Video #438: You’ll be amazed how dirty your lump of cleaning clay will get over time.
Topics Covered In This Video:
- In Cleaning Your Pasta Machine Tip #1, I showed you how to use a disposable kitchen or baby wipe to clean your pasta machine from the outside. Then in Cleaning Your Pasta Machine Tip #2, you learned how to clean deeper by getting rid of scraper build up.
- In this video I’m going to show you how to keep your pasta machine, hands and workspace clean by using a chunk of translucent clay to pick up stray bits of polymer clay, glitter, lint and other dirt.
- Now if you’ve ever used a glitter clay like the new Twinkle Twinkle or the White Glitter Clay by Premo, you will end up getting sparkly bits all over the place. And the next time you run a clean sheet of polymer clay through your pasta machine, it will likely pick up some stray glitter that was left behind.
- So one neat trick for catching glitter and other bits of old clay and dirt in your pasta machine, is to use a chunk (about 1/2 pack of a 2oz block of Premo White Translucent), and run it through your pasta machine to pick up any stray bits.
- Use the translucent clay between batches of different colors. Roll in your hands to pick up dirt, lint and black streaks on rollers… roll across your work surface… under your pasta machine… anywhere you want to keep clean.
- I forgot to mention in the video, but I prefer to use Translucent clay over other colors of polymer such as white, because the translucent clay won’t leave any color residue on the next batch of clay being used in the machine.
- After you have used your translucent clay for a while, it will get quite dirty. However, there is no need for it to be wasted.
- You can use this dirty translucent clay as a base for other polymer clay techniques such as my Faux Pebble Beads Tutorial and other faux stone techniques.
Question of the Day:
Have you got any tips of your own for cleaning pasta machines or work spaces that you would like to share with us? We’d love to hear from you! Leave your answers in the comment section below.
By the way, if you have a polymer clay question or challenge you’d like me to address in an upcoming video vlog, do post it in the comments below. I’d love to help you find quicker and easier ways to bring up the professionalism in your polymer clay art.
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Looking forward to hearing from you!
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Great tip! I use baby wipes but will be trying this :)
Cindy, this tip is excellent. I also use a piece that size to jam up under the pasta machine around the rollers and scrapers underneath both dabbing and sliding it across those surfaces. I am always amazed how many stray bits of clay get pulled away using this technique, and I love it.
Glitter. Sad story. Finally ordered a decently priced bag of real Buffalo brand “snow” glitter to make more faux opals with your fabulous tute this winter. Alas, when I removed the bag of Buffalo Snow Flakes Iridescent Sprinkles from it’s packing on the craft table, I realized immediately I was in trouble. Small leak in the bag.
Despite immediately placing it in a sealed plastic bag, I know am now in for receiving the workout of a lifetime. See it sparkle, run to find it, pick it up, and throw it away. This is going to be going on for quite a while, lol. As I was typing this, three flakes showed up on the computer keys, ahahaha.
Due to the great timing of this video, I am immediately grabbing a chunk of translucent, and will use that to remove future flakes from the carpet and every where else they seem to be settling. Yikes!
Going to be a sparkly Christmas here, for sure.
ohhh, thank you so very, very much for this tip! You’ve helped me solve a big problem for me. I have two cats with tons of hair that won’t come off my hands when I’m working. It’s been so incredibly annoying and can’t wait to try this tip out.
I viewed this video one day too late. I’ve been making a lot of snowman ornaments with Premo white glitter clay and twice (I didn’t learn my lesson the first time) I ended up with glitter in my other colors. I couldn’t believe how much remained on the pasta machine. Since I felt that a little glitter in the other colors might not matter I just mixed it through. Anyway, after viewing this helpful video, I already have a chunk of translucent with the remainder of that glitter and specks of color from my work area handily nearby. Thanks for another great tip, Cindy!
I’ve really appreciated these cleaning tips but this last one is the best of all! What a fantastic idea–thanks so much!
Hi Cindy, Doug and All! Great tip, as usual. I have always done the same thing except I usually make a quick mental list of which colors and in which order I will be running thru the machine during a session. The last one, being the darkest, gets all the other bits and they get blended in without making much difference to the color. I always clean the machine after each session and never seem to get much of a build up at all, so I am very lucky. However, I had not thought of using the translucent for this and keeping it going to use for rocks! THAT is an AWESOME idea and I will give it a go! Thanks again!
Just did that with the translucent clay….lots of speckles came out! :-)
Awesome idea! Thank you!!!
I love your videos you did an excellent job.
Hi Cindy
I would like to know how does using translucent clay (with or without regular clay) influence the look of your project.
thanks a lot
Miriam
Hi Miriam, I am not totally sure what you mean, but translucent clay adds dimension to your work by letting some light in. If you add it to colored polymer, the clay has a more luminescent look to it and the piece will be a little shinier when sanded and buffed. Using thin layers of translucent clay, will give you an almost clear, glass like look to your pieces. I have many tutorials, tips and posts that use translucent polymer clay. I suggest you use the search box at the top of the page, to learn more about it.
Hi guys,
Been away for a few days in the wilds of Wales helping my sister make Punch & Judy puppets for a little puppet theatre she picked up at a bargain price. I made the “Baby” and Mr Policeman. She made all the rest of the puppets. When finished it will go to Germany for her grandchildren as a Christmas gift
Does anyone know if Mr Punch was a real guy (back in history) I know it originated in Italy so would be interested to learn?
The journey to Wales takes 5 hours by train but yesterday the great storm hit the south of England so many trains were cancelled. I left Wales at 10am and was re-routed as trees fallen on tracks so it took 8 hours to get home, bit of a nightmare journey especially as the wheel flew off my trolley, thank goodness for help from stranger who bashed it back on.
Devastation in my back yard, benches thrown across the yard, shed door ripped off and second shed had wooden slats torn off. Pots of plants hurled about, just like a giant hand had flattened my little patch.So still clearing up but thought I would have a break and visit the PCT pages to catch up. Trans clay is brilliant for mopping up gunk in pasta machine. I also bought some “Blue Tac“( but the white variety). it holds my pasta machine handle in place as well. OK now back to clearing up……………..cheers xx………………………….
That was some trip home, then to find such disarray. So sorry, Elaine, but I sure hope that doesn’t put you off traveling.
Hi Cindy I am new to Polymer Clay but I always jump right in when I start something new so I got a pasta machine right away. The reason for my moderately urgent message is because I think the handle is out to get me LOL I’m not sure why it doesn’t fit in and stay in but it falls on the floor every time and gets my toes…OUCH! It’s very frustrating In your video I just watched about cleaning your pasta machine, I noticed a piece of clay (?) holding your handle onto the machine. Can you tell me what you did? Thanks in advance. I’m off to watch more videos! Thanks for providing them! They have been very helpful!
Hi Laurie, thanks for the nice comment! Here is a link to a video that will be helpful for you… Keep Your Pasta Machine Handle from Falling Out
Hey Cindy,
What I experienced the last couple of times I was using the pasta machine: I set the machine to the thickest setting. Roll the translucent through it, fold it. Then roll it through it again, But, half way though, start turning the other way around. Be sure to keep the top end in your fingers so that it doesn’t stick to the rollers. It’s amazing how much clay that is stuck to the scrapers you can collect that way! I do this after each color and since I do this, I have much less problems with specks of earlier used colors contaminating the one I’m running through at that point. Doing this also before storing away my machine guarantees that the scraped off clay wont dry out and cause bigger problems. Cheers!
Thanks Geert for your tips! I will have to try them out and see how they work. Thank you for sharing your ideas with us!
Great info needed. Thanks.
Very Helpful Many thanks :)
I have a question about squeaking pasta machines !!! I doesn’t bother me but my other half complains about the when he’s watching TV !!!
What can I do to stop the squeak? I’m worried about using machine oil as I don’t want it to get in the clay?
Hi Rosie, I have used a little powdered graphite (meant for locks) right along where the rollers hit the sides of the machine and that has helped with the squeaking. Maybe one time I’ll do a quick video on that? I’ve used it for my squeaky brayer before too.