Troubleshooting a Frozen Far Roller on a Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine

[sophiecentaur]

When I first came across this question I started wondering about making one. I planned some nice brass parts (stainless steel would be too tough for my small facilities) and a possible belt / chain drive, to allow a big range of spacings. Fact is that anything 'nice' these days would be far too expensive. There are some lovely metal rolling machines but they wouldn't fare well in a dishwasher.
So it seems that you have to treat a PR as just another kitchen consumable.

 

[cindabjo]

This is a not very physics-related question, but I suppose fixing mechanical things involves a bit of physics, so I thought I might as well ask here.

I have a Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine that has stopped working. The crank won't turn because the rollers won't turn. The crank directly drives the near roller, which drives the far roller by interconnecting cogs. The gap between the near and far roller can be modified by turning a dial knob which changes the location of the far roller. To turn that dial you first have to pull it slightly away from the machine's case so it clears a locking nub and becomes free to turn. When you release the dial, it settles with a hole in the dial over the locking nub so that it cannot turn. A metal rod goes through the centre of the far roller and through the centre of the dial, with a squared cross-section where it goes through the dial so that the dial and rod cannot rotate relative to one another.

The picture below shows the rollers of the machine, the "far roller" on the left. You can see how the rod is offset from the axis of the roller.

Turning the dial (and hence the rod) changes the inter-roller gap by the part of the rod that locks to the dial, and also the part of the rod that attaches to the machine casing at the other end of the far roller from the dial, being off-centre from the axis of the roller. So rotating the dial and the rod moves the far roller axis in a small circle, thereby changing the gap between it and the near roller, whose axis is fixed.

So far as I can tell, my rollers won't turn because the far roller won't turn relative to the metal rod that goes through it. Since the crank locks to the near roller, which locks to its cog, which locks to the far roller's cog, which locks to the far roller, which locks to the metal rod, which locks to the dial, which locks to the machine casing, the crank won't turn.

The only explanation I can think of for how it is supposed to work is that the far roller is supposed to be free to turn around the metal rod that goes through it - ie that that rod serves as an axle for that roller. And mine is frozen. I've sprayed it with WD40 over several days but still can't get it to turn.

Now to my question - to anybody that has experience with Atlas, or indeed any, pasta machines, or that is just good at solving mechanical problems:

Am I correct that the far roller is supposed to freely turn around the metal rod? If so, any suggestions about how to unfreeze it? If not - what am I missing? How is the far roller supposed to be able to turn when the dial is locked to the nub on the casing?

Thank you

Andrew

I took my maker apart and found that the gear on the rear roller is “floating” around the metal rod. It cannot engage because there is no support beneath it to bring it up to the height of the forward roller! There is no way it could possible engage. When you tip the machine, you can hear it clink around. Is there a quick fix or replacement? I got this as a gift and have no way to return. :/ what a bummer!!

 

[Tom.G]

Put a bunch of washers on the shaft to replace the missing spacer.

If you know or can find out the shaft or roller material, I suggest you use
the same washer material; otherwise Stainless Steel washers to avoid rusting -- Galvanized would be my third choice.

To get the correct spacing, you may need some Wave Washers in the stack.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[berkeman]

I took my maker apart and found that the gear on the rear roller is “floating” around the metal rod. It cannot engage because there is no support beneath it to bring it up to the height of the forward roller! There is no way it could possible engage.

I'm not sure that just adding washers will help, since the gear looks loose on the shaft, and the shaft does not appear to be parallel to the other shaft that it is supposed to be engaging with. Are you sure this pasta maker used to work? Something looks fake there, IMO...

 

[Rive]

I took my maker apart and found that the gear on the rear roller is “floating” around the metal rod.

Some pieces are likely missing there. Could you please provide some more pictures?
About both ends of that rod and both side of the machine.

Ps.: Those gears are plastic or metal? That three bumps at the end piece of the roller looks intact or broken?