mel jacobson on wed 15 mar 06
yes, it is clear that there were commercial/industrial pug mills
working all over the world.
some were powered by horse, water power, etc.
the japanese used huge settling ponds.
and, i used `red wing` crocks for my first glaze buckets.
i was stunned when i saw wax and cleaners coming into
the school in plastic pails. had to have those babies
when empty.
i knew a gal that used an old bathtub to make clay(1950).
water and a layer of sifted clay, let it settle, more clay
and let that settle. fill the tub. leave it out in the rain etc.
it would naturally dry...turn to throwable clay. a wonderful
way to make clay. and was it ever long...perfect aging.
what i am suggesting is:
the home use, studio designed pug mill, available to anyone,
was brought to be about 1960.
i do believe the first real mixing machine used for pottery clay
in america was the doe mixer. a commercial bread making
machine...horizontal blades and a dump hopper.
it was not til the late sixties that minnesota clay and others
bought their first commercial/industrial pug mill. those commercial
machines came from germany and england. the industrial machine
has become the standard. in fact, the two big german clay mixing/
pug mills at laguna run 24/7...three shifts. they are multi million
dollar machines. they never stop making b mix and their standard
red clay.
for many modern potters the discussion is:
do you use twist ties, wrap the bag under, or tape the bag.???
i laugh, the way glaze recipes were passed in the 50's was using a bar napkin
or the inside of a match book.
i sure remember being confused by `water ground quartz`. and i did
not know that silica, quartz and flint were pretty much the same thing.
and, `what do you mean, calcium carbonate is whiting, like what
you buy at minnesota paint company??? for .50 a bag.???
hell, i still have a paper bag that says...`jack wolf, new york`. copper.
i have one of the original catalogs from minnesota clay.
four pages, mimeographed. done on an old royal typewriter. push hard.
mel
"Luck is prepaid."
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
skiasonaranthropos@FSMAIL.NET on thu 16 mar 06
Hello Mel,
Thank you for the reply following my message. Settling ponds have been used
historically, and continue to be, across the world for refining of primary
kaolins. A few photos of some fr4om the early C20th can be found at
http://www.trevithick-society.org.uk/industry/leswidden-07.htm
You might be interested in the old photographs & sketches, including pugs:
I=92d guess early C20th at
http://www.nationalshelleychinaclub.com/oldest_craft.cfm?p=3D6
1940s at http://www.thepotteries.org/postcards/wedgwood/2.htm
1850 at http://www.shol.com/agita/thespiel.htm
Theres a really big modern pug at http://www.jcsteele.com/index2.htm
And I think its a little bit too much of a simplification to suggest =93...
silica, quartz and flint were pretty much the same thing=94 as there are som=
e
pretty fundamental differences between these which would be seen in use
Kind regards,
Antony
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