Update Review Of Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine
Video #706: I've got some good things to say about this pasta machine... and some not-so-good things to say... More Info: www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?... Polymer Clay Tutor.
In today's video I am doing an update on the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine.
About 6 months ago I did an unboxing and quick review of the New Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine with the Stainless Steel Rollers. I said I would come back and let you know how it preformed, so that's what I'm doing here.
I have both positive and negative things to say about this machine.
First the positive... the stainless rollers are definitely an improvement. There were no black streaks anywhere on my clay.
Also... this machine is sturdier than the previous models... there was no scraper build up... and the handle fits better and does not keep falling out.
Now for the negative... the gears started slipping after only about 1 month of use. Please note I am extremely gentle on my machines, so it wasn't an issue of rough use. The slipping gear issue caused all the thinner settings to ripple to the point of being unusable.
I show side by side comparisons of polymer clay rolled out at each of the settings on both my Atlas 150 Wellness Machine ($100) and the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine ($40). You can see as I go through each setting, the difference in the quality of both the machine and the sheets that they are capable of making.
In conclusion, I would like to see Sculpey fix this gear issue, because all the other issues that the machines had in the past, have been solved with this machine. But as it is now, only the top 4 settings are really usable for the polymer clayer.
There is a big difference in the price of the two machines though. So if you are just a weekend polymer clay hobbyist, then the low price on the Sculpey machine and the fact that the top 4 settings are good, may be all that you need. But if you are going to be doing polymer clay for any length of time, or you like to spend money on quality tools, then definitely pay the extra for the Atlas 150 Wellness Machine (anodized aluminum rollers) because every setting will give you a good quality sheet of polymer clay.
Lastly, I think that the manufacturers of both machines should dial back the number of settings on their machines, to improve the meshing of the gears, resulting in higher quality clay sheets that are produced at all settings. I know it sounds fabulous to have more settings on your machine, but if some of those settings are going to be low quality, it would be better to have less settings... in my humble opinion.
Related Video: Sculpey Pasta Machine Stainless Steel Rollers... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
Related Video: Atlas 150 Pasta Wellness Machine Unboxing... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
Related Video: Pasta Machine Black Streaks... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
Related Video: Pasta Machine Cleaning Scraper Build-Up... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
Related Video: Why Pasta Machines Leave Roller Lines On Polymer Clay... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
And... more info about today's video is at my blog... www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?...
Cindy Lietz & Doug Lietz Social Links:
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Polymer Clay Tutor... "Make what you love... Love what you make."
I appreciate the fact that you give the good and bad of BOTH machines, and then you offer suggestions to both companies. Thank you for taking the time to tell us this!
I got one of the Sculpey machines from Value Village a few months ago for $8, has done a good job so far. I'll keep my fingers crossed lol
Thank you for taking the time to tell us this!
Here in New Zealand it costs $80NZD ($53USD) for the newest Sculpey conditioning machine and only $119NZD ($79USD) -both including shipping - for the Atlas 150 so i will definitely be investing in the Atlas! This video couldn't have come out at a better time as I'm just about to invest and I'm glad I didn't go with the Sculpey in the end! Thanks for your thorough reviews and tests, nothing like watching paint dry!! :)
Very helpful review, it's good to know the good the bad and the ugly of the machines before investing. As always, you get what you pay for...
Thank you so much for the update, it was very helpful! Love your videos!!
Thank you for the information on the clay conditioner machines. I have an AMACO and was getting the ripples that you had on the Sculpey at setting 9 but my machine was doing it at much thicker settings. I only have used it about 8 hours at the most. So I guess I need to look at higher end models. I only spent $15 with a discount. I also get a lot of build up and need to clean the scraper side after every clay color or I get mixed colors. Thanks again!
Thanks for your video Is there an automatic machine ? Witch do you recomend ?
Hi! After trying 2 different pasta machines and returning them, I went ahead and bought the Atlas 150 (For about $65 at Amazon). It was a huge improvement over the other 2 (Sculpey and Amaco). But I do find whenever I get to nos. 5 or 6 the clay is extremely rippled. I have tried putting the clay in the frig for awhile, since at that point it's much softer, but frankly even that wasn't much of a help. I can still use the clay by rolling it to get rid of some of the ripples. I am always amazed when I see folks using the 8 or 9 setting and get beautiful strips. I still haven't been able to achieve a nice long thin strip of Skinner blend as I see in so many videos. I have tried using parchment paper when I run the clay through but it always slides away. Could you do a video on how that is done? I haven't seen one in your listing. Thanks!
Thank you, I was wondering what the difference would be between the 2, yours & sculpey/clay marketed machines.
Thank you so much for this review!
Thank you! I have a Sculpey machine (not newer version) and I hate it! Didn't take long before the quality went down the tubes and I thought, for a while it was me, but then began reading what you and others had to say about it. I'm curious about the Makin machine. I've heard from a couple clay artists that it's ok, but can't find any reviews on it. Do you have a Makin review? I hope to treat myself to the Atlas machine after the holidays. They're pretty expensive for someone who isn't making a living with clay. Thank you again for the review. You saved me from more frustration.
Atlas is fantastic. I got mine about a year ago and it's still working perfectly! I don't ever have any ripples. :D
very helpful. I just bought a craft smart machine (my first) and I thought it wasn't working properly, but now I can see that it is normal for the price I paid. Whew.
Can you do a review on the Makins Pasta machine. I just bought one havent used it for very long though.
I agree that it would be nice if they could fix the issue with the rollers. I've had mine for about 3 months now, and I only have an issue on the last 3 settings but I don't really use those. But, I do find I can make use of the texture for certain pieces. all in all, it's not horrid for a budget cheapy. Can't wait to invest in an Atlas though!
I have had an Amaco pasta machine with a motor attached for the past 30 years. I’ve never had a problem with it and have never taken it apart for cleaning. Maybe they just aren’t making them like they used to. Praying mine doesn’t quit. Sounds like I couldn’t replace it.
Can you do an update on the best, cost efficient clay conditioning machine? I am ready to replay mine, but don't know which one would be best. I would love the Atlas but just being a hobbyist, it is too costly. Many thanks.
Great review, Cindy. What do you think of the Makins pasta machine, which is what I have. I've had no problem thus far. Also, is it possible that some of the machines could be "lemons" and it's not necessarily the make? I have no idea.
Thank you for all the information really helps! Hugs Liz...
Have you tested the Maken's Ultimate Professional Machine?
hello, I have a question I have bought 3 separate 1lb boxes of super sculpey firm and all 3 have been unusable. they were very brittle and I had to spend hours making them usable. is this common? or is the store selling very old clay?
I have had 5 different pasta machine brands, then was given a DREAM machine. I love a lot about it except the settings really do not line up with my other Machines. #1 setting is about the only one that is the same, when I get to say #4 on Atlas it is about a #9 on the DREAM machine. If I want something really thin I have to use my Atlas, or just roll and stretch out the clay. To me because it is the MOST expensive it ought to have the thinner settings. For that reason I'm glad I have my choices.
mine wrinkled right out of the box sadly.. and i am very careful with my clay tools and machinery. any setting higher than 4 or 5 and it starts skipping and wrinkling.
I needed to see this
Can you please post a video for beginners on how to roll different sizes of polymer clay through pasta machine? When trying to condition and roll clay for a journal cover, i cant seem to get a good size piece, mine comes out in small/long/short pieces instead of a decent size. What am i doing wrong? How can i roll a piece that is larger than 4"?
I found a clay conditioning machine for 17$ and I haven’t used it yet but when I make my clay projects I will definitely use the machine to condition my clay
thank you :D this is good to know.
Interesting review. I actually use 8 and 9 quite a lot without any problems in the first machine. I have had black streaks in the past but none lately no matter what setting I am using it on. Sounds good in theory to have one with less settings but as previously mentioned I do use those last two settings quite a lot and I am sure I am not the only one. - Heidi
+BlackCat2 You can easily create thinner settings by pulling on your sheet, rolling it further with a brayer or running a sheet of parchment paper behind your clay to make it thinner. If you were using this machine, you wouldn't have any of the bottom settings.
PolymerClayTutor
I don't know how many people have bought the Atlas 150 machine. But.....an (f.y.i) I bought mine from amazon right after you did your review on it I think a year ago....on the bead blog..the gears are awesome and I could use it for all the settings. Now just a week ago I had to take mine apart to clean it because of normal gunk which is normal I know. But....there is a hard plastic thick disk that holds the round setting thing for 1 through 9. That plastic disk has worn off on half of the side so that the heavy pin holding the steel roller into the slot on the opposite side will no longer hold the roller in place. So even on setting 1 the clay when warmed will not roll through before that hard pin will jump out and will not roll any farther. I am emailing the company today because I am really upset to pay over $100.00 on the atlas because of the steel construction and they put plastic to hold it together? I have pictures to show but didn't want to get into trouble before I hear back from them about this problem. To this date I have taken it apart and tried to put it back together expecting what I don't know lol...but I make dolls and need flesh colored mixes to do them and i can't roll mixes like that out by hand.
what about the electric one its 169.00 do you think that would work better
I have an old Atlas machine bought from a neighbour. My criticism of it is the difficulty stripping it down to clean and service. I don’t know if this is different in the newer models. If you could remove the plates and sides you could regularly clean and silicone oil the gears.
Agreed!! One thing you can do is have the machine "monafied" by Mona Kissel at www.monakissel.com or even better, turn your Atlas into a Monafied Street Machine at www.edscolors.com !! They will modify your machine so you can remove the blades easily and clean your machine lickety split!
Thank you for this review. I would like to buy a pasta machine but I'm just getting started and money is an issue. I've been reading a great deal and I found a site that said there was an issue with the Atlas 150's. Something about they changed the rollers and it doesn't work for clay the way it used to. This site was willing to fix the rollers (for a price of course) but I didn't see anything about it on your site or youtube channel. Are you aware of this? I found the Atlas 150 wellness in stainless steel for $69 on Amazon. The color ones were in the hundreds, but this one was a good price. Do you know if there is a difference between the color ones and the stainless steel? As always, thank you for all you do.
I have an Atlans I bought back in 2003 and Im still using it ;)
This is what my WELLNESS 150 is producing at the higher settings. It has done the ruffled sheets since the day I got it. I'm sure it's too late to return it, but I'm very disappointed with the quality of the ATLAS, I purchased it from Amazon.
Damn I wish I’d seen this earlier Cindy.. my sculpey is arriving tomorrow and I don’t even know which model🙄
Aldi are selling a similar one in the UK for £6.99 (dated 15Nov22). Just bought one and pretty much identical to this one.
Tú recomiendas quitarle piezas para facilitar la limpieza
what if you try a first try with the number 9 setting? maybe it happened because the clay was already super soft? need to find out because i was thinking of purchasing one. thanks 😊
+Bel Ban Actually that would be worse. You would be forcing thick clay through the rollers and potentially causing the rollers to become misaligned even more quickly. Now you are right that a super soft clay can wrinkle more easily, but as you can see with the Atlas, the same clay had no problems. The best way to minimize distortion and wrinkling is to only go one or two steps down at a time. Going straight to a thin setting is not only hard on the machine but also squeezes the clay unevenly and makes it much more difficult to make a flat sheet.
+PolymerClayTutor thanks 😊
You are lucky. All the things that you did not get on the Sculpey machine ( black streaks, blade build up and handle issues ), I've got. I've fixed the handle with heat shrink electrical tube. The rest I just have to deal with. The reason I came to this tutorial is to see what to do about uneven stretching. My stuff comes out one side stretched out longer than the other side. Thickness is fine but I keep getting one side longer than the other.
That sucks. :( As far as the one side being longer, it means that your rollers are not parallel to each other. If you think about your slab of clay getting squeezed harder on one side, it will stretch further because it is thinner. Try flipping the sheet back and forth so both sides get a more even squeeze. That should help until you are able to buy a better machine. (Even a crappy machine is usually better than rolling it out by hand, right?)
@@PolymerClayTutor oh yes! I did a thorough deep cleaning and that fixed it (sort of). Also is it ok to dust the rollers with corn starch so the clay won't stick to it?
@@mercedesmarton3768 Sure that would be fine. You could also dust your clay so it's not as sticky in the first place.
i saw a pasta machine on sale online. it is a brand called studio 71. has anyone heard of this brand? it has 7 settings.
I am not a clayer, yet, though I plan to be very soon, but I thought of this, and thought I'd share: Would it work it run 2 pieces of clay through at the same time, at a setting 4 or 5, with water in between as a release agent? I know that's how they make egg roll and wonton skins, 2 at a time with oil between in order to get them super thin. Just wondering...I guess I'll find out myself, soon enough, as I am going to be forced by finances to get a cheaper machine, and was planning on a sculpey...I wonder if they've improved in the last 3 years?
That idea is something that I have never tried, so I am not sure how well it would work or not. It wouldn't work well with a couple of the brands like Cernit and Fimo, because they get sticky with water. It is an interesting idea for the brands that repel water like Premo and Souffle though, so I will have to test that one out. As far as the Sculpey Machines improving over the last three years, I don't know that either, but I haven't heard that they have made any changes to the machine, so my guess is that the machine is still the same.
Thanks for replying! I didn't know that about the Cernit and the Fimo (getting sticky with water...I thought you could use water on all clay brands). Apparently I haven't paid enough attention. I may just break down and buy a cheaper Atlas. I did find one for $54 on Ebay, although it's an Atlas 8540. I'm looking into the differences now. Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to you and yours :) Oh! Thank you also for all of the tutes and reviews you do. I have learned SO much from you, and I can honestly say that you've given me the initiative, and dare I say, courage, to actually try to make some beautiful clay creations!
What pasta machine do you recommend. I got a 15$ doller one at a craft store. Its not good at all ripples black streaks ect.
+Abby Hunter (Vlogs) My favorite pasta machine to date is an Atlas 150 Wellness machine. (I do have a video on it that you should check out.) It isn't cheap though... around $100.
Mine is having those problems on the '1' setting and it's also WAY more thin than what I've seen from videos I've been watching.
On some machines, their settings are opposite... #1 is the thickest setting on some machines and the thinnest on others.
I have a question about polymer clay that so far I haven't found an answer for on Google. I know you can't really use a microwave to cure polymer clay, but I'd like to know if finished polymer clay pieces would be microwave friendly (say I wanted to decorate a mug, for example, and I'd like to heat my tea water in the microwave like I do all the time). Have you tested this one?
I don't think it would be safe to I don't recommend for you anyone else to try it because of the toxins in the clay you might be able to heat it up in a separate mug then pour the hot water into the one decorated with clay😄
+lilithmarleen +KraftyKenna Yeah, you don't want to put anything in the microwave with polymer clay on it. It will bubble up and fry like a crisp, and leave nasty fumes... might even catch fire!
Hi dear. The issue is that every time the clay got microwaved you would essentially be curing it again. The more energy the clay absorbed from the microwave radiation, the hotter it would get, until it began burning, thereby ruining the piece. It isn't so much an issue of compatibility as it is of high heat.
For $40, it should have lasted for more than a month.
What the name of the one for $100?
_Please make a video on using electric pasta machine for polymer clay.Do they work for polymer clay?_
When you say electric do you mean a motor powered machine? They work exactly the same way, but instead of moving the innards by hand cranking, they are moved via an electric motor. I've used both and prefer the hand method because you are less likely to strain your machine when you can feel the resistance. If you want to see a motorized version at work, check out Yonat Dascalu here on KZhead.
I have a pasta machine that is a built all in one in other words it's not a machine tagged onto the side like the atlas 150 or the sculpy I bought it years a go for making pasta and now I use it for my clay and it works far better than the machine that you add to the side but it's too big for my work table that I work at while watching to in the evenings :-/ sigh so it only gets used when I am out in the workshop during the day :-)
I would like yo know of anyone trying to.roll put the DU KIT With one of these machines .cos I have but now it's starting to screw the DU KIT up.are the kinda blades things meant to be kinda up or pulled down I would like to see a shot of the bottom of the machine looking up.into it please .I hope someone can understand this please .
I have not worked with DU KIT yet so I can't be sure, but it sounds like your scrapers are not properly scraping the clay from the rollers. If the clay is soft and sticky, it will be even worse. You can leach the clay to remove excess oil. Watch this video: Leaching Soft Polymer Clay To Make It Firmer kzhead.info/sun/Z75ygNGRm4CObJs/bejne.html You could also consider rolling clay between sheets of plastic.
I’m having a had time trying to turn the dial on mine what do I do?
The dials on most of the pasta machines have a weird little trick to them... you have to pull them out as you turn them. There is a little pin that keeps them from accidentally turning and changing the thickness as you roll the clay through them.
PolymerClayTutor thanks,
I got a cheap 30$ pasta machine and it only has some very faint ripples on settig one. Starting from setting 2 it only improves smoothness. The gearing of these sculpey machines must be really off, because as soon as the gears come close the match should get better.
Roberto Falorni where did you buy it?
I just bought my sculpy machine about two weeks ago and it's already doing that to my clay even on the thicker settings and I'm really not happy about it and I'm not sure what to do, I'll still use it but I have to flatten it again with my hand roller after and it's just more time consuming and aggravating :( and I know it's not me being rough on the machine now that I've seen your video also. I'm just very upset with it and I don't have the money to buy a new one every month so I'm not too sure what I'll do about it till they fix the problem.
return it! bring clay to prove wrinkles, maybe they will at least exchange it.
I tried, because i had cut into the block and already tried using it they wont let me return it... i was agitated but im slowly restoring it, just takes ALOT of working
+Natalie Raleigh what kind of horrible retailer wouldnt let you return a defective product? How were you to know it was defective until you tried it? Perhaps the manufacturer can help you. email them.
+Margaret Gardner I might have to do that
sadly my atlas 150 on setting 5 gets wrinkled like the sculpey did:(
I skipped this machine and bought the $35 pasta machine from Bed Bath Beyond. It's better quality.ot also has the flat noodle attachment for beautiful trimming if needed
I just purchased one , they are normally $50 but I got mine 60% off , hopefully it lasts me awhile lol
I looked up "styrofoam" on your channel, nothing came up. I want to know how polymer clay and styrofoam interact. Please? :)
Hi, I have used Styrofoam as a source of shapes for my polymer clay and have baked it without a problem, it does shrink which if fine as once I have the shape that I need I don't need the styrofoam anymore :-)
Awesome :) Would be neat for them to do a video on it anyhow, but thank you for letting me know, makes things a bit easier if I want to make something hollow :)
Your welcome and sorry I did not answer before now I am only just getting all my messages 😳😳 have no idea why they were never downloaded in the first place but getting them now 😹 I hope you were able to work out how to use styrofoam shapes with your polymer clay 🤗
What about other pasta machines
I have reviews of other pasta machines in my channel.
Sculpey is ripping people off, its 100% standard pasta roller, it even still has the connector bits on the edge where you place the spaghetti/fettuccine or other cutters. And they cost about $25 as a pasta maker, its exactly the same as the one I have.
Is a pasta machine absolutely necessary?
Nope. You can use an acrylic roller instead if you like. A pasta machine like using a car instead of a bike... just makes things easier and faster but not necessary.
What’s the difference between this Clay Conditioning Machine and a Clay Machine?
They are the same thing. The only real difference is between the brands. There are high quality clay machines aka clay conditioning machines aka pasta machines and low end ones. Ones with removable blades for cleaning and ones with fixed blades. I would look through the videos in our channel for reviews on other machines you can use to condition and roll out sheets of polymer clay. Thanks for commenting!
PolymerClayTutor Ok, Thanks
PolymerClayTutor I haven’t used mine much and yet I’m not liking it very much... The main issue is that “scrapper blade” I guess is what it’s called. I can’t stand the clay that gets stuck under the roller and blade... is there something. Is there a clay machine that can be cleaned much easier...
@@celtic5764 Hi Charles, the stupid thing about almost all pasta machines is that you can't clean them. How does that make sense for a tool you use to make food? Anyways, there are only two options for Pasta/Clay machines with removable blades that I know of. I have both and trust me it makes all the difference in the world! One is a modified Atlas machine called a Street Machine. You can get one here: www.edscolors.com and the other is an even more professional level machine by Lucy Clay Tools (Here is my amazon Affiliate Link to the Lucy Clay Tools amzn.to/2ULWqgB But I think they don't have any in stock right now because they are in production of the newest Lucy Clay Machine model. But do check in with them, they are the best there is for polymer clay.)
@@PolymerClayTutor thank you for the edcolours link, they look so pretty 😍
Update folks.. March 17th have tested my sculpey conditioning machine with stainless steel rollers. I’ve contacted the seller for a full refund as from setting 5 and down the clay is coming out wavy and breaking off.. grrr
Yup, the Sculpy machine is junk, 😒 I bought one at Michael’s Craft store recently. It distorted my clay from the first use. The gears grind loudly. And, if you observe the rollers looking down from directly above, while turning the handle, they wobble!😤 at least it didn’t cost too much money. I’ll use it to practice taking it apart & modifying it while I save for an Atlas machine.
Seems as if the bad things far outweigh the good ones. :(
Just bought a Sculpey machine (Dec. 2023). Not happy. The widest setting makes the clay TOO THIN. The narrowest setting shreds the clay to crumbles!! I was doing so much better smashing the clay with my hands and rolling it out with a rod. So disappointed!!
Cindy.....you are comparing "Apples to Oranges"
+Rhonda Magee No, I actually am comparing two pasta machines that not only have the same number of settings, they are identical in size, and are built using pretty much identical design and mechanisms... the only difference is the quality of the parts and the care in which they were manufactured. The quality difference in the Atlas is why the price is higher. It is also why it is a better performer. I am comparing apples to apples here... just that one apple is a fresh, crunchy apple all the way through and the other has been bruised along the one side.