Talbott on thu 13 mar 97
I have been told that it is best to throw pugged clay so that the log is
vertical. And set the clay log on the wheel head so that your hands
"tighten the spiral" as you turn the clay.... So which end does goes down
on the wheel head???... the end that you cut or the end that emerges first
from the pugger. I now have a Venco and the auger turns CCW... I thought I
had figured it out and put the end of the log that emerges first down on
the wheel head and then a more experience potter with the same type pugmill
said... No... place the cut end down on the wheel head. we are both right
handed potters.... Please advise... Marshall
1ST ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summmer 1997)
http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm
>the above site can be viewed but is still under construction<
below are other web-sites which mention the exhibit:
http://www.cclay.com/events.htm
http://www.missouri.edu/~muck/
{contact me directly for more information}
Celia & Marshall Talbott
Pottery By Celia
Route 114
P.O. Box 4116
Naples, Maine 04055-4116
(207)693-6100 voice and fax
clupus@ime.net
Clayarters Live Chat-Room 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Saturday Nites
SHORT CUT if the room has already been created then go to:
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or if room has not been created go to WBS at:
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and set up a "Private Room"... just use the name: Clayarters
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norman R. Czuchra on fri 14 mar 97
At 07:08 AM 3/13/97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I have been told that it is best to throw pugged clay so that the log is
>vertical.
I use a Blue Bird de-airing and throw on the horizontal. I'll cut a 2"
round, tap the cut edges up and put it on the wheel so that the round parts
are up and on the wheel and the cut sides are left and right. Wish I could
draw the picture. This totally confuses the spiral and as long as I
compress the bottom a couple of times after opening, I've had very few s
cracks. If I want to use a piece longer than 4 " ( 4lbs), I take the tube
and pound the cut edges until I can square it a little. Remember where the
round "top and bottoms" are and put it on the wheel head so the round is
still down. Hope I conveyed the point.
Candace brp @abaco.coastalnet.com
Carolyn Broadwell on fri 14 mar 97
When I was working for a production potter in Florida 25 years ago, I
was throwing about 300 ten lb. planters a day, for several months! We
were instructed to put the pug on the wheel on its side; putting it on
either end always caused cracking, according to the guys who finished
the planters. They had a flat bottom, and I think flat bottoms would be
more likely to crack. Good luck, Carolyn
Vince Pitelka on fri 14 mar 97
>I have been told that it is best to throw pugged clay so that the log is
>vertical. And set the clay log on the wheel head so that your hands
>"tighten the spiral" as you turn the clay.... So which end does goes down
>on the wheel head???... the end that you cut or the end that emerges first
>from the pugger. I now have a Venco and the auger turns CCW... I thought I
>had figured it out and put the end of the log that emerges first down on
>the wheel head and then a more experience potter with the same type pugmill
>said... No... place the cut end down on the wheel head. we are both right
>handed potters.... Please advise... Marshall
Marshall -
When screwing in a bolt, the threads spiral in a right-hand direction
whether you are inserting the bolt from above or from below. In other
words, when you turn the threads upside down the spiral is still right-hand.
The same is true of a clay pug. Whichever end you place face-down on the
wheel, the spiral still goes the same way. So it doesn't make any difference.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801
Appalachian Center for Crafts
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Rusty Sieck on fri 14 mar 97
Marshall,
Not to throw another wrench into your equation, but I would assert that
the pug should be placed on the wheel on it's side; that is 90 degrees
from either end - Clay has the natural spiral of the pug mill already in
it and if you put that spiral down onto the wheel head, it's a crack
waiting to happen. On the other hand, the clay on the sides of the
barrel (the round sides of the pug) is already somewhat compressed and
in my experience, compression is what stops s-cracks. I discovered this
when I was working at a pottery that used a very plastic and
high-shrinkage body (about 17 percent). About half of my first day's
pots developed s-cracks. The next day I turned the pugs onto their
sides and the cracking completely dissapeared - even on large 20"
platters. I now do this always - even on clay out the box and I never
have s-cracks....
Rusty
> I have been told that it is best to throw pugged clay so that the log is
> vertical. And set the clay log on the wheel head so that your hands
> "tighten the spiral" as you turn the clay.... So which end does goes down
> on the wheel head???... the end that you cut or the end that emerges first
> from the pugger. I now have a Venco and the auger turns CCW... I thought I
> had figured it out and put the end of the log that emerges first down on
> the wheel head and then a more experience potter with the same type pugmill
> said... No... place the cut end down on the wheel head. we are both right
> handed potters.... Please advise... Marshall
--
************************************************************************
Rusty Sieck : mailto:rsieck@sprynet.com
Chicken Bridge Pottery, Pittsboro, NC
919.545.2077 - WWW: http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/rsieck/
http://www.cclay.com/cluckcluck/
"for we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make."
- J.R.R. Tolkein
************************************************************************
Bill Amsterlaw on sat 15 mar 97
Hi Marshall:
Congratulations on getting your new pugmill. Over the next few weeks you will
realize what a great tool it is.
If there is a spiral memory in the pug, it doesn't make any difference which
end is up; the spiral will be the same. Think about screwing a bolt into a
nut: You always turn it clockwise regardless of which side of the nut faces
the bolt.
Don't make a zillion pots until you see whether or not you are going to have a
problem with s-cracks. Some people don't have a problem. I found that taking
clay right from the pugmill and putting the cut end down before I centered,
resulted in a lot of lost pots due to s-cracks. I solved the problem by
always wedging a little - maybe 60 seconds for 8 lb. Others have recommended
putting the pug sideways - ie neither end up. (This obviously would only work
for small stuff.)
- Bill Amsterlaw (wamster@msn.com)
Plattsburgh, NY
>>
I have been told that it is best to throw pugged clay so that the log is
vertical. And set the clay log on the wheel head so that your hands "tighten
the spiral" as you turn the clay.... So which end does goes down
on the wheel head???...
<<
Vince Pitelka on sun 16 mar 97
For the last fifteen years I have thrown clay straight from the pugmill,
with the pug standing straight up on the wheel. This includes many wide
flat forms. I have to say that during this period I have not had problems
with S-cracks, except a bit with porcelain. Early on I learned the
importance of wheel-wedging the clay and compressing the bottom very well.
It quicly becomes second nature, and it apparently prevents S-cracks.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801
Appalachian Center for Crafts
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Barb & Ray Sapergia on mon 17 mar 97
I have to add my two bits to this one...I've been throwing with clay
right out of the pugmill for years, and have never experienced s-cracks,
and have never paid any attention to which way was up (it just never
occurred to me). I have a Venco 3" pugmill and some of the pugs are 12
- 15" and centering is a little like wrestling with a giraffe, but it
can be done! :) I have also used the pugmill as a mixer, throwing in
dry scraps and sloppy clay and it worked just fine, de-airing at the
same time. Maybe I'm just lucky!
Barb in Chemainus, Vancouver Island where it SNOWED on the daffodils
yesterday!!
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