Tracy Wilson on sun 8 feb 98
Howdy Jane...
In response to your pugmill/mixer question, 500 lbs. worth of clay
production a month is 6000 lbs. a year which produces a bunch of waste. (but
maybe not enough for a Peterpugger) The Peterpugger is an amazing machine.
wet and dry, big hard chunks, slop all turns in to clay of a usable
consistency. It seems as though it could handle a few hundred pounds at a
whack. We had one at the studio I used to wok in. It was a good sized
operation. LOTS and LOTS of scrap. The Peterpugger was used to mix and
THEN fed in to a pugmill to de-air it and to finalize the consistency.
I now have my own small studio Just me and 1 helper. I go through a bit
more clay than you. I don't have the space or $$$ to get 2 machines. I
have a de-airing pugmill. (bluebird 440). I use a commercially boxed clay
and turn all my scraps in to slop to recycle it as I go. I put the slop
from my bucket in with trimmings and broken pots (in a 5 gal. bucket) to let
it all get soft. Then I dump it into plaster bowls to let some of the
moisture evaporate. After a couple of days, the outside gets pretty firm
but the inside is still soft. Then I run it through the pugmill.The pugmill
equalizes it all and gives me a good plastic throwing body with a minimum
effort. Sometimes, I'll cut it 50/50, recycled with boxed clay to make my
final product harder or softer.
It's small time but I can keep up with the scraps as I go and it works for
me.
Good Luck
------------------------------------
Tracy Wilson
Saltbox Pottery
4 Shaw Rd.
Woolwich, ME 04579
phone: 207-443-5586
fax: 207-442-8922
email: saltbox@ime.net
web: http://www.ime.net/~dwilson/
-------------------------------------
Mj Burklund on mon 9 feb 98
In a message dated 98-02-08 22:57:44 EST, you write:
> I use a commercially boxed clay and turn all my scraps in to slop to
recycle it as I go. I put the slop from my bucket in with trimmings and
broken pots (in a 5 gal. bucket) to let it all get soft. Then I dump it into
plaster bowls to let some of the moisture evaporate.
Hi, I can't even be called a beginner, but am reading and watching saving
posts from pottery newsgroup and clayart.
I have a question.... these plaster slabs I keep seeing in catalogs etc.
Since they are so expencive, I'm assuming you just can't pour your own?
Mix up some plaster and pour into a mold? If you can.... than why was a
wedging board so blasted much money.
MJ
John Rodgers on mon 9 feb 98
Mj Burklund wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> In a message dated 98-02-08 22:57:44 EST, you write:
>
> > I use a commercially boxed clay and turn all my scraps in to slop to
> recycle it as I go. I put the slop from my bucket in with trimmings and
> broken pots (in a 5 gal. bucket) to let it all get soft. Then I dump it into
> plaster bowls to let some of the moisture evaporate.
>
> Hi, I can't even be called a beginner, but am reading and watching saving
> posts from pottery newsgroup and clayart.
> I have a question.... these plaster slabs I keep seeing in catalogs etc.
> Since they are so expencive, I'm assuming you just can't pour your own?
> Mix up some plaster and pour into a mold? If you can.... than why was a
> wedging board so blasted much money.
> MJ
There is no reason why you can't make your own wedging table. A plaster
slab just laid on a table top works, but I prefer a separate table, an a
heavy one at that, so it doesn't give when I am wedging really
vigorously.
I built my table by making a frame or box measuring 24" wide and
40"long 5-1/2" deep(used 2x6 lumber). You could use 2x4 lumber and make
the table less thick, and therefore considerably lighter, and use less
plaster. But you wouldn't have the steadiness of the heavier table and
the absorbtion capacity would be reduced.
I put my frame on a table covered with a plastic laminate( formica),
sealed around the edges with oil clay, and poured in my plaster. Once
set, I fastened some cross pieces of wood on the frame to prevent the
plaster from falling out when dry. I fashioned table legs and attached
to frame. I then got my son to help, and we turned the table over and
sat it on the floor. The new plaster table top was just as smooth as
glass. Took about three weeks to dry sufficiently to use, and when dried
thoroughly, it was a jewel to work on. I fastened an upright on the back
side and attached a cutting wire, so now I have a wedging board with
cutting wire, just like you see in the books. Works great.
If you build one of these, be sure and use USG #1 POTTERY Plaster. Mix
according to the USG mix calculator. (call USG in Chicago for it)
Good luck.
John Rodgers in Sunny Alabama
John Rodgers on tue 10 feb 98
MJBURK@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 98-02-09 11:15:04 EST, you write:
>
> >
> >>>> If you build one of these, be sure and use USG #1 POTTERY Plaster. Mix
> according to the USG mix calculator. (call USG in Chicago for it > Good luck.
> John Rodgers in Sunny Alabama<<<<<<<
>
> What does USG stand for? I didn't notice in the catalogs I have, but do
> they sell that in pottery catalogs? I'll check later in the ones I have.
> Thanks so much Mj
Sorry, USG stands for United States Gypsum Corporation.
John
Timothy Dean Malm on wed 11 feb 98
USG stabds for United StatesGypsum I believe
On Tue, 10 Feb 1998, John Rodgers wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> MJBURK@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > In a message dated 98-02-09 11:15:04 EST, you write:
> >
> > >
> > >>>> If you build one of these, be sure and use USG #1 POTTERY Plaster. Mix
> > according to the USG mix calculator. (call USG in Chicago for it > Good luc
> > John Rodgers in Sunny Alabama<<<<<<<
> >
> > What does USG stand for? I didn't notice in the catalogs I have, but do
> > they sell that in pottery catalogs? I'll check later in the ones I have.
> > Thanks so much Mj
>
>
> Sorry, USG stands for United States Gypsum Corporation.
>
> John
>
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