Width Control for Pasta Machine

I made this width control for my Makins pasta machine and find it very helpful to make narrow Skinner blends.  Without something to stop it, the sheet of clay tends to just get wider and wider.

To make this, I first set the rollers on a fairly narrow setting that I often use.  Then I made a pattern out of card stock, which you can see to the left of the pasta machine.  I drew two circles on the card stock with a circle template to match the size of the rollers, cut them out with an Xacto blade, then placed the pattern against the inside metal side of the pasta machine and adjusted it by drawing, cutting and taping until it fit well.

Then I layered a block of clay, stuck the pattern on top and cut the clay to match using circle cutters and a straight tissue blade.  (I had a lot of red and white clay last December because I was making peppermint candies.)

I tested the fit on the pasta machine and made some adjustments before baking.  I sanded it so it doesn’t scratch the Teflon coating on the rollers. It also just feels nicer when it’s smooth.  Two metal clips prevent it from moving.

It will ride up when the rollers are set further apart, but it still works.  It won’t work if the rollers are set narrower than what it was originally made to fit.  It picks up some clay residue when you use it, which wipes off with a paper towel.  I hope you’ll find it handy.