Comments on: Is a Pasta Machine Motor Necessary For Your Polymer Clay Projects?

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:11:54 +0000

@Helen: I’m happy you found a place to order a new handle, Helen…I sure hope it fits your older Atlas! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Nice find, Sue…Yay!
Good luck!

By: Helen

Helen — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:17:34 +0000

@Sue F:
Thanks Sue,
I found your suggested site and order the handle for my atlas. It comes from Philadelphia and I am in Central California. So, I should know in a couple of weeks if it will fit my 1981 pasta maker. The handle with shipping was just a few cents under $15
Again thanks!
Helen

By: Sue F

Sue F — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:17:01 +0000

@Helen: Hi Helen, here’s one place that has them, which I stumbled upon while looking for something else:

fantes.com/pasta-makers-parts.html#atlas

It’s about one third of the way down the page (search for “Atlas Replacement Handle” or “#14898″ if you don’t want to scroll) and is listed with a price of $8.99.

By: Cindy Lietz@How To Bake Polymer Clay

Cindy Lietz@How To Bake Polymer Clay — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:33:27 +0000

I would try and Google ‘Atlas Pasta Machine Parts’ first and see what you can come up with. Also you could try Donna Kato’s prariecraft.com. She sells Atlas Machines and may be able to order in parts for you. As an alternative, you may want to see if a cheap machine’s handle will fit. The machines are all pretty much the same design and it may work. Sometimes parts can be very expensive, especially with shipping and buying a whole new machine may be more cost effective.

By: Helen

Helen — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:23:41 +0000

Hi
I have an Atlas pasta machine, but the handle broke. Do you know where I might buy a new handle?
Thanks.

By: Bette L

Bette L — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:42:16 +0000

Thanks Kat,
Yes, Makins paid for everything. I am keeping in touch with them so they know how it is working out. I have a feeling that I could have gotten them to replace everything, but that’s just a guess. I probably could have gotten my DH to do the gears for me. Makes him feel useful, but I can do a lot of things myself (don’t tell him tho!).

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:11:39 +0000

@Bette L: Wow, Bette, what a journey you’ve had with your pasta machine(s)! I’m so glad they’re both working now. Yay for you! You said you’re happy with Makin’s, but I wondered — did Tom order the gears as a courtesy, or did they charge you for them? You spent so much time & money in your dealings…I certainly hope they took care of you!

I also wanted to say–it’s awesome you’re so handy with those gears — power to ya! There are probably many people who wouldn’t be able (or would be afraid) to tackle a gear-replacement job… You go, girl! :D

By: Bette L

Bette L — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 21:23:40 +0000

The conclusion of my Makins Pasta machine tale. The motor was shot too! The main gear had slipped on the shaft, making it impossible to put any clay through the PM without stopping.
I emailed and spoke on the phone to Tom in customer service. He was really a nice guy. Although he did not offer to replace either my PM or the motor, he did order replacement gears for both machines.
The gears arrived today, I put them in and now have a working motor, and the old pasta machine works too. Even though it took a while to get this done, I am pleased that I do not have to replace the motor. I am also pleased that Makins did something to make me happy as a customer.
At this time, I have 2 working Makins PMs and one working motor. Yeah.

By: Bette L

Bette L — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:58:27 +0000

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the rant Cindy. I feel the same way. Thanks for all the sympathy too. After taking apart and fiddling with the PM, the only gear that is broken is the #1 (thickest setting). I can still use the others with the hand crank. The rollers are pretty much non stick. Where the clay builds up is on the scrapers. That what I was referring to when I said that it needs cleaning. It is not nearly as hard to take off one end (the one without the knob) and clean the scrapers as my old PM. Everything goes back together relatively easily. I am just going to baby the new one when I use motor.
Bette

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:38:22 +0000

Bette, that really does suck! I just wanted to say “I’m sorry” about what happened with your Makin’s PM…it’s really upsetting that they refuse to cover the broken one. I’ll bet more people use “regular” polymer clay with their machine than “Makin’s” clay. Yet they keep that rule in place so they don’t have to pay up when they break. Not fair! Just wanted to let you know I “feel” for you, and also that I agree with what Cindy said in her rant! I can’t believe that the rollers aren’t even really non-stick…that’s one of the big advertising bits. Anyway, I really hope the 2nd one you bought lasts a good long time! Kat