lessons)
1.... (Run a sheet
of clay alone through the pasta
machine, on the #1 setting.)
.... Fold a long piece of wax
or baking parchment in half.
.... Push the fold
between the rollers so that it can be grasped from below with one hand (pulling
it as you roll keeps the rollers from slipping on the paper).
....
Lay the ends of the paper over both rollers --looks
like a magazine flopped open. (this way the clay is not pressed
against the paper before it has a chance to slide or stretch.)
....
Place the sheet of clay into the paper pocket.
....
Roll the clay and paper through the machine, pulling on the paper
from below if needed. ....(if your clay extends
beyond the paper ends, you can tear it off before it goes
through and makes a mess of the machine).
....You can get your clay to run
through even the smallest settings on the pasta machine this
way.... However, you must do this progressively.
.....start
with the number one setting as above. Then, reinsert the bottom fold of the paper
and a bit of the edge of the clay into the machine, then move the setting to a
#3.
........with each pass, you'll need to
open the pieces of waxed paper and carefully... free up
the clay... then re-place it on the waxed paper before running
it through again, or the paper will get all wrinkled
..... If you want to go smaller, reinsert the paper and clay again on the #3 setting
and then change the setting to the #4 or #5 and repeat. . .
..You must also
be careful with the size & volume
of the clay sheet you start with, however (compared with size of
the waxed papers). If your sheet is too large, it will expand beyond the top edge
of the waxed paper as it is rolled down in size, and possibly stick on the rollers.....
once you have the clay to the thickness you want, very carefully peel back
the waxed paper. (author?)
2...Gwen's lesson and tips on making thin
sheet of translucent for applying a transfer to it... (she also uses an gold acrylic
wash after removing the photocopy, and then backs the transferred
translucent with metallic leaf crackled on a sheet of translucent sheet)
......remove
the wax paper that adheres to the convex side of the curve, and smooth
away wrinkles in the clay with your finger.
http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/jj/jun01jj.cfm (step 1)
...
in this lesson Gwen uses only two passes. . . she puts
(translucent) clay through the 3rd from smallest setting, then sandwiches
with two just-larger sheets of waxed paper and puts through the smallest setting
...5 min .video clip from Ancient
Images video, showing Gwen making her very thin translucent clay sheet with
waxed paper
http://www.mindstorm-inc.com/pages/vid/pc05.html
--need
to have, or install there, MacromediaFlash to view this
video clip)
.........(she
also cuts an oval stencil and uses it to cut out a clip art image before coloring
it in with colored pencils and transferring to the translucent sheet)
....This is
a great technique but you have to be careful that after you run the clay and waxed
papers together through the pasta machine that you loosen the
clay sheet from the paper if you run
it through again on a smaller
opening..... otherwise it will bunch up and
get stuck. Dotty in CA
to
get EVEN THINNER SHEETS with papers:
..... If you want your layer
even thinner with this method, you could use more than one sheet of
parchment or waxed paper (or even plain paper), on either or both sides
of the clay while rolling it through....Gwen suggests adding a sheet of construction
paper on one side, which may give better tooth.
...I can't say that I'm
very good at this, but when I saw Donna Kato doing encased transfers on HGTV,
she smoothed down the forward edge of the translucent sheet
(inside the waxed papers?) with her finger so that it started through
the rollers evenly.... I wasn't being careful about that and it makes a
difference. Jody
We all have this problem of the clay either rippling,
tearing, or shredding when you get to some of the thinner settings
on the pasta machine.
...the best way to avoid this is to run your clay to
the setting just before you know it will not work right
...then, sandwich your clay inbetween two pieces of waxed paper --near
the bottom of the paper, but leave about one inch of just paper.
...run this
through on the same setting you last used, grabbing hold
of the inch of paper at the bottom to help tug it through the machine
...then
peel the clay away from both sides of the waxed paper.... and lay it loose
back between the two papers again.
...go to one
setting smaller and repeat this ...continue until you reach the
thinness you want.
(Be sure to loosen it from the paper each time you put
it through the machine... otherwise it will clump up and not work right). Dotty
...(see more on running very thin sheets of clay through the pasta
machine above in )
TEMPERATURE:
Word of advice, don't put translucents or very soft
clays through on the thinner settings if it's really warm!
....It's gonna gunk up the machine ALL THE TIME!!!
(can send through with waxed paper or parchment though).
....If I am doing
translucents I prefer a cold pasta machine (rather than a
warmed one--hot pack,etc.). . . another thing is before doing any work with translucents,
clean the scrapers well.
....What has worked pretty well
for me is letting the clay cool down between settings....
I have found that if I just set the sheet aside for even a few minutes,
especially between setting 6 & 7, I get much less weird ripples &
such.
... I use the idea (from Donna K, I think?) of keeping a gel ice
pack at your work space....I love using it when
rolling a really thin sheet of clay---starting on the thickest setting on
your pasta machine, and then cooling the clay on ice before putting it
through the thinnest setting
.......cooling also ensures that your
sheet will be nice and flat instead of "ruffled.
..Jana
...
take the thin sheet and place it in the refrigerator or freezer
for some amount of time, then run it through at the next thinner setting. Patti
...When I'm putting clay through smaller and
smaller settings on the pasta machine, I always put it in the freezer for
a few minutes first....that keeps it from stretching and distorting when
handling the very long piece you get
.......however, if it gets
too cold, it will shatter when
it's very thin ??. DottyinCA
There was an excellent idea posted a while back about using packing foam to press the translucent down . . . because it really works great. . . I just wrap it around the pad of my finger and press the clay down. It seems to help by spreading the pressure over a larger area and by keeping the clay from sticking to my finger
Also this seems to be affected by how soft a particular batch of clay it is so I sometimes leach the clay & get a better result.... If it's that yucky cream cheese consistancy, it's just not going to work for thin sheets. Of course, this all means that in Michigan in July, I almost NEVER get a nice thin sheet unless I'm working in AC. Lynne
I
heard a great tip for getting thin sheets once... this person always kept on
hand several sheets of translucent that had been run through the pasta
machine to the smallest setting it would go without messing up, in storage
...... she says that once it sits for a day or so...
you can then take it through the smaller settings with no problems
.......the
person who gave the hint was talking about translucents in particular,
and what she does is keep a bunch of sheets of translucent already rolled out..
then she can just grab a sheet and roll it through the thinner setting when
she needs it. Joanie
...(for a possible way to enclose or store
thin sheets so they don't get "too dried out,"
see the vacuum-bag trick in Conditioning
> Marinading and also Storage)
I
have one solution that has helped me when trying to roll a thin sheet of clay.
I roll it as thin as I dare without distorting it and then slightly rub it with
cornstarch..,,It goes through the machine at the thinnest setting with
ease.
.....It might affect adherence to other clay (if you use too much?),
but when using the encased photocopy transfer onto clay to make large beads,
it has worked very well. I've only tried it when I've been able to pull the sheet
tight to the base and don't know how it will work when, say, rolling it onto
some clay. ...Maybe it could be wiped down after rolling thin with something.
Pat
(cornstarch, but not talcum powder, can be
easily removed with water --I would think that even if there were some ground
down into the sheet, the uppermost part could be removed and act as a suitable
surface for adhering . . . what about metallic powders though?? Diane B.)
Kathi
Dustin's press-hard technique for getting maximum transparency when
applying thin translucent over a transfer, or over other materials
or clay (encasing)
....she rolls the translucent to #6
on the pasta machine , then places it on the transfer carefully
......like
applying contact paper, gently press from the center to the edges to move
any bubbles to the edges
......then
she presses down REALLY hard with plastic wrap over the transfer
or clay to be covered....it's necessary to WORK at it to get maximum transparency
..One
of the best ways that I have seen to encase (cover over) stuff in transparent
clay is to roll out the clay thin between wax paper and then to apply it
using plastic wrap. ....You can press it onto your bead or whatever
and spread it out, seeing the air bubbles, etc. without leaving
fingerprints on your clay. You can get it really thinned out this way...Meredith
Sculpey's translucent clay can be rolled incredibly thin --then it can be stretched by hand even thinner! --compared to the other translucents.
Why
aren't folks just using clear liquid clay (instead
of translucent clay) if they wish to apply an extremely thin layer of polymer
clay on something? Desiree
.. I tried doing
a transfer with TLS so that I would have a very thin sheet of translucent "clay"
backing the transfer. It worked perfectly! ....(this is something you need
to do when making Gwen Gibson's Faux Enamel.)... much easier than trying
to roll out the clay on the thinnest setting, even using wax paper. Just this
one thing alone makes getting the liquid clay worth it!! Dotty
making NARROW sheets
Various "stops" or physical
barriers can be used to keep the clay from spreading (widthwise) as
it is passed repeatedly through the pasta machine which will keep the strip narrow.
...for
example: /fingertip, end of palette knife, paint
stick + cardstock, wedge of baked clay, magnets of various kinds, and even bars
of raw clay still in the wrapper
(.....see Blends
> Limiting the Width for all details on these, since the technique
is used most often for making narrow Skinner
blends)
Or, you can stretch the clay lengthwise
after each pass, or pull on it from either end as it's passing through,
to help keep it narrow
...or fold the sheet, or cut-and-stack
the sheet, so that like colors fall on like-colors, then pass through the
pasta machine starting at one narrow end of the strip.
There
are two ways that unwanted color can end up on your rolled clay sheet ... little
crumbs of clay can be held under the scrapers and in the housing of the pasta
machine, which can then come out later on clay put through it .... OR you can
get what we call "streaks" which are gray in color
(for more info
on these, see Streaks below, or Cleaning below for the colored clay
bits).
Before
you use your pasta machine for the first time, run light-colored
clay scrap through it until you're sure any oils, etc., which may cause discoloration
have been removed.
(don't get too overconfident about being clean though <g>--
see below under Those Dreaded Streaks...!)
Many
people like to just remove the outer housing pieces around the rollers
(or " fenders ") from their pasta machines permanently. This makes the
pasta machine easier to clean (and colored clay bits can't get stuck
there and be rolled into clay sheets); it's also lighter weight and
less bulky (see much more on doing this below)
...however, put
a note to yourself on the bottom as to date, and what brand/model
it is. Otherwise, you'll never know, because once the fenders are gone, the machine
becomes anonymous. Janey in MN
If
I am using translucents, I prefer a cold pasta machine
(rather than a warmed one)
. . . also, clean the scrapers well
to minimize the distortion,
compensate by pre-distorting your cane slice in the opposite
direction than they are going to go through the rollers. Squash your cane nearly
flat, cut the slices and apply them (as close to one another as possible) to a
flat sheet of clay, and then roll the sheet through so that the wider edge of
the cane slices is parallel to the roller
(see http://www.geocities.com/turkeymama/Clay/FIMORockPurse2000.html
for a photo of this technique)
I really dislike using the pasta machine for chopped crayons--takes forever to clean the machine. ?? Dianne C.
(.....for ways to keep sheets of clay from spreading out to the full width of the rollers when being passed through the pasta machine repeatedly, look in Blends > Size > "Width")
(
....crumbling
. . . some clay won't go through the pasta machine without breaking into pieces...it
seems kind of "dry.
.... I have noticed that it helps to set the pasta machine
to a thinner setting (I can run it through at #1 time after time
without improvement, but a couple passes at "3" fixes it.... the edges will still
crack though)
...(for more solutions and info on this problem, see Conditioning
> "Old Hard Clay" .....and Characteristics
> "Fimo")
(...for info on noise
made by the pasta machine, see above in "Why to Treat Yourself to
a Motor" above. . . .)
(...for clunking
or dings in rollers or
scraper problems, etc., see below in "Repairs".)
Uneven
sheet shapes
& Ragged edges &
Rippling & Ruffling (&
too wide)
(when doing a Skinner blend sheet especially, the clay will tend to become wider with each pass through the machine ...for techniques to keep it narrower, see Skinner Blends >Size > Limiting Width)
Is is possible
to make a sheet with nice straight sides?
...Well, if you figure
out how to do that *in one pass,* please let me know! ....LOL. I usually just
try to get my clay pad as rectangular as possible before putting it through
the pasta machine (and I especially like to over-square the 4 corners)
. If you don't have a consistent thinness throughout your whole pad beforehand,
the pasta machine will force the pad to the same thinness, and any excess will
get pressed to the sides creating a sort of ameoba.
...You can, however, get
one or two sides straight when it's really necessary... (Clean your rollers first,
then...) Put your clay through the pasta machine so that one clay edge rolls
through the opening slightly pressed up against one side; that edge should
then come out straight. . . . To get the edge on the opposite side straight,
firmly hold an object next to that opposite side of the clay sheet (like
Mike B's palette-knife handle, a baked clay shape you've made, or even a magnet),
and that will also force that side to be even. It's a bit of a hassle though and
you may not want to do it all the time. Diane B....One
thing I like to do is to fold the bottom end up toward the center and the top
edge down to the center. Then as you feed it through, slice the top fold
with your blade so you don't trap air bubbles. I find that helps maintain a good
square shape, plus it helps prevent uneven blobs of color at the top.
– Beth ( though you'll be cutting off some clay, at least it won't be mixed up
with a second color :)
One reason you get an uneven shape
of clay at the top of your clay sheet is because your rollers
are not quite even... Klew suggests turning the clay sheet around if
you're getting that and passing the sheet through in reverse. DB
... this is
practically impossible to avoid though, so just try to put the clay in with as
much volume of clay in the shape you want as you can . . . then trim
to the size you want.
If
you're running a sheet of clay through the pasta machine (numerous times especially),
the resulting sheet will most probably be uneven
or lopsided...when
you see sheets on TV, etc., they've most likely been pre-cut!
....Most pasta
machine rollers are the tiniest bit uneven, or closer together on one side
or the other. This may be inherent in a particular machine or it may be caused
by pushing too much clay through at once causing the rollers to push apart. (To
correct for the unevenness on the sides, it's easiest if you can make the clay)
the same width as the rollers (or I put a block of wood or something on
the rollers to keep it small...). . .also, with every pass through the
machine, I turn the piece around, so the edge that last went through
on the right is now feeding on the left. Carla
To "square up" a sheet,
I will sometimes fold across the width of the sheet... but then put the
fold to the side against the edge of the pasta machine. This will give
a long, narrow strip of clay....then I fold this strip in the middle,
and again with the fold against the edge, roll through the machine.. .
.This usually gives a fairly square or rectangular piece of clay instead one that
is uneven around the edges. Patty B.
....(to control (eliminate) "horns"
at the end (of Skinner Blend or any sheets)
....I
learned a trick from Marie Segal to "not distort" the piece. You must start
with the clay being the width of the pasta machine. If you get
a curved end at the top, it means your rollers are not exactly aligned (this happens
on many machines). Then you just put the curved side in first and
it should even out. The secret, according to Marie is to start with the clay the
width of the pasta machine-----
...AHA! I notice the side
near the motor starts to grow first. I think the motor exhaust
warms the clay on that side making it move faster. The motor itself may make the
pasta machine just a bit warmer on that side as well. What I do.... the minute
it starts growing on one side... I turn it, still keeping the fold side
down.. but flipping the longer side to the outside of the machine.
Also pressing the side that's NOT growing against the edge of the
machine just a bit will help it keep pace with the side that grows. You'll still
end up with some extended pieces on the end... but whatcha gonna do?.Joanie
When using a pasta machine, the clay's curved leading edge results from having more clay in the center of the rollers and less toward the edges. The excess clay in the middle makes the center bulge into that curved edge. It's a natural tendency of the process, especially when the sheet is not as wide as the rollers. One way around it is to gently stretch the clay in the middle so that your sheet is just a fraction wider than the rollers. The stretch should be parallel to the rollers. That way, as you fold and feed the clay into the rollers, the volume of clay is less in the middle (where y
