primalmommy on thu 2 jun 05
I had no idea that buying an old pugmill was going to be such a blast.
I have pugged about 700 pounds of clay in the last two days. I bagged
pugs two at a time, then finally gave up and started stacking them like
firewood in big plastic storage boxes with snap on lids.
I always liked the old grimms tales where the magic shoes could dance by
themselves with your feet in them, or the pot could produce a cooked
meal if you just picked it up and said the magic words. Well, I have
learned that soft, wet clay wedges itself and throws itself with very
little effort on my part.
It's a big light bulb moment for me. I have watched folks wedge clay
like it's cinnamon roll dough, and thought, "wow, what skilled hands"...
for all my muscle and practice I was shoving and huffing and pulling and
puffing over wedging bagged clay. This stuff is amazing -- doesn't make
me hurt.
And it throws big and loose and fast, a little dance to it -- no
pressure in my hands, no crampy palms or clenched teeth... I was so
excited to have all that clay I didn't have to muscle out of the big
condom, saw with a wire and then wedge, that I sat down at midnight and
threw seven nice 4 or 5 pound pots. They are all sitting out on my
studio deck, waiting for me to come out with my morning coffee to trim.
The pugmill is still red and shiny with bright new bolts, but it's a
little sloppy now ;0)
The duct pipe Terry used to line the rusted out chamber where the auger
turns is working really well. Two days of pugging and I only lost a few
tablespoons of clay out of undiscovered rust holes. I wonder -- how
often do I have to open it up and see whether there are tools stuck in
the screen?
I'd love to tell you I have no sore muscles with my new magic clay, but
I hauled buckets of scrap all afternoon from behind my studio to the pug
mill in the garage... and it's very late, so I am off to my bed. I'm a
happy, happy camper.
nighty night
Kelly in Ohio... where it's June, the month my in-laws arrive in their
big camper, the month of solstice and strawberry picking, the month
Marta and I turn another year wiser...
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Carolynn Palmer on thu 2 jun 05
In a message dated 2/6/05 8:34:10 AM, primalmommy@MAIL2OHIO.COM writes:
<< I wonder -- how
often do I have to open it up and see whether there are tools stuck in
the screen? >>
When we used this pugmill regularly, we only opened it up to see if something
was stuck in the screens, if the clay slowed perceptably coming out - or if
we thought 'something' might be in the screen.
If we stored it for very long between uses - just before you use it again,
take it apart and look inside for foreign objects and crunchy clay.
Terry and I are so happy that the old work horse is still going and not ready
to be put out to pasture quite yet! And we just loved the new red paint.
We are off to Greektown to do their annual art and craft fair - go to the
casinos and eat Greek food - hopefully to sell some pots, too.
-Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
Kathi LeSueur on thu 2 jun 05
primalmommy wrote:
>I had no idea that buying an old pugmill was going to be such a blast.
>
>I have pugged about 700 pounds of clay in the last two days. I bagged
>pugs two at a time, then finally gave up and started stacking them like
>firewood in big plastic storage boxes with snap on lids.
>
That Bluebird is great for extruding, too. If you want to do hollow
extrusions get the Bluebird die holder kit. It will open new worlds for you.
Kathi
Victoria Cherney on thu 2 jun 05
Kelly,
Thank you for your recounting your tale of fun and frolic with you
glorious red pug mill. What a great story, with a fairy tale ending
that has the happy heroin ecstatic with the riches of her altered life.
What a hoot it's been to read. I now have pug mill envy.
Victoria
Vermont
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