Polymer Clay Message Board - Polymer Clay Forum - The Clay Store

The Clay Store · Site Admin Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Posts: 35

Hi everybody,

Below is a pasta machine question I received via email. Your feedback and suggestions are appreciated!!

Susan

Okay, I need help. I kneaded my clay by hand until it was softish, then put
> it through the pasta machine on setting 7 a few times. Then I put it
> through on 6. I kept working down, but by the time I got to 3 it looked
> like swiss cheese with ripples. I just can't get it to come through flat.
> What am I doing wrong?
>

jnmurtha · Clay Commander Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 66

I have settings on my machine that make the clay so thin, it starts to shred and tear. The largest (thickest) setting has always worked well on making the clay perfectly flat as long as the clay was conditioned. Clay that is too cool or not conditioned enough will have a tendancy to shred and crumble even on the largest setting.
Not sure what else to say or suggest, hopefully there will be some more feedback for you on this.

JRuth

Brookies Rae · Clay Commander Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 38

I just bought mine today!

Keenan's Kreations · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 12:47 am Post subject: Shredding clay

I chop unconditionad clay into very small pieces, pea size, then I form it into a "broken-lumpy, etc.." log, and roll the log between my hands until the chopped clay becomes smooth.

Also I normally do not attempt this with more than 1 or 1.5 ounces of clay at a time.

Then I flatten the log between my fingers before I run it through the pasta machine on the thickest setting.

Stiff or older clay will crumble as it comes out, I then just gather it up and repeat the process above, again and again.

Normally this process takes 3 passes to elimainate crumbling clay.
I only use Kato Polyclay so I couldn't say how fimo classic would come out using this method.

If I was going to try this process with fimo classic I would start out using only 3/4 ounce of clay.

I have also found that if I add a small amount of difficult clay to well conditioned clay, it takes much less time to condition the difficult clay.

I did notice Mags Bowman ( I hope I am getting her last name right Confused

) has posted a technique for getting very thin layers of clay to come out nicely on very thin settings.