New Sculpey Pasta Machine With Stainless Steel Rollers
Video #662: It’s encouraging to see that the Polyform Sculpey brand is making improvements to its clay conditioning machine.
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IN THIS POST: — sculpey clay conditioning machine — sculpey — pasta machine — stainless steel rollers — black streaks — unboxing — review — polyform — michaels — hobby lobby — atlas 150 wellness — anodized aluminum rollers — (Topics marked with an asterisk* are discussed in the Comments Section below).
Unboxing the new Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine with Stainless Steel Rollers.
I have an Atlas Wellness Pasta Machine that I very much love using… I did the Unboxing of my Atlas a while ago.
One of the things that I love about my Atlas is that it doesn’t leave black streaks on my polymer clay because it has the anodized aluminum rollers.
So when I heard that the Sculpey machine now had stainless steel rollers, I just had to test that for you.
One of the nice things about the Sculpey machines is that they are available in a lot of places like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and other craft stores as well as online, and they are relatively inexpensive.
My Atlas machine was in the $100 range and the Sculpey Machine is in the $40 range.
I go through the features to see what is different from the old models, as well as demo it to see how well it works.
In addition to the new stainless rollers, there seems to be some sort of plastic or something filling the gaps between the rollers and the machine sides.
Also, the scraper blades appear to be made of nylon or something similar.
The handle seems to fit better, and the machine seems to move smoother.
There are nine settings, with the #1 setting being the thickest, and the #9 being the thinnest.
The clay goes through quite smoothly, with only faint lines at the thickest setting, and a little rippling at the thinnest setting. This is pretty typical of most machines with a lot of settings.
The machine appears to be more sturdy and of higher quality than the previous models.
I will use this machine for a while to see how it stands up… and to see whether the stainless steel rollers keep those nasty black streaks away.
If this machine does well after being put through its paces, it may be a great option for a lot of people, since it will be much more affordable than the high-end machines. And it is available in a lot more locations.
I am hoping that this machine is an improvement over the previous models. Stay tuned :-)
00:00:03 –> 00:00:07 Hi guys, its Cindy Lietz, your Polymer Clay Tutor, and today’s PcT Product Demo, I’m going
00:00:08 –> 00:00:12 to unbox the new Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine.
00:00:12 –> 00:00:18 Now this is a similar design, but they now have Stainless Steel rollers, and when I found
00:00:18 –> 00:00:22 that out, I needed to test one for you.
00:00:22 –> 00:00:29 Now, I have the…I’ve done a video on it before, I have an Atlas machine that I very
00:00:29 –> 00:00:34 much love to use, and one of the things I love about this particular machine is that
00:00:34 –> 00:00:42 it doesn’t leave any Black streaks on your Polymer Clay because it has the Anodized Aluminum
00:00:42 –> 00:00:47 rollers, so when I heard that the Sculpey machine now has the Stainless Steel rollers,
00:00:47 –> 00:00:52 I wanted to make sure to test it and see if it’s going to be a good one, so I’m gonna
00:00:52 –> 00:00:57 just take this one out here… out of the way, so that you can see the new machine,
00:00:57 –> 00:00:58 and we’ll get it set up.
00:00:58 –> 00:01:06 Now the one nice thing about the Sculpey Machines is that they are available in a lot of places
00:01:06 –> 00:01:12 like Michaels and Hobby Lobby and that kind of place, and online of course too, and they’re
00:01:12 –> 00:01:20 relatively inexpensive, my Atlas machine was you know, around $100 and this one will be
00:01:20 –> 00:01:26 more in the…I believe in the $40 range, but, well, I didn’t check that out.
00:01:26 –> 00:01:32 Now let’s just take a look at it and see what’s different about it, okay so this one looks
00:01:32 –> 00:01:46 like it goes from 1 to 9 settings, looks like the 9 is at the thinnest…let’s open this
00:01:46 –> 00:01:51 up, and then it goes…you pull it and open it this way to get to the 1 and it looks like
00:01:51 –> 00:01:53 the 1 is the thickest.
00:01:53 –> 00:01:59 The rollers do look a little bit different, and it also looks like…I don’t…hopefully
00:01:59 –> 00:02:05 Doug can get right in there and see, but right in here there seems to be a bit of a bumper
00:02:05 –> 00:02:10 of some sort, so there isn’t a big gap there, maybe that is an improvement, we’ll have to
00:02:10 –> 00:02:15 see, ‘cause this is an issue with a lot of machines is if there’s a big gap here,
00:02:15 –> 00:02:21 the clay can get stuck in there, so it looks like there’s some sort of other material there,
00:02:21 –> 00:02:25 I don’t know if it’s plastic or what’s there but it looks like something might be there
00:02:25 –> 00:02:29 to kinda fill that gap, which is interesting.
00:02:29 –> 00:02:35 The machine itself looks about the same design, though it looks like you can get under here
00:02:35 –> 00:02:43 quite well, and it also looks like…now I don’t think the camera will be able to see,
00:02:43 –> 00:02:46 but right back in here, can you see that Doug?
00:02:46 –> 00:02:51 You can’t…right back in here you can see that the scrapers are…oh, maybe you can
00:02:51 –> 00:02:53 see it from this way, can you see there?
00:02:53 –> 00:03:00 The scrapers are some sort of nylon or something, so that’s a little bit different, that may
00:03:00 –> 00:03:04 be a good thing or… we’ll see.
00:03:04 –> 00:03:09 And what have they got, the handle seems to be about the same, it’s got the plastic thing
00:03:09 –> 00:03:16 on the end here…I mean the clamp, and the handle looks the same, hopefully this one
00:03:16 –> 00:03:27 doesn’t fall out all the time, actually, that looks promising, it doesn’t look like it’s…I
00:03:27 –> 00:03:31 mean it will fall out but it doesn’t look like it’s just gonna automatically fall out
00:03:31 –> 00:03:32 like ones in the past.
00:03:32 –> 00:03:41 Alright, so let’s just hook this up and we’ll check it out, it seems slightly sturdier but
00:03:41 –> 00:03:44 maybe it’s the same, I don’t know, I know that I’ve been…
00:03:44 –> 00:03:50 I myself and a bunch of other clayers, have been giving them grief about the previous
00:03:50 –> 00:03:56 machine not being enough…good enough quality and hopefully this is an improvement, so I’m
00:03:56 –> 00:03:57 gonna have to test it out.
00:03:57 –> 00:04:05 I’m gonna grab some clay from here, maybe some Soufflé clay because that’s a nice one,
00:04:05 –> 00:04:10 and I will just use my NEVERknead machine here and get it warmed up a little bit, so
00:04:10 –> 00:04:16 that I’m not forcing it through my machine too much, I also like to use this machine
00:04:16 –> 00:04:22 to flatten it out for getting it through the first part of the rollers, that way I don’t
00:04:22 –> 00:04:27 have to cut slices and stack it and all that crazy stuff, okay.
00:04:27 –> 00:04:32 Now this should be good enough to start rolling through the machine, I’ll just get this
00:04:32 –> 00:04:38 out of the way, alright, so it’s at the thickest setting and we’ll just see how it pulls
00:04:38 –> 00:04:49 through, sounds pretty smooth, I am seeing a little bit of clay sticking to the rollers,
00:04:49 –> 00:04:58 it could be that it might need a little bit of a cleaning before you roll through, I’ll
00:04:58 –> 00:05:07 wipe that off and see if that makes a difference at all, and from under… the underside too,
00:05:07 –> 00:05:12 sometimes you know, when you get something that’s metal, it might need to be wiped down
00:05:12 –> 00:05:15 a little bit first.
00:05:15 –> 00:05:23 So I’m gonna have this machine sitting here for the next little while, instead of my other
00:05:23 –> 00:05:27 one and just put it through the wringers a bit and see how it performs.
00:05:27 –> 00:05:33 There is a few of the little ripples, I’ve talked about avoiding those ripples, those
00:05:33 –> 00:05:38 lines on your clay, and that’s extremely common, so that’s not a problem, I’m gonna go down
00:05:38 –> 00:05:47 another setting, let’s see how that does, looks good, it doesn’t seem to be rippling
00:05:47 –> 00:05:56 or anything, we’ll go down…this is a 6 now, oops I went in sideways…I could have
00:05:56 –> 00:05:58 looked, straightened that thing out a little better.
00:05:58 –> 00:06:04 Looks pretty good, it’s not rippling or doing anything weird, let’s go right down to the
00:06:04 –> 00:06:18 thinnest which is a 9 and see how that looks, it’s a little bit ripple-y, that’s pretty
00:06:18 –> 00:06:27 common as well, not super crazy about this little line down the center, not sure if that’s
00:06:27 –> 00:06:36 happening….why that’s happening, see if we can run another piece through, and see
00:06:36 –> 00:06:48 if that’ll do that again, yeah, it’s a little puckery and a little bit scraped, but not
00:06:48 –> 00:06:50 too bad.
00:06:50 –> 00:06:56 When you have a lot of settings on a machine from thick to thin, sometimes the top ones
00:06:56 –> 00:07:01 and the bottom ones aren’t the best, because they’re trying to force those rollers too
00:07:01 –> 00:07:07 big of a distance, but that looks pretty good, I’ll run it…I’ll run it through its paces,
00:07:07 –> 00:07:16 I’m just gonna check to see if there’s much underneath here, there’s a little bit, and
00:07:16 –> 00:07:24 I’ll watch for any buckling…or I mean not buckling, build-up behind the rollers there
00:07:24 –> 00:07:28 of clay, looks like I can see in here pretty good so I’ll be able to tell if there’s any
00:07:28 –> 00:07:29 build-up in there.
00:07:29 –> 00:07:34 Alright, so I will have to put it through its paces, and see how it does.
00:07:34 –> 00:07:41 I know that this might be a really good option for a lot of you because it won’t be as expensive
00:07:41 –> 00:07:46 as the higher end machines and it’ll be available in a lot of places, and I really do hope that
00:07:46 –> 00:07:50 it has been a big improvement over the last machine.
00:07:50 –> 00:07:55 Alright, so I hope you liked this video, do let us know if you did.
00:07:55 –> 00:08:01 And if you have any questions about Polymer Clay, challenges, things you’d like me to
00:08:01 –> 00:08:07 demo for you, leave those in the comment section below.
00:08:07 –> 00:08:11 And, you know we’ve done a ton of videos and there’s a pretty good chance we may have already
00:08:11 –> 00:08:16 done a video on it, so make sure to look through all of the videos and see what we’ve already
00:08:16 –> 00:08:19 done and see if you can find your answer there.
00:08:19 –> 00:08:22 Alright, so we’ll see you next time and bye for now.
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Resource Links:
- Related Video: Atlas 150 Pasta Machine Review
- Related Video: Pasta Machine Black Streaks
- Related Video: Pasta Machines Roller Lines
- Related Video: Unboxing NEVER Knead Polymer Clay Conditioning Tool
- Amazon: Pasta Machines **
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Hi Eloise, here is a link to a video that shows you how to use a pasta machine. This might be helpful for you.
Got a small pasta machine (4 1/4 ” rollers) from a thrift shop. It has a permanently attached noodle and spaghetti maker on it. Do you ever use the noodle and spaghetti rollers with polymer clay? If so, do you have any instructions on how to use them?
Thank you,
Are you sure it’s permanently attached? I turned mine upside down and gently tapped on the attachment with a hammer and it came apart easily.
Most definitely positive it is all one piece. That is not the issue, I want to know if the spaghetti & noodle part of the machine can be used with polymer clay.
Hi Eloise, you can run a flat sheet of polymer clay through the noodle cutters if you wish. Just make sure the clay is not too sticky or it will get stuck in the rollers. You can make some interesting strands with it, if you want.
I have a used Atlas machine setup in my work space but bought this machine as a backup with a 60% off coupon. I took it with me for a workshop recently since it felt a little lighter than the Atlas and I didn’t want to un-clamp my main machine. I can’t say I like it. It’s not as heavy duty as the Atlas, my shoulder was hurting quite a bit after the first day. Despite cleaning the rollers with baby wipes n everything, the rollers seemed very sticky. I also don’t like how the settings knob doesn’t match up to the marking for different thicknesses. I didn’t feel comfortable with the machine even after some major claying. I went off n bought a shiny new Atlas when there was a sale as a backup and will probably shove this in some corner. It’s pretty good for the price (with the coupon), but I’d suggest looking for a used Atlas instead.
Cindy,
Thanks for the information on the new Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine. I will keep watch to see how you go with it.
Do you know what the little vertical “hooks” on the front of the machine are for? My cheap machine from Michaels (which I bought last year before I knew how important a good machine is) has them also, and they are a bit sharp. I cut myself on one trying to guide some clay when I first got the machine. I have tried to make clay cover guards, but that didn’t work. Now I have some “cowboy chrome” (duct tape) covering them.
I am trying to get up the nerve to take the fenders off my machine. I have your video about doing that on your older Atlas machine, and then cleaning it, and I am pretty sure that there must be quite a pile of “hidden treasures” behind the scrapers, but I have read comments by others on various web sites that some of the newer machines tend to become quite flimsy if you removed the fenders for easier cleaning. Any comments?
Thanks for the great information. You and Doug really go above and beyond helping us.
Hi Doreen, Since these machines are actually designed for making pasta, those ‘hooks’ are for attaching the cutting rollers for making linguine and spaghetti. I think I showed that in my Atlas video. There really not that useful for polymer clay and can just be ignored. It’s weird that yours are sharp but since yours are, your cowboy chrome idea sounds like it works for you. :)
Unless your machine isn’t working at all anymore, I wouldn’t risk opening it up to take off the fenders. The old machines were fine to take apart, but the new ones may not go back together again… staking them apart is kind of risky… and you’re right they are much more stable with them on.
A great video, as always, Cindy. I am looking forward to the follow up.
I can never understand why Amaco or Sculpey never provide the holes necessary to attach a motor to most machines.
Your gold wellness machine has them as does my older Mercado.
A dislocated shoulder a while back made one a necessity and thanks to my good friend, Joan Tayler, giving me her old motor I was able to condition my clay.
We never know when we may need the use of a motor.
She has the new Polymer Clay Express Dream Machine.
Sorry to hear about your shoulder Lawrence. Yes I would imagine that a motorized machine may be necessary if you had a dislocated should. Ouch! I am guessing a motor might be too heavy duty for the cheaper machines (though this one seems a lot sturdier than past machines). Also, they seem to be going after the low end market so the cost of a motor add-on is probably out of the range for most of their target buyers anyway. The funny thing is that they do leave those slots for the tray or noodle cutters though… even though they will never get used. But that is probably just because they are working with stock pasta machine parts and not making them specifically for polymer clay.
Oh thank you so much for this review Cindy. Cant wait for the follow up.
I bought a cheap pasta roller from London Drugs last year and have been looking to replace it (there’s screws rattling around in the guards!? o.0 )
But sadly I bought an Amaco to replace mine, and right out of the box, I hate it.
The rollers move individually of the other, they’re off centre so I dont get a straight roll, AND the thing seized right out of the box! I couldnt turn the handle at all.
(had to get the hubby to man-handle it!)
So… back looking for another machine.
Really looking forward to the followup to this.
Thanks!
Doug, bad link, video will not play.
Oops… sorry about that… it’s all fixed now.
Thanks Doug for the fix. After watching the video on the updated Sculpey Clay machine, I am only hoping that it holds up much better than the one I bought my first time around. It appears to be an improvement but the only thing that concerns me is the plastic scrappers. I still think they should be metal based also. Plastic after a period of time, gets brittle and tends to crack easily, especially if too much pressure gets put through the rollers. It will be so interesting to see how they hold up with all the prodding and poking to clean out the build up of clay underneath them. I think if Sculpey could make a machine without the fenders or allow the user to easily remove the fenders for cleaning it would be a 100% improvement on their part and it could be purchased for Adults only as I believe there is a saftety factor involved here, henceforth the fenders. Then why not have them make a childrens version where the fenders can not come off? This way they would be solving two problems, they wouldn’t have to retool their equipment and the cost would be accordingly.
Part of the reason for the fenders on these cheaper machines is to give them strength and stability. When they are removed, the flimsy machines can twist and warp a little, and it’s hard on the gears. I would like to see both the fenders be more open though… one of them on this machine is very open at the back… you can see any build up quite easily. The other (the front one) is almost completely wrapped around and you can’t see in at all. If they were both smaller and more open like the back one is, they could still give strength to the machine, but have the ability to see if there is any build up and be able to gently remove it.
The big thing with any pasta machine though is to be gentle with it. I am always surprised when people jam thick chunks of rock hard clay through the rollers and wonder why the gears broke or the rollers are out of alignment.
As far as the nylon scrapers cracking… I haven’t seen that with mine yet. (I also have them on my Atlas) They do seem to be gentler on the rollers though. No scratching or damaging the surface… so I’m guessing that is why they put the nylon scrapers there in the first place. Hopefully this machine is a good one. There needs to be a less expensive, yet decent quality machine out there for all beginners to get started on. Hopefully this machine will be it!