Cindi Anderson on sat 11 oct 03
I read all the pugmill info in the archives; it appears that most wheel
throwers like de-airing pugmills, but not all. Some just wedge the clay
themselves. What about handbuilders / sculptors? I have heard some of
them say they do not like the clay de-aired, but I am not sure if there is a
consensus here. For example, Peter King said he doesn't like his clay
pugged; it is very porous, groggy clay. What do you handbuilders think? Do
you like your clay de-aired or not?
Thanks
Cindi
Fremont, CA
Snail Scott on sun 12 oct 03
At 07:51 PM 10/11/03 -0700, you wrote:
>...it appears that most wheel
>throwers like de-airing pugmills, but not all. Some just wedge the clay
>themselves. What about handbuilders / sculptors?
I don't even wedge it. The loose coil-squishing
process I use removes the largest air pockets;
small ones don't matter. Particle alignment has
some use, but it's not as critical as it is for
throwing. I'm presently using commercially-pugged
clay, but I'm working my way through the last of
the stuff that froze outdoors last winter, so
it's lost any de-airedness it might have had, and
needs an extra squish to restore its (minimal)
plasticity. When I make my own clay, I don't
use a pugmill of any sort. Just straight from
the bucket to the sculpture. For reprocessing,
my scraps go into a bucket, and after they dry
I fill it with water and wait 'til it all turns
into clay again.
Don't know where I'd put a pugmill anyway. I can
do a lot with the amout of money and space a
pugmill would take. One more damn thing to break.
No thanks. ;)
-Snail
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