Review: Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine
I have a long checklist of things that I take with me when I'm crafting away from home, including, among other things, clay, clay tools, TLS, rubbing alcohol, baby wipes, and the big one... the pasta machine. Most of the stuff can be grabbed and tossed into my bag fairly easily. But the pasta machine requires unclamping and disassembling, and then getting it back just right whenever I get home.
When I was just going to my monthly polymer clay guild meetings, it wasn't a big deal. I'd allow myself an extra half an hour to pack up my stuff, and it worked fine. Then some friends of mine started a monthly Downtown DIY craft night. Add on the occasional class, and it started to feel like I was spending more time packing and unpacking my pasta machine than actually using it. And for some reason, it's a little harder to get out the door nowadays than it was, say, 6 months ago.
So I decided I wanted a second set-up: a basic set of tools I could leave packed up and ready to take. I had duplicates of some tools, and a few older tools I didn't use often at home but would be happy enough with at a meeting. But a second pasta machine seemed like a real splurge.
I've been using my Atlas 150 for almost 10 years now, and it's served me well. But I got it back when the good ones were cheap on eBay... there weren't nearly as many polymer clayers to compete with on the bidding. And since some of the newer Atlas machines have scraper problems, I don't feel entirely comfortable buying one online anyway. I'd want to inspect it.
I learned at the IPCA Retreat that there's a new Sculpey pasta machine, er rather a "Clay Conditioning Machine" (it's about impossible for me to call it anything but a pasta machine!). It's cheaper new than I'd pay for a used Atlas on eBay, so I decided I'd give it a try. After all, it seems like a machine made for clay stands a fair shot at working just as well with clay (or better) than a machine made for pasta.
The Settings
The machine starts with 1 as its largest setting, which is nice. I didn't want to have to get used to a "backwards" machine. There are 9 settings, which is 3 more than my Atlas has. And the best part is, I can actually use all of those settings. My Atlas's 6th (thinnest) setting always shreds my clay, so I avoid it. The clay goes easily through all 9 settings on the Sculpey machine.
I don't like the dial on the Sculpey machine, though. The numbers are on the outside of the dial, away from the machine. This, plus the fact that the indicator arrow is the tiniest of bumps, makes it hard to tell which number it's lined up next to, or whether it's even lined up to a number at all. The dial also seems a little less solid than my Atlas's dial. I don't get that satisfying click that tells me it's locked into a gear.
While I don't have an accurate measuring device to determine the thickness of the pieces, I did make a cheat sheet to compare its settings to my Atlas. I found that the settings were more or less the same on settings #1-4 (the Sculpey may be ever-so-slightly thicker). The 5th setting on my Atlas seemed the same as the 6th setting on the Sculpey machine. And the 6th (thinnest) setting on the Atlas seemed the same as the 9th (thinnest) setting on the Sculpey machine. So while the Sculpey machine has three extra settings, that doesn't necessarily mean it gets thinner sheets.
The Clamp
I'm not crazy about the top portion of the C-clamp (the part that fits in the My other gripe is really about clamps in general. Why don't the clamps close down further than they do? I guess they were originally designed to fit on kitchen cabinets (back when they were, ya know, used for pasta). But they tend not to fit on thinner work desks or tables — most people have to use a wooden block or some other spacer to get their machine clamped securely. One of the clay machine manufacturers should recognize that as an opportunity and include a clamp that can clamp down to fit thinner tables.
The Handle
The most visible difference between this The handle itself seems to stay in place better than other machines' handles. I haven't had it fall off once. Of course that may be the case with all newer machines — perhaps they get looser as they age.
Packaging
The box has nice pictures showing what a pasta machine can do. I also liked that it has clay-specific instructions (vs. instructions for pasta use). I often forget that these things aren't intuitive to a newbie — for example, that you have to start with the thickest setting then make your way to the desired thickness. These instructions cover that, plus some basic cleaning instructions. Still, I think the instructions could be improved on. Why not include a booklet with Skinner blend instructions, or a couple of projects that rely on the pasta machine?
The Verdict
I like the Sculpey machine. It handles the clay nicely, even on the thinnest settings. The comfort grip on the handle makes it more comfortable to use for people with arthritis or hand pain. I'm not crazy about the gears — I like the certainty I get when I snap my Atlas gears into place. But that's a minor thing that I think I can get used to.
I was originally concerned that I needed another (comparatively expensive) Atlas. Atlas is supposed to be one of the best brands, so I worried anything else would feel flimsy by comparison. But the Sculpey machine has changed my mind. As it stands right now, I plan to make the Sculpey my main pasta machine, and I'll relegate my Atlas to the travelling bag. The primary reason is that I can make use of all of its settings, where my Atlas shreds clay on its thinnest setting. Granted, a good take-apart cleaning might fix my Atlas (I'm not the best about keeping it clean)... not to mention that I got it used, so who knows what kind of abuse it went through before me. So other folks may find the Atlas vastly superior to the Sculpey machine. But for me, the Sculpey machine will work just fine.
Just don't make me call it a clay conditioning machine. :-)
Available for $20-25 at various online retailers (including Create for Less and Amazon
Comments
Wow! This is the first I've heard of a pasta - er, "conditioning" - machine made just for clay. Just goes to show that polymer clay artists are beginning to really have a nice comfy niche in the arts & crafts world. We've come a long way!
Posted by: Jackie Mello | August 10, 2009 5:19 PM
have you had a chance to work with the makin' clay's pasta machine? i wonder how that compares. i have an atlas and an imperio (a backwards machine).
Posted by: gerri newfry | August 11, 2009 4:59 AM
Jackie, There are a couple of other clay-specific machines, including an Amaco and the Makin's one Gerri mentioned. (There's also the Dream Machine, but it's a little out of most people's price range.) I haven't had a chance to work with the others -- I was hesitant for many of the reasons I mentioned in my post, thinking my Atlas would be far superior, etc. I do have some fellow guild members with the Makins machine, and they seem happy. I recall there being a problem with some of those machines a couple of years back. Can't remember for the life of me what the problem was, though. That was back when Jeannie Havel worked there and they were quick to fix the problems then.
Posted by: Angela Mabray | August 11, 2009 8:11 AM
I've used the Amaco machine - I bought a couple to have on-hand for students in a class I taught. It is vastly inferior to the 2nd-hand Atlas I have, and the 2nd-hand Pasta Queen I have (both of which are excellent, sturdy machines).
I honestly expected to hear the Sculpey machine was as much a piece of junk as the Amaco machine, as they're in the same price range, but I'm glad to hear that it's good enough for you to consider actually using full time!
Thanks, as always, for the thorough review :-)
Posted by: Lisa Clarke | August 14, 2009 8:54 AM
Lisa - I kinda expected the same thing, actually. I tried to find someone with an Amaco to compare it to, but no one in my guild seems to have one. Did it do anything particular that made you feel like it was a piece of junk?
Posted by: Angela Mabray | August 15, 2009 8:16 AM
It feels like the rollers are not as free-moving. There's a grinding noise, and I can feel the grinding, too. Maybe a little oil would fix it, but I haven't the slightest idea if that's the problem or not. I'm one of those rare people who doesn't take her machine apart, ever ;-)
Posted by: Lisa Clarke | August 15, 2009 2:42 PM
I'm one of those people too, Lisa. Maybe we're not so rare after all -- just embarrassed to admit such things in public! :-)
Posted by: Angela Mabray | August 15, 2009 5:03 PM
That review has me convinced that I want one. Thanks so much for giving us the insight. Both my Atlases are just about toast...
Posted by: Tina | September 1, 2009 9:12 PM
Thanks Tina! If you do give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think of it.
Posted by: Angela Mabray | September 9, 2009 5:36 PM
what is a good machine or suggestion for a beginer?
Posted by: effie | February 20, 2010 1:33 PM
Effie, I think the low price and the included instructions make the Sculpey machine a good choice if you *want* a pasta machine. If you're very new to polymer clay, you may opt to use a glass jar or acrylic rod to roll out the clay rolling pin style for a while, to keep your initial tool investment down. Pasta machines make life a lot easier when you're conditioning clay or trying to get sheets of even thickness, so they're definitely nice to have if you decide you're serious about clay.
Posted by: Angela Mabray | February 20, 2010 1:58 PM
I LOVE this review on the "ahem" > machine. I also saw it TODAY at my local crafty store while buying some micas, and was wondering, hmm, would this be a good buy? I have a 20% coupon from this crafty store's website. I'm going there tomorrow.
Posted by: Leona Leverette | November 10, 2010 2:52 AM
Thanks, Leona. I'm still using mine as my main machine. It has started leaving "ripples" on some gear settings, so that's a bit disappointing. However, I still think it's a good starter machine. Let me know how you like it -- good luck!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | November 10, 2010 12:05 PM
Hi peeps, came across this great site while googling on clay machine. Just to share a little info from my side. I have 2 Clay machines, one is from Amaco, which is a second hand from another art crafter, and the other is from Nicole, which my Dad bought it for me(he didn't know I got one as I was always using hands instead of the machine).
In my opinion, I think both machines always have the grinding noise, for some reasons. When I took Amaco apart few days ago(as I am always using it only, keeping the other in the box), I don't see that there is much difference, doesn't look like a scrap metal of machine. Perhaps it's the metal grinding against the metal gave off the sound. The only frustrating part is that no matter how I roll it slowly, the roller handle always dropped out. Does anyone have a good idea of stopping it from dropping out? Many thanks.
Posted by: Joan | April 9, 2011 12:39 AM
Joan, Those handles can be pesky! Try some of the tips listed on Pasta Machine Magnet Trick (and the article/comments it links to). Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | April 9, 2011 6:02 AM