Using a Pasta Machine with Polymer Clay - Basic Information

Working with polymer clay by hand can be a lot of fun. Rolling the clay between your palms, squishing it with your fingers, and making shapes can be rewarding and actually a kind of stress reducer. But this process is slow and can be hard on your hands. If that's the case, consider getting a pasta machine.

There are a lot of benefits to using a pasta machine with polymer clay. A machine makes it much easier to condition clay - especially large amounts of it. You can also mix colors more easily with a machine; in fact, this is the best way to make a Skinner blend. And a pasta machine is much better at rolling sheets of an even thickness.

The first pasta machines used for clay were originally intended for food, but you can now obtain machines made just for clay. They're really not that hard to use - all you do is adjust the thickness setting, put the clay in the top, and crank the machine until the clay comes out the bottom. But if you'd like a bit more information, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your machine and avoiding some common problems as well.

- Make sure the machine is clamped to the table before you try to use it; otherwise it will move around while you're cranking it.

- The setting numbers relate to the thickness of the sheet produced, but these can vary with the brand. Some brands have their thinnest setting at 1; others have it at 7. Get to know your own machine's settings and use those, even if you're working from instructions that seem to say something different. The biggest issue is usually with the extremes; if the instructions call for making a very thin sheet on the #7 setting and your machine does thin sheets at #1, then use #1 instead of what's specified in the instructions.

- Don't try to put big chunks of clay through the pasta machine, even on the thickest setting. They may go through, but this could damage the rolling mechanism, making the distance between the rollers - and the thickness of the sheet - less reliable.

- If you're folding clay before running it through the machine, always insert it with the folded end first or to the side. If the folded end goes in last you could get air bubbles in your clay.

- Clean the rollers (with a soft cloth and maybe some rubbing alcohol) between colors to prevent accidental mixing of colors. This is especially important if you've just run some black through. In fact, if possible it's best to run black through after you've finished with the other colors.

And a final note
I hate to end with something negative, but this is important. Do not under any circumstances use a pasta machine for both food and clay. Once you've run clay through a machine you can't use it again for food.

A pasta machine can be a great tool for the polymer clay artist. If you enjoying playing with clay but would like to do more or do it faster, a pasta machine is a good investment. And once you have one you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.