Amaco
Polymer Clay Pasta Machine
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What
has a pasta
machine got to do with Polymer Clay?
Well,
for some examples:
- create
flattened sheets of polymer clay that have the look
of watercolor papers
-
make designer clothing for little clay people
-
how about using polymer clay shards as scrapbook embellishments
- use
to condition your clay
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Don’t
throw away those scraps of leftover polymer clay. Save them in
a bag to use as design elements for your next project. That one
leftover millefiori slice or mokume gane strip may be just the
colorful accent that you will need for your next designer sheet
of clay.
Pasta
machines are used for all types of clay as well as for embossing
designs into soft metal sheets such as ArtEmboss
by AMACO.
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Clay
Rolling
A
knob on one side of the machine controls the distance between
the rollers. The knob is marked from 1 to 7, with 7 being the
widest setting. To change the setting, pull out the knob and turn
until it slides into a notch.
To
save on excessive wear to your pasta machine, always start with
the widest setting on your machine. Dial down to a narrower setting
on the next pass of clay through the machine.
If
your clay is very, very soft, you might want to lay it between
wax paper before you use the narrowest settings on the machine.
Very thin sheets of clay can become quite unmanageable by themselves.
Forcing
too thick of a piece of clay through the machine may damage the
gears. Warm or condition your clay first, then flatten slightly
before rolling it through. Or, if your clay is already quite soft,
slice into sections and roll one through at a time. If you have
to use great force to turn the crank, the clay is either too thick,
too cold or too hard.
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| Cleaning
the Machine
You
shouldn’t have to use more than a dry paper towel for
cleaning your pasta machine. An area that collects clay
is the narrow ridge underneath, near the rollers. Wipe that
area carefully, rubbing firmly, especially if you are switching
colours.
Take
care not to roll the clay backwards into the machine. This
can jam up the rollers and create a messy pile of trapped
clay. Never dig under the roller with a hard or sharp object,
as that can scratch the surface of the rollers. Most of
the trapped clay is forced away from the rollers as they
turn, so just leave it there.
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| Mixing
Clays |
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favorite techniques is to create patterned sheets of clay
from leftover scrap clays or from a favorite mix of colours.
Gather colours together, then mix slightly. Roll mixed clay
into a log and twist a few times. Use your hand to flatten
log to the thickness of a fat pancake.
Roll
the pancake through once, then fold and roll again. Repeat
this, folding it in the same direction every time, and keeping
the fold at the bottom as you roll. Each time that you fold
it, keep your favorite side on the outside.
This
repetitive folding creates stripes, but if you continue
too long, you’ll have a solid-colored sheet of clay.
It will be totally blended.
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If
you want to be very intentional about your design, lay dots
and ropes of color onto a plain sheet of clay, then roll
that sheet through the pasta machine. Look in your scrap
pile and add a stray millefiori slice or a trimming from
another project. Use a small grater to add some bits of
texture. Repeat this as many times as you like. You can
also fold this sheet and repeat, as we did with the mixed
stripes.
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To
achieve a watercolor effect, make a design sheet, as in
the picture above, but fold it a different direction every
time it goes through the machine. The changing of directions
keeps it from forming stripes. Each time the clay sheet
goes through the machine, another layer of color will peak
through. The trick is to know when to stop!
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| Recondition
Dry Clay
All
polymer clay will eventually get old or dry - just like
paint or glue, even if it is sealed in bottles. But you
needn’t throw out that old clay. Take a second piece
of polymer clay that is soft. It can be the same color or
a nice mix color such as white or translucent. Pick up the
dry clay with the sheet of soft clay, then pass it through
the pasta machine. Repeat as necessary to mix the clay.
Eventually the soft clay will blend in with the drier clay.
You
can also partially mix the clays, leaving the drier clay
as a design texture. Just be sure that the clay is thick
enough to provide strength, as the clay will be weaker in
those places where the clay is not blended.
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