Tommy Humphries on tue 19 jun 01
An old codger and I was talking today about the work he did back in the 20's
in New Jersey.
Seem he worked in a clay novelties factory that produced ashtrays and other
similar goods. The procedure they used was unlike anything else I have ever
heard of, so I thought I would run it by you folks and see if any had heard
of this technique
The process started with fresh dry clay from the hammermill introduced DRY
into a LARGE (4' barrel!) pugmill along with a like quantity of wax pellets.
As the clay and wax worked in the mill the friction would melt the wax which
then mixed with the clay to make it plastic.
He said that as the clay emerged from the mill it would be smoking, it was
so hot, The extrusion was about 18" dia. and a cutter would slice this into
3" wheels, these were thrown into a mechanical stamp machine where the final
product was made. He said that there was no water used in the production at
all, except in some cooling sprays directed at the side of the pugmill.
The product went straight from the stamping machine (not a hydraulic
press...swing arm, 20' tall!) to the kilns, where the pots were fired to
remove the wax, then through a glazing vat and fired again. He couldn't
remember how hot, but he said that the product was trundled along the tunnel
kilns by long metal rods, poked through the sides of the kiln at intervals.
Also the products were raised off the shelves on wire pins, like a bed of
nails. Took about 6 hours to go from the stamp machine through the kiln.
Has anyone ever heard of this technique of using wax as a clay medium?
Probably couldn't get away with it today, due to the fumes. Would also be
cost prohibitive!
Tommy Humphries
"`You know, it's at times like this, that I really wish I'd listened to what
my mother told me when I was young.'
`Why, what did she tell you?'
`I don't know, I didn't listen.'"
(Douglas Adams)
Snail Scott on wed 20 jun 01
At 07:27 PM 6/19/01 -0500, you wrote:
> The process started with fresh dry clay from the hammermill introduced DRY
>into a LARGE (4' barrel!) pugmill along with a like quantity of wax pellets.
>As the clay and wax worked in the mill the friction would melt the wax which
>then mixed with the clay to make it plastic...
He said that there was no water used in the production at
>all...
>Tommy Humphries
Wow, I'd never heard of that. How cool!
This is sort of the opposite extreme, but...
I was talking with a grad student in high-
tech ceramic engineering, and he said that
all their stuff was pressed from dry clay.
(No wax, no water, just tremendous pressure.
More consistent that way, he thought.)
Another interesting feature: the clay they
used was processed into perfectly round tiny
particles. He'd never heard that natural clay
has a platelet structure. (I can see why the
high-tech folks wouldn't regard that as a
useful thing - just more inconsistency!)
-Snail
Martin Howard on thu 21 jun 01
At the Wedgwood Pottery, Barlaston, near Stoke on Trent, you can go round
the factory part by a guided tour. You can take your own time as the tour is
on tape and headsets.
Part of it passes a clay press section where they are making plates this
way.
I could not see if wax was involved, but it is possible.
Incidentally, that Wedgwood factory tour is a must for any visitors to the
UK. In a short time you can see so many different methods, much of which is
relevant to our craft potteries, but here it is scaled up, but still very
personal.
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
| |
|
