Karen Singer on tue 3 jul 07
We are a three person ceramic studio making custom ceramic tile
murals. We are exploring buying a pugmill to recycle scrap clay. It
is a bit overwhelming trying to make a decision about something this
expensive when we haven't used one. Any advice about brands,
reliability, which features are really important - ie. de-airing or
not? .
Also, any advice about buying new versus used? Does anyone have
experience with customer service issues, warranty and reliability?
thanks,
Karen
Karen Singer
Artistic Director
Karen Singer Tileworks, Inc.
90 East Church Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-849-7010
www.karensinger.com
Michael Wendt on wed 4 jul 07
Karen,
I would not buy a pug mill.
Get the largest of the deairing
Peter Puggers. They allow
you to deair and mix in batches
before they reverse to pug out.
As a result, the entire batch can
be made the same moisture.
Since they also pug, you can
then extrude flat ribbons
and cut those into tile.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, ID 83501
USA
208-746-3724
http://www.wendtpottery.com
wendtpot@lewiston.com
Karen asked:
We are a three person ceramic studio making custom
ceramic tile
murals. We are exploring buying a pugmill to recycle
scrap clay. It
is a bit overwhelming trying to make a decision about
something this
expensive when we haven't used one. Any advice about
brands,
reliability, which features are really important - ie.
de-airing or
not? .
Also, any advice about buying new versus used? Does
anyone have
experience with customer service issues, warranty and
reliability?
thanks,
Karen
Angela Davis on wed 4 jul 07
Oh boy, I get to brag here about my new Shimpo NRA-04. I bought it
at the NCECA EXPO so got a better price but now that I have actually
used it I would pay full price to have it.
Twin auger, very powerful and fast, with it's large hopper I have a hard
time
keeping it fed. The nozzle is 3 1/2 inches.
I make a lot of paperclay from reclaim stoneware, if you have done this you
know
this mix is notorious for incorporated air and required a lot of wire
wedging.
I make a lot of tiles also and even though the NRA does not pull a vacuum
the
twin augers do an amazing job of compressing and removing the air. I can
roll out a large slab, run the smoother over and never see a bubble.
I am temporarily not throwing but I never see a bubble when I cut
the pugs. And my pottery instructor (who throws a lot) brings her porcelain
over to run it through my
pugmill before throwing even though there is a de-airing pugmill at school.
She
will add one to her studio soon.
Oh did I mention no heavy pulling on the handle, self feeding with those
twin augers.
And a great safety feature is when the hopper is open the augers
automatically stop,
close the hopper and they start up again.
What first caught my eye way the really cool clay receiving table it comes
with,
the surface is wooden rollers that move the pug along. Very easy for one
person to
pug and bag the clay.
This mill might not be for everyone but if it fits your situation give it
serious consideration.
If your in my area and want to come by and pug up a demo bag let me know.
Angela Davis
In Homosassa with gray skies, Happy 4TH!!!!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen Singer"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 2:00 PM
Subject: Pugmill recommendations
> We are a three person ceramic studio making custom ceramic tile
> murals. We are exploring buying a pugmill to recycle scrap clay. It
> is a bit overwhelming trying to make a decision about something this
> expensive when we haven't used one. Any advice about brands,
> reliability, which features are really important - ie. de-airing or
> not? .
>
> Also, any advice about buying new versus used? Does anyone have
> experience with customer service issues, warranty and reliability?
>
> thanks,
>
> Karen
>
> Karen Singer
> Artistic Director
> Karen Singer Tileworks, Inc.
> 90 East Church Lane
> Philadelphia, PA 19144
> 215-849-7010
> www.karensinger.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
> --
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>
>
Lynne and Bruce Girrell on wed 4 jul 07
Karen,
I own a Peter Pugger and it works well. But if I were ever to buy another
pugmill, I would go with the double auger one from Bailey.
If you want only pugging, then I'm sure that there are many good models out
there, but if you are looking for a mixer/pugger then the choices are very
limited and the design of the Baily machine is superior to the PP design.
The difference is that if you add water (including clay slip) to an already
wet clay batch, the whole wad of clay will remain as a cohesive mass with a
lubricating water layer on the outside that prevents the necessary friction
between the clay and pugger housing, resulting in what is known to PP owners
as "the spinnies." The clay spins around but doesn't mix.
Such a scenario is not possible in the twin auger design.
On the other hand, I talked with the Head Dude from Bailey (is it Jim?) at
NCECA. I did have some concern about the vacuum port becoming plugged off by
clay during the extrusion process, but he told me that it is not a problem.
Also note that while PP mixes under vacuum, the Bailey machine has only one
chance at deairing, after the shredder screen, during the extrusion. So in
that respect, I consider the PP a better machine.
But those *^%$*&^@* spinnies! Once the clay starts into spinning, you're
screwed. Adding dry clay upsets the water percentage that you were trying to
achieve in the mix. And short of that, all you can do is get a big thick
dowel to shove the clay around to give it the idea that it wants to mix
again. Lots of sweat. And a few chunks of wood left in the clay from time to
time as well.
Bruce "just my opinion" Girrell
_________________________________________________________________
http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=hmtextlinkjuly07
Sally Guger on tue 21 aug 07
DUH!!!
I'm the person in the process of deleting 27,000 emails- and I just got to July last night- since I end of reading a bunch of them! This morning I get on line and forget to notice the date!!! Sorry.
I wonder what Karen decided to purchase?
Karen Singer wrote:
We are a three person ceramic studio making custom ceramic tile
murals. We are exploring buying a pugmill to recycle scrap clay. It
is a bit overwhelming trying to make a decision about something this
expensive when we haven't used one. Any advice about brands,
reliability, which features are really important - ie. de-airing or
not? .
Also, any advice about buying new versus used? Does anyone have
experience with customer service issues, warranty and reliability?
thanks,
Karen
Karen Singer
Artistic Director
Karen Singer Tileworks, Inc.
90 East Church Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-849-7010
www.karensinger.com
______________________________________________________________________________
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Pablo Picasso
Sally Guger
Lakespur Blue Pottery & Sculpture
Lodi, Wisconsin, USA
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