Holes in pasta with kitchen aid pasta makers

SOURCE: we need to find a

Here's my solution. I purchased an 8mm zinc-plated brass hex standoff from http://www.mcmaster.com (part number 92080A053). It is 25mm in length and has internal threads for an M4 screw. It fit perfectly into the nylon gear plug without modification. I had a colleague from work bore out a hole with his drill press (removing the internal threads) and turn down the exterior with a lathe to create a weak spot (mechanical fuse). See the attached image for the finished product. It doesn't match the original dimensions exactly but it is close and will suffice. You don't necessarily have to do the extra machining work if you don't have access to that equipment, but as jeffrey_w325 states in his post, this part is supposed to be the weak link and fail first. If you don't machine the part down, just be extra careful when using the pasta attachment. Good luck!