mel jacobson on mon 30 jul 12
it is a great machine. it was made to make a clay body and
water to formula.
that is why it has the hopper.
it would be best to mix the dry ingredients in a box with a hoe
or something...i have used a barrel and roll it around the studio.
( i saw i guy use a fifty gallon drum with a big handle with a trailer
hitch. he would pull it behind his car. now that was well mixed
dry clay. the barrel had a snap on lid.)
add the dry mix to the hopper and add water.
some use a formula, like i gallon of water with x clay.
now and then i add 4x25 lbs to make a dirty porcelain. i keep some
of the stoneware body mixed with it. no big deal. sort of gray.
i add sand and fine grog and superior sand.
the big issue is running the mix through the machine a few times.
i do four passes often. it goes fast.
i add sand, fine grog and lake superior iron sand to all my clay bodies.
i just throw in a half cup at a time as the mix goes through the mill.
it is sort of `to taste`. depends what i am going to make.
i usually make about 600+ pounds at a time. keeps me young.
it does not de/air and i like that best. i never use de/aired clay...great=
for
some, but far too tight for me. if my clay body is a bit stiff,
throw it in the
mill with a cup of water...i am very fussy about the quality of my clay.
colleen is out there right now making clay for some big pots...she is fussy
too. but, our clay is made for throwing. she loves the walker.
(we have an old one at the farm too.)
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart page below:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
http://www.21stcenturykilns.com/
JRodgers on tue 31 jul 12
Mel,
I'm gonna put my Walker to work!!
Thanks a bunch!
John
On 7/30/2012 2:52 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
> it is a great machine. it was made to make a clay body and
> water to formula.
>
> that is why it has the hopper.
>
> it would be best to mix the dry ingredients in a box with a hoe
> or something...i have used a barrel and roll it around the studio.
> ( i saw i guy use a fifty gallon drum with a big handle with a trailer
> hitch. he would pull it behind his car. now that was well mixed
> dry clay. the barrel had a snap on lid.)
>
> add the dry mix to the hopper and add water.
> some use a formula, like i gallon of water with x clay.
>
> now and then i add 4x25 lbs to make a dirty porcelain. i keep some
> of the stoneware body mixed with it. no big deal. sort of gray.
> i add sand and fine grog and superior sand.
>
> the big issue is running the mix through the machine a few times.
> i do four passes often. it goes fast.
>
> i add sand, fine grog and lake superior iron sand to all my clay bodies.
> i just throw in a half cup at a time as the mix goes through the mill.
> it is sort of `to taste`. depends what i am going to make.
> i usually make about 600+ pounds at a time. keeps me young.
>
> it does not de/air and i like that best. i never use de/aired
> clay...great for
> some, but far too tight for me. if my clay body is a bit stiff,
> throw it in the
> mill with a cup of water...i am very fussy about the quality of my clay.
> colleen is out there right now making clay for some big pots...she is fus=
sy
> too. but, our clay is made for throwing. she loves the walker.
> (we have an old one at the farm too.)
>
> http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
> clayart page below:
> http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
> http://www.21stcenturykilns.com/
>
Steve Mills on tue 31 jul 12
Mel,=3D20
Interesting your comment about de-airing clay.=3D20
David Frith in N. Wales told me that one time the vacuum pump on his Pug di=
e=3D
d , but he needed to make so used Plain pugged clay and found it threw much=
b=3D
etter!
Conversely I mixed up a small batch in my friend Ruth's de-airing Peter Pug=
g=3D
er and it threw like a dream.=3D20
It's all down to the machine used and how it mixes.=3D20
With my previous mill I had to run it through twice to get it properly mixe=
d=3D
.=3D20
With my current one I only run it through once.=3D20
Neither was/is de-airing.=3D20
The beat goes on!!
Steve M
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my iPod
> it does not de/air and i like that best. i never use de/aired clay...gre=
a=3D
t for
> some, but far too tight for me. =3D20
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