Jim Larkin on thu 22 feb 01
Millie:
I built a table to place at the right height at the end of my pug mill and
made a loose fitting "belt" out of canvass to go length-wise around the
table, down the top and between the legs. I attached velcro to the ends of
the canvass to hook the ends of it together, forming the belt. The belt just
rotates in a circle over the table, sliding along as the clay extrudes. I
can remove and clean it easily.
Jim Larkin
Fox Pass Pottery
379 Fox Pass
Hot Springs, Arkansas
71901
foxpass@aristotle.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Millie Carpenter
To:
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 3:51 PM
Subject: pug mill rollers?
> does anyone have a good inexpensive idea for my problem. I have a
> bluebird pug mill, wonderful clay, but I am having a problem dealing
> with the pug itself. I like soft clay, so it tends to be a little
> sticky, I nailed some boards together to get them to the height of the
> opening, and I covered the boards with plastic so that the clay would
> slide, but the pugged clay has a mind of its own and starts to wiggle
> from side to side and distorts like a snake. so I took a piece of U
> shaped gutter (I think that is what it is, I got it dumpster diving
> with my son), attached that to the board, but I need to keep water in
> that or it sticks and does the inch worm thing. I think that a series
> of rollers that would carry the clay away from the pug mill would be
> ideal. but...I don't know where to get one, probably couldn't afford it
> anyway, and can't quite figure out what to do to build this out of . I
> know that someone must have done this before.
>
> thanks.
>
> Millie in MD. Watching the snow drift down and trying not to think
> about all the other Presidents day week blizzards that happen when the
> storm stalls for no apparent reason. . but in true Maryland fashion,
> I stopped on my way home and made sure I have bread, eggs, milk and
> toilet paper...
>
>
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Millie Carpenter on thu 22 feb 01
does anyone have a good inexpensive idea for my problem. I have a
bluebird pug mill, wonderful clay, but I am having a problem dealing
with the pug itself. I like soft clay, so it tends to be a little
sticky, I nailed some boards together to get them to the height of the
opening, and I covered the boards with plastic so that the clay would
slide, but the pugged clay has a mind of its own and starts to wiggle
from side to side and distorts like a snake. so I took a piece of U
shaped gutter (I think that is what it is, I got it dumpster diving
with my son), attached that to the board, but I need to keep water in
that or it sticks and does the inch worm thing. I think that a series
of rollers that would carry the clay away from the pug mill would be
ideal. but...I don't know where to get one, probably couldn't afford it
anyway, and can't quite figure out what to do to build this out of . I
know that someone must have done this before.
thanks.
Millie in MD. Watching the snow drift down and trying not to think
about all the other Presidents day week blizzards that happen when the
storm stalls for no apparent reason. . but in true Maryland fashion,
I stopped on my way home and made sure I have bread, eggs, milk and
toilet paper...
Craig Martell on thu 22 feb 01
Hello Millie:
Here is a very low tech but workable pug roller. This is what I have used
for more years than I'll own up to.
The basic idea is to secure two 2 by 4s of whatever length you want (mine
are about 3 ft) to a sheet of plywood so that the 2 by 4s are on edge with
the 1 1/2 inch edges on top. The width between the inside edges of the 2
by 4s should be about 10 inches. Before you do this, drill a row of holes
slightly bigger than the dia of a 16 penny nail. Space the holes about 1
1/2 inches on center about 3/4 of an inch below the edge of the 2 by
4. Finally, you cut a bunch of 1 1/4 inch dowells to fit between the 2
by4s. These are the rollers. make a paper template so you can mark the
centers of the dowells so you can center the nails and the rollers won't
wobble too much. Hold the rollers between the 2by 4s and tap the nails in
to hold the rollers. That's it. Cheap and workable. If you want to try
this and need more info, lemme know.
later, Craig Martell in Oregon
Steve Mills on fri 23 feb 01
How about this: a shortish length of board, at each end a roller (cheap
wooden rolling pin), and a loop of canvas like a roller towel running
over it. Mount this in front of the Pugmill so the that the clay pulls
the canvas along over the rollers.
If you want a drawing email me privately.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Millie Carpenter writes
>does anyone have a good inexpensive idea for my problem. I have a
>bluebird pug mill, wonderful clay, but I am having a problem dealing
>with the pug itself. I like soft clay, so it tends to be a little
>sticky, I nailed some boards together to get them to the height of the
>opening, and I covered the boards with plastic so that the clay would
>slide, but the pugged clay has a mind of its own and starts to wiggle
>from side to side and distorts like a snake. so I took a piece of U
>shaped gutter (I think that is what it is, I got it dumpster diving
>with my son), attached that to the board, but I need to keep water in
>that or it sticks and does the inch worm thing. I think that a series
>of rollers that would carry the clay away from the pug mill would be
>ideal. but...I don't know where to get one, probably couldn't afford it
>anyway, and can't quite figure out what to do to build this out of . I
>know that someone must have done this before.
>
>thanks.
>
>Millie in MD. Watching the snow drift down and trying not to think
>about all the other Presidents day week blizzards that happen when the
>storm stalls for no apparent reason. . but in true Maryland fashion,
>I stopped on my way home and made sure I have bread, eggs, milk and
>toilet paper...
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
Des Howard on mon 26 feb 01
Our ancient Venco non-deairer has a 440 mm length of
40 mm x 40 mm (125 degrees angle) stainless steel
clamped under the barrel bolts.
370 mm protrudes (this makes a pug length just right for our
plastic bags, 4 pugs to a bag), at the end of the channel
is a Masonite disc attached to a spring loaded push rod
running in a tube under the channel back to the barrel.
The rod keeps a microswitch open until the pug pushes the disc,
the pug mill stops, you slice through the pug, pick it up
& the pug mill starts again. We have run clay along the channel
so soft that pugs can barely support their own weight
when placed on end, minimal sticking.
For David H. The channel came from old shop counter
& the microswitch is from a washing machine,
(the deep bowl of the twin tub is our throwing room wash trough
& the agitator is mounted on a rod as a stirrer),
an aircraft pneumatic ram pushes the pug mill rammer.
Des
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
LUE NSW 2850
Australia
Ph/Fax 02 6373 6419
http://www.luepottery.lisp.com.au
Craig Martell on mon 26 feb 01
Des sez:
>The rod keeps a microswitch open until the pug pushes the disc,
>the pug mill stops, you slice through the pug, pick it up
>& the pug mill starts again.
Hello Des et al:
When I worked for Venco here in the US I had to talk to reps from SEW
Eurodrive about motors and gear drives. The one thing they harped on a bit
was starting motors under load, which is what you are doing constantly with
the micro switch. The constant on and off thing really puts a strain on
the motors start capacitors unless you are using a 3 phase system which
have their own weak points.
There was a guy here in the states that used to run out a couple of pug
lengths and then shut off the machine at the main switch. He'd cut and bag
them and then start again. After I replaced the main switch for him twice,
I finally told him he needed to arrange his mill so he could let it run or
buy stock in the company that made 240 volt switches.
When I use my 4 inch Venco, I fire it up almost empty and let it run for
about 20 minutes without feeding clay to get it warm. I run all my clay
thru for the days work and maybe a whole weeks worth and then let it
empty. I keep it running for about 20 more minutes to let the motor fan
cool the unit down. This is on advice from the Eurodrive guys. When I'm
mixing clay and pugging and bagging we start the mill in the morning and
let it run all day until we're done. Even through lunch break. Motors
don't like the start up thing. They're sort of enchanted by inertia I guess.
That's just my take on things and I hope your micro switch system keeps
working well for you.
regards, Craig Martell in Oregon
Logan Oplinger on wed 28 feb 01
Millie,
I do not understand why you need the clay to come out on a platform. Why not let it fall into and collect in a plastic pan placed under the outlet?
That said, make a looped belt out of canvas or heavy plastic that passes through the trough and around underneath. The clay will push the belt around in conveyor fashion.
Good luck.
Logan Oplinger
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Jonathan Kaplan on wed 28 feb 01
on 2/28/01 2:30 AM, Logan Oplinger at loganoplinger@PACIFIC-OCEAN.COM wrote:
> Millie,
>
> I do not understand why you need the clay to come out on a platform. Why not
> let it fall into and collect in a plastic pan placed under the outlet?
>
> That said, make a looped belt out of canvas or heavy plastic that passes
> through the trough and around underneath. The clay will push the belt around
> in conveyor fashion.
All our pugs from both our pug mills exit onto tables that are either
covered with a piece of UHMW or 1/4" plex. These tables are approximately
1/8" lower than the exit of the pug from the nozzle. We have a small spray
bottle and just mist the table surface before each pug exits the mill. Pugs
slide like butta.
BTW, the tables are 24" wide x 36" length. We use frame cutters with cross
wires to section each pug into the appropriate lengths for the jigger, the
press, and for throwing, knowing that approximately 1" of extruded clay from
a 4" nozzle is one pound. For smaller amounts we just section the cut pug.
Jonathan
--
Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
jdkaplan@cmn.net
Plant Location (use for all UPS, Common Carrier, and Courier deliveries)
1280 13th Street
Steamboat Springs CO 80487
Martin Howard on thu 1 mar 01
Jonathon reminds us that:- approximately 1" of extruded clay from a 4"
nozzle is one pound. >
Also, for those in the metric world, one inch from a 3 inch nozzle is about
100 gram.
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
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