Mel Jacobson on mon 29 sep 97
the walker pugmill is a gem....they are not made anymore, but in
my opinion i could have not been a full time teacher of ceramics
without one.
most of the parts that wear out can be purchased at grainger.
and mile high ceramics in denver has some parts.
mel
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Cheryl Fisher on tue 30 sep 97
A friend of mine was able to get an old Wlker Pug Mill for $100. She just spent
repairing it after a couple of years. She's been offered over $1000 for it. She
with it.
Dave Hedblom on wed 1 oct 97
I have a Walker. I picked it up from a local college last year. After
cleaning an straightening out a few bent fins it worked fine. The one we
have a school has a safety switch on it that I am going to copy. As I get
older I find I am not as much of a hurry as I was in the past so the
slowness is OK. If I ran across a de-airing pug mill for the right price I
know I could get the $ out of the Walker. As far as mixing, I don't use
mine for mixing just recycling.
claymoon@pconline.com
Fall is the best time in Minnesota.
vince pitelka on fri 13 oct 00
> Does anyone know anything about a pug mill made by Walker-Jamar Co. ?
We
> have a very old "Walker" pug mill at school that needs some repair.
And. i
> need a parts source and repair manual. Any info would be appreciated.
> Thanks Jim in Dallas.
Jim -
The Walker was the old standby in most academic studios. They are
workhorses, and as Mel says, you can probably get whatever you need off the
shelf from a good industrial power and transmission parts supplier. For an
independent potter who knows how to use them, they are great machines.
However, if you are going to keep this pugmill in your classroom, you must
keep it locked up, and under no circumstances should students have access to
it. We have one off in the corner of our claymixing room, but we have two
other pugmills and we just don't use it any more. They are incredibly
dangerous, due to the open hopper and exposed mixing blades, and the company
went out of business because of some nasty accidents and the resulting
lawsuits. You cannot do anything to them to make them safer, because if you
do any modifications on a piece of commercially-made equipment (even if your
intent is to make it safer) YOU become liable if there is an accident.
Sorry to sound like an alarmist, but in this case it is necessary. Best
wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Tom Wirt/Betsy Price on sat 14 oct 00
Jim...I have a 1970's Minnesota Clay catalog that has a cutaway view
of the Walker. Been helpful. Could fax it if you wish. Mel lined us
up with a Walker a couple of years ago....as he says,, it's as good a
machine as you can get without a vacuum. Dangerous....I guess, but
like Mel and Vince, I don't go sticking body parts in there. A
pugmill doesn't care.
Tom Wirt
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: Walker Pug Mill
> > Does anyone know anything about a pug mill made by Walker-Jamar
Co. ?
> We
> > have a very old "Walker" pug mill at school that needs some
repair.
> And. i
> > need a parts source and repair manual. Any info would be
appreciated.
> > Thanks Jim in Dallas.
>
> Jim -
Arnolds Home Improvements on wed 24 apr 02
Hello all !!!!!
A friend of mine has asked me to post this for him.
He is looking to purchase a Walker Pug Mill. If anyone has one for sale or
knows of one for sale would you please contact him off list.
He also has silicon carbide kiln shelves for sale or trade some for the pug
mill.
His email is dgarner@asheboro.com
He is David Garner at Turn and Burn Pottery in Seagrove N.C.
And before it gets said he is aware of the dangers with this machine he
already has one and he would like another.
Thanks!!!
Gene Arnold
mudduck@advi.net
mel jacobson on sun 20 mar 05
yes, i have two of them.
they are great tools, but just like a chain saw,
don't put your hands in the blade. we don't ban chain saws,
we just don't let fools run them. or, if they do, goodbye hands.
mile hi ceramics in denver bought out the walker jamar
plant when they folded. but, for sure, most of the parts
can be gathered together at grainer's.
a great machine shop could rebuild a walker in a couple of days.
it still is the best mixer/pug combo ever made.
it has a hopper that holds several hundred pounds of clay.
i just never put my hands in there.
mel
mel jacobson/minnetonka/minnesota/usa
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
http://www.rid-a-tick.com
Vince Pitelka on sun 20 mar 05
> yes, i have two of them.
> they are great tools, but just like a chain saw,
> don't put your hands in the blade. we don't ban chain saws,
> we just don't let fools run them. or, if they do, goodbye hands.
Sometimes I am guilty of driving a point into the ground, but in this case
it is worth it. The original request for information about Walker Pugmills
was from Mark and Cindy, who run the Mudpit Studio in Brooklyn. I was
concerned that they might be planning to use this pugmill in the group
studio. Mel is write in what he says above, but the important thing about
the Walker is that you cannot leave it in a situation where any unauthorized
person will fire it up. It is too dangerous. And of course whenever you
use this kind of equipment in a studio that you own or operate, you are
liable if anyone else gets injured. The Walker is a fine machine (although
in my opinion not nearly as good a mixer-pugger as the Peter Pugger), but
anyone who has one or is thinking of buying one at auction or whatever must
realize how dangerous they are.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Bonnie Staffel on fri 24 nov 06
Roger, I just had a weird thought. I hope Mark Issenberg can answer =
this
question. When I left Campbell Folk School around 1990, I did not take =
my
Walker with me. Even cut the electric cord as I felt it was too =
dangerous
to be left unattended. Any chance that Mark may have acquired it from =
the
school? He lives so close to Brasstown and I am curious about what =
happened
to the mill. =20
I also had a worker in my studio that wasn't all there in the smarts
department and she dropped a metal dipper with a long handle into the
hopper. Sure did scrunch up that dipper as well as heard new words from =
my
husband when he tried to get it out. =20
I made fresh clay in it but if you see my previous post, had the cement
mixer to mix the dry mixture of ingredients. I also had a large =
watering
trough in that room where we put our clay scraps. That was where we got =
our
additions of slip which was deliciously old. With my apprentices =
learning
to throw, had a good supply of scrap. =20
Regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
Mark Issenberg on sat 25 nov 06
Hi ya,, i got my Walker from friends in Broward County Fla years ago. I had
it re built. It needed pillow blocks and bushings and seals and it also got a
new stainless shaft. Its now in Alabama with John..
Mark
Bonnie Staffel on sun 26 nov 06
Well, darn it, Mark. Had hoped that my Walker was in your capable hands for
a while. So maybe I will find out where it is later. It may still be in
storage in the folk school in a barn or something.
Thanks so much for responding.
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
Anthony Ferguson on fri 12 jun 09
I would say to any who have a walker (and I have one)
Do not operate while intoxicated or otherwise euphoric in any way.
Do not mix slip around the walker in case you slip and fall into the
rotating blades.
Do not push clay with hand near the rotating blades. Find or create a tool
to push the clay down when the top cover does not work and always allow
yourself a safety buffer area.
Do not let your hair down by or around the walker. It will scalp you.
Really.
Do not think you are stronger then steel. It will always win in an arm
wrestling match. It will terminate you.
Please use common sense (even though its uncommon) or buy a genius/idiot
proof pugmill like the peter pugger. If I could afford one, I would get th=
e
de-airing one. It's a most beautiful and well crafted thought out machine.
Incredible labor saver.
Tony Ferguson
On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 9:14 AM, Dave Drake wrote=
:
> More negative email comments have stirred me to follow-up:
>
> As for falling into the Walker, I envision more like you're walking up to
> it, twisting around with some heavy clay container that hits wrong, slide=
s
> off or is somehow unbalances you. You get yanked down--say by the bucket=
's
> handle going over the side--so your other hand goes down into hopper and
> it's over.
>
> Install the lid kill switch mentioned before or be religious (before or
> after the accident) of turning it off when opening the lid.
>
> My first post was merely passing on what my local educational guru, Vince
> Petelka, warned me about it (when I tried to get him to part with his the=
n
> bought my own) with my endorsement. So if you think my post is a waste,
> take it up with him, because for some reason he took the time to personal=
ly
> emailed me as to the dangers that I passed on to the list.
>
> Besides lid switches or in addition to new mills have grates that simply
> don't allow even a finger into the rotating tines. The big open space
> above
> the tines is why you can't buy stock in Walker company. Don't tell me ho=
w
> many decades you or your company or school has operated it successfully b=
y
> not being stupid. The jury has spoken enough to shut the company down du=
e
> to ACCIDENTS that result in body parts going into the tines. The only thi=
ng
> that can be done about it is installing your own grating to fit over the
> tines that will still pass clay or the kill switch.
>
> For those that think because I don't have decades in the profession or on
> the list, please don't treat my posts as less than yours due to your own
> success. I don't post unless it's relevant. IOW if you disagree, plz let
> me
> know or just post for contribution's sake, but leave off the belittlement
> tones in emails and otherwise. Safety comes before all.--DD
>
Dave Drake on fri 12 jun 09
More negative email comments have stirred me to follow-up:
As for falling into the Walker, I envision more like you're walking up to=
=3D
it, twisting around with some heavy clay container that hits wrong, slide=
=3D
s
off or is somehow unbalances you. You get yanked down--say by the bucket=
=3D
's
handle going over the side--so your other hand goes down into hopper and
it's over.=3D20=3D20
Install the lid kill switch mentioned before or be religious (before or
after the accident) of turning it off when opening the lid.
My first post was merely passing on what my local educational guru, Vince=
=3D
Petelka, warned me about it (when I tried to get him to part with his the=
=3D
n
bought my own) with my endorsement. So if you think my post is a waste,
take it up with him, because for some reason he took the time to personal=
=3D
ly
emailed me as to the dangers that I passed on to the list.
Besides lid switches or in addition to new mills have grates that simply
don't allow even a finger into the rotating tines. The big open space ab=
=3D
ove
the tines is why you can't buy stock in Walker company. Don't tell me ho=
=3D
w
many decades you or your company or school has operated it successfully b=
=3D
y
not being stupid. The jury has spoken enough to shut the company down du=
=3D
e
to ACCIDENTS that result in body parts going into the tines. The only thi=
=3D
ng
that can be done about it is installing your own grating to fit over the
tines that will still pass clay or the kill switch.
For those that think because I don't have decades in the profession or on=
=3D
the list, please don't treat my posts as less than yours due to your own
success. I don't post unless it's relevant. IOW if you disagree, plz let=
=3D
me
know or just post for contribution's sake, but leave off the belittlement=
=3D
tones in emails and otherwise. Safety comes before all.--DD
Joni Stanton on sun 21 mar 10
Hello. I am a newbie potter. I have a Walker Pug Mill that I'd like to
sell. However, I have no idea what the resale price is. Please let me k=
=3D
now
what you think my listing price should be.
Thanks in advance.
Joni
Joni Stanton on mon 22 mar 10
Thank you so much for your responses. They are helping me figure out a
price. Here are a few more technical details:
My husband is the middle of rewiring the pug mill now. It was wired to a=
=3D
constant power supply. He's setting it up now for a regular plug with a
lock-out switch.
This one is not wired for reverse. There is two bent tines. However, it=
=3D
does still rotate freely. Moreover, it is stainless steel. I believe th=
=3D
at
this is the older version of the Walker pug mill. It does not have the g=
=3D
rate.
Lastly, for those that are interested in purchasing, I am near San
Bernardino, California.
Joni Stanton on mon 22 mar 10
No, it does not. Here's the way it worked when it came to me. When you
turn on the switch from the wall, the pug mill turns on. This is why I
asked my husband to install a lock-out switch. I feel that another method
of turning the pug mill on is necessary, so a safer switch is now being
installed.
Joni Stanton
jonistanton@californiamud.com
www.californiamud.com
(909) 915-7653
-----Original Message-----
From: Marcia Selsor [mailto:selsor@imt.net]
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 1:10 PM
To: Joni Stanton
Cc: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Walker Pug Mill
Does it have the emergency shut-off bar knee high?
Marcia
On Mar 22, 2010, at 10:40 AM, Joni Stanton wrote:
> Thank you so much for your responses. They are helping me figure out a
> price. Here are a few more technical details:
>
> My husband is the middle of rewiring the pug mill now. It was wired to a
> constant power supply. He's setting it up now for a regular plug with a
> lock-out switch.
>
> This one is not wired for reverse. There is two bent tines. However, it
> does still rotate freely. Moreover, it is stainless steel. I believe
that
> this is the older version of the Walker pug mill. It does not have the
grate.
>
> Lastly, for those that are interested in purchasing, I am near San
> Bernardino, California.
>
Marcia Selsor
http://www.marciaselsor.com
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