Jonathan Kaplan on wed 28 jan 98
Sometime ago I posted a inquiry asking for user impressions of various
pugmills as we needed a new pug to support our new RAM press.
We researched Venco, Van Ho, Western Machinery, and Bluebird.
Budget and space eliminated Western Machinery, and while the Van Ho seemed
to be in the running and sported a double auger and drop box configuration,
I was concerned about usage of Korean parts vs. off the shelf replacement
parts when needed. The smaller Vencos were too small in output, and their
larger ones were too big. Shimpo seemed like a toy, and having already
owned a Bluebird for longer than I can remember, I spoke with Dave at
Bluebird and bought a Powerstar 1 with a beefed up vacuum assembly.
This mill rules. Plain and simple. It is built like a proverbial Mack
truck, well designed and impecibly built. The pugged clay is completely
de-aired, very dense, and the output is speedy. The foot print is workable
in my shop, it fit the budget, all the internals are standard off the shelf
parts, Leeson motor, Gast vacuum pump, etc. etc. And the support is there
from Bluebird.
My original Bluebird is 2 years old and still puts out fine deaired clay. I
am sure the new Powerstar will eclipse the old one in longevity. Bluebird
makes very fine pug mills. BTW, I also have their small stainless mixer for
our classes and this too is a great piece of equipment.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign/
http://www.ceramicsoftware.com/education/clay/kaplan1.htm
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services Voice:
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Dannon Rhudy on thu 29 jan 98
Jonathan -
....This mill rules. .. built like a proverbial Mack
truck, well designed...
As envy is so unbecoming a trait, I won't comment on this save
to say that it sounds a gem.
......I also have their small stainless mixer for
our classes and this too is a great piece of equipment....
When I arrived here, the mixer in use was a Bluebird, stainless,
makes about 150 lbs, theoretcally. This mixer makes me absolutely
crazy. The most I can get it to mix, and actually MIX it, is well
under a 100 lbs. And even then, the blades push a good deal of
the clay against the walls, where it remains, unmixed, without
opening the mixer, scraping down the walls, starting again. Have
to do this every few minutes to get a thorough mix. It is slow
and exceedingly annoying. I have tried to think what I can be
doing that is not-the-right-thing, but - can't. It was taking
so long to make clay that I asked for and got a small Soldner.
The soldner now makes all the stoneware, which is what is most
used by the students. The Bluebird gets used to make porcelain or
other white clays. In VERY small batches. So - advise me what
to do to make the @!#$&*##% thing work. I would love to be able
to say that it is a great piece of equipment, and that it is all
my fault that here-to-fore it has been less than satisfactory.
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
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