Molly Saunders on tue 19 jan 99
To John Jensen and others:
I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't wegde at all,
just cut the pug by inches and throw.
Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our Venco,
31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher than 88 and
has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a high
production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like swiss cheese,
it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing, never
put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric tape for
the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all, vacuum
down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed maintenence
instructions. Haven't received them.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Molly Saunders
WVPottery@AOL.com
Lori Pierce on wed 20 jan 99
Molly, My Venco is fine, but not four years old yet..I don't see how Axner
could have meant use electrical tape as a gasket. Perhaps he meant to
actually seal around the plastic top and gasket with the tape, preventing
ANY infilltration of air. I expect you have allready tested your hose
connections. Here we have a great old fashioned hardware store with a little
shop out back that makes all kinds of vacumn hoses for all sorts of
maintenance services and businesses. He was a great help when I was taking
the compressor of and on my pugmil to make up that homemade clay filter
system. I do remember that the instructions said that any blockage of the
barrel under the gasket area would cut down on the vacumn pressure. I pass
a chopstick through the passage when the machine is off, then place a wet
sponge in the top and cover with plastic, so it will never close up
dry...But in heavy production you shouldn't have that problem. I also put a
wet sponge or terry cloth in the hopper before I put on it's plastic "night
cap". Let me know what happens..it was a serious investment and I am
concerned for both of us. Lori in New Port Richey, Fl.
-----Original Message-----
From: Molly Saunders
To: CLAYMollyART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 1:41 PM
Subject: Venco vacuum problems
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>To John Jensen and others:
>
>I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't wegde at
all,
>just cut the pug by inches and throw.
>Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our Venco,
>31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher than 88
and
>has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a high
>production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like swiss
cheese,
>it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing, never
>put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
>I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric tape for
>the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all, vacuum
>down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed maintenence
>instructions. Haven't received them.
>Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
>
>Molly Saunders
>WVPottery@AOL.com
Jennifer Boyer on thu 21 jan 99
Hi Molly,
I have a Venco that is about 10 years old. My pressure averages aroun 60 to 70
but I never have any air in the clay at that pressure. Have you tried pressing
on the plexi cover of the vacuum chamber while it's building up pressure when yo
start pugging? I push on mine and I can see the pressure rise as i do it. Once
I'm up to around 65 it holds that pressure without any more pushing. I've still
got the original gasket.
Take Care
Jennifer
Molly Saunders wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> To John Jensen and others:
>
> I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't wegde at all,
> just cut the pug by inches and throw.
> Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our Venco,
> 31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher than 88 and
> has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a high
> production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like swiss cheese,
> it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing, never
> put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
> I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric tape for
> the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all, vacuum
> down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed maintenence
> instructions. Haven't received them.
> Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
>
> Molly Saunders
> WVPottery@AOL.com
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
Thistle Hill Pottery
Vermont USA
http://www.vermontcrafts.com/members/JenniBoy892.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ray Carlton on thu 21 jan 99
g'day molly
I have the same machine here about the same age and it pulls 100 lbs easily
all day and so should yours...have you tried contacting venco?? in South
Australia ....i would sugest checking the oil level in the compressor
1st...redo the joins with teflon tape in the vacuum hose..they could be
leaking...the seal on the vacuum chamber under the plexiglass view thingy
may be leaking in which case try and find a similar material to replace it
with..any tradesperson who repairs compressed air should be able to
troubleshoot the problem if all else fails..msg me if you want a contact at
venco
good luck
At 12:57 19/01/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>To John Jensen and others:
>
>I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't wegde at
all,
>just cut the pug by inches and throw.
>Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our Venco,
>31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher than 88
and
>has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a high
>production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like swiss
cheese,
>it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing, never
>put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
>I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric tape for
>the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all, vacuum
>down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed maintenence
>instructions. Haven't received them.
>Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
>
>Molly Saunders
>WVPottery@AOL.com
>
cheers Ray Carlton
McMahons Creek Victoria Australia
Dan Tarro on thu 21 jan 99
Molly,
You can fix it, it is just a matter of finding it. One of the problems
that shows up in time with vacuum pumps is that they eventually wear out.
It sounds like you have used it quite a bit. I am trying to remember the
original pump that was on my old Venco. I think that it was an oil less
pump. That means that there are graphite veins in the pump that wear and
eventually need replacing. If they are what your problem is, this
progressive vacuum loss is how it would show up. The way to check this
out would be to disconnect the vacuum line where it enters the chamber,
pull the gage off the window and hook it directly to the line. If you
turn the pump on and the line from the pump is good , you should get in
excess of 88, than all is well with the pump and the problem is
elsewhere.
The "electrical tape" that Axner is probably talking about might be the
stuff that electricians use, it is real rubber, about 1/16" thick and
isn't sticky until stretched. A lot different than the plastic stuff that
you buy at the hardware store. There is a good chance that this is really
your problem. Either a good seal here or at the window of your vaccine
chamber. Do you have a good layer of heavy grease on the gasket there?
That will help it seal (the chamber seal).
On Wed, 20 Jan 1999 16:28:52 EST Lori Pierce
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>Molly, My Venco is fine, but not four years old yet..I don't see how
>Axner
>could have meant use electrical tape as a gasket. Perhaps he meant to
>actually seal around the plastic top and gasket with the tape,
>preventing
>ANY infilltration of air. I expect you have allready tested your hose
>connections. Here we have a great old fashioned hardware store with a
>little
>shop out back that makes all kinds of vacumn hoses for all sorts of
>maintenance services and businesses. He was a great help when I was
>taking
>the compressor of and on my pugmil to make up that homemade clay
>filter
>system. I do remember that the instructions said that any blockage
>of the
>barrel under the gasket area would cut down on the vacumn pressure. I
>pass
>a chopstick through the passage when the machine is off, then place a
>wet
>sponge in the top and cover with plastic, so it will never close up
>dry...But in heavy production you shouldn't have that problem. I also
>put a
>wet sponge or terry cloth in the hopper before I put on it's plastic
>"night
>cap". Let me know what happens..it was a serious investment and I am
>concerned for both of us. Lori in New Port Richey, Fl.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Molly Saunders
>To: CLAYMollyART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 1:41 PM
>Subject: Venco vacuum problems
>
>
>>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>>To John Jensen and others:
>>
>>I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't
>wegde at
>all,
>>just cut the pug by inches and throw.
>>Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our
>Venco,
>>31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher
>than 88
>and
>>has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a
>high
>>production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like
>swiss
>cheese,
>>it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing,
>never
>>put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
>>I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric
>tape for
>>the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all,
>vacuum
>>down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed
>maintenence
>>instructions. Haven't received them.
>>Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
>>
>>Molly Saunders
>>WVPottery@AOL.com
>
Dan Tarro
Oak Tree Stoneware
Ham Lake, Minnesota
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Brian Crocker on thu 21 jan 99
Molly have you tried writing direct to VENCO in Australia at
Venco Products.
29 Owen Road,
Kelmscott,
West Australia 6111 ,
Australia.
Or e.mail Geoff Hill at venwest@iinet.net.au
I am sure they will give you all the help you need.
Just present them with the details you have give via CLAYART ..
Kind regards, Brian C.,, keep in touch..
At 12:57 PM2:10: 19/01/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>To John Jensen and others:
>
>I too find my pugmill is a lifesaver for wrist problems; I don't wegde at all,
>just cut the pug by inches and throw.
>Maybe you can give me some advice on a problem we're having with our Venco,
>31/2 in. deairing pugmill, 4 yrs. old. The vacuum was never higher than 88 and
>has slowly declined, now at 72. This is now a serious problem. I am a high
>production potter and am stymied by clay which is sometimes like swiss cheese,
>it's so riddled with air bubbles. Even my old Bluebird, not deairing, never
>put out clay this bad. I wish I still had it!
>I called Axner,where we bought it. They said to try black electric tape for
>the gasket.(We use closed cell foam tape). This didn't work at all, vacuum
>down to 40. Axner said Venco was putting out more detailed maintenence
>instructions. Haven't received them.
>Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
>
>Molly Saunders
>WVPottery@AOL.com
>
>
Brian Crocker
Tea Tree Gully, South Australia,
{e.mail} crocker@dove.com.au
"Never loose sight of the bigger picture,"
"Never loose sight of what you set out to achieve."
NAB.
Craig Martell on thu 21 jan 99
Hello Molly:
One thing to check, when the mill isn't pulling enough Kpa in vaccuum is, of
course, leaks around the barrell, plexi plate on top, and the shredding
screen covers. I have a 4" venco and I have to do this every time I clean
the mill.
Run the vaccuum up as high as you can and turn off the machine so you can
hear the leaks. You can usually hear air rushing into the machine. You can
use silicone caulk, or plumbers putty to plug problem areas in the barrell.
For the plexi plate, put a film of wheel bearing grease on the metal seat
and replace the plate. It should have a spongy white gasket. Don't put any
grease between the gasket and the plexiglass cover. Also put grease on the
metal seats under the gasket for the screens. Be careful not to overtighten
the nuts because the studs are brass and are a lot easier to break than
steel. I've broken all of mine and replaced them with steel! :>) I seal
the barrell with two layers of black electrical tape. Yes, it's quite
alright to use this stuff. Put both layers down and knock the bolt holes
out with the ball end of a ball peen hammer. Do this gently so you don't
mangle the aluminum barrell. Just tap! You can put a very thin bead of
silicone caulk on the outside of the tape joint for a very tight seal. This
works very well for me. The caulk is a bit sticky to remove when you clean
the mill next time, but not too bad. Make sure that the barrell mating
surfaces are clean and smooth when you put the tape down and reassemble.
If you can't find leaks in the barrell etc. Check the vaccuum lines and
connections as Ray Carlton suggested. You may need to have the pump checked
to ensure that it's in OK shape and able to pull the required Kpa. You can
call Geoff Hill at venco, which is in Perth, West Australia. His number is
011-61-9-399-5265. Perth is 15 hrs ahead of the Pacific time zone where I
live, so at 5pm today, it's 8am tomorrow in Perth. Geoff is very helpful
and may compensate you for a call and needed repairs to your mill if there
is a problem. I used to sell mills for Venco and always found them to be
very customer oriented and fair.
I think I've thought of most everything, Craig Martell in Oregon
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