mel jacobson on sun 14 may 06
pug mills are the best thing to happen
to potters ever. ever.
i cannot think of a studio that
cannot use one. schools and colleges
should never be without one or two.
throw in the solder clay mixer and you
have a perfect source of all the clay you
will ever need.
i had a soldner and a walker in my classroom
for over 20 years.
we made clay in tons, no pounds.
every kid had all the clay he could ever use.
if you are a potter, get a pug mill.
it will save your body and your soul.
every tool that has a motor or an engine
attached is dangerous.
it goes with the territory.
every boy and girl in my space knew what a
walker pug mill could do to your hand. we had many
demos. and i would have smacked a kid in the
face if i saw them messin with the pug mill.
i always told them...` i would rather have your folks
after me for hitting you, far more than have them come
after me for you losing your hand.` they got the idea.
understanding leads to safety.
you could wear a helmet into your studio,
wrap yourself in saran wrap head to foot
and the studio would still be dangerous.
everything in life is about being intelligent
with tools and machines. the most dangerous
is the automobile.
if you try and stop a chain saw with your hands...well,
you don't have hands. you learn safety with chain saws.
the check list is always in your head. table saws, routers,
planers. skil saws...dangerous. but, i use them all. i have
learned to use them. i cannot build at my age without
air power/nailers etc. think senco.
if you stick your hands in a walker pug mill, you don't have
a hand. but, the walker actually has a hopper that
will hold several hundred pounds of clay. it makes clay.
that was the intent.
if you cannot operate machinery, or are unwilling to
learn about machines, you are going to be in a bad
way running a pottery. then you will have to hire
others to do it for you...have your clay ready made
and throw away the scrap. your bottom line falls very
fast. and yet, many very fine potters, very successful,
do not use power tools at all. they have found a way.
you can be burned firing a kiln.
you can drink glaze.
you can set your studio on fire with hot wax.
you can cut your hands with steel ribs.
you can get your hand all twisted
in a four foot long cut off wire.
danger is always present. what you do, is be
prudent, take good care of details and you
will always be working in a good studio.
it is like the pilot that runs his life on a
`check list`.
pug mill. check list 1.
your hands never enter the hopper, under any
circumstance, never. that is rule number 1
on my pug mill check list. i use large bladed sheet rock
knifes to scrape down the clay. i keep that rule safe.
same thing for firing. rule 1.
warm the stack before you turn on the
burners. do that every time.
every kiln i have ever fired i have
burned paper in the flue first. take out the
damper, add burning paper, or better yet
use a burnzomatic torch. takes two minutes.
and, the kiln will never explode in the early minutes.
it was like the brand new, arch, gas, donovan kiln
at the art center.
it blew back, took the arch off.
the dork potter had put a C clamp on the red button
of the thermocouple/baso valve. smart. `hey, man, it wasn't my fault`.
the new mantra of the age.
same at the u of minnesota. kid blew up the brand new
50,000 dollar car kiln. put a pencil in the auto shut off for
the damper. he wanted to really reduce that kiln. it blew
like an a-bomb. of course, why was an untrained kid firing a
new kiln, without anyone around...no instruction.
`oh, isn't that kiln automatic?...i thought it was.`
so they tried to sue donovan for building a bad/unsafe kiln.
joke.
it is like saying...` i was only driving 97 miles an hour on
the wrong side of the street and that dumb kid on the
bike got in my way...it was his fault`. the new way.
always someone else's fault.
the responsibility for safety in the studio is in
the hands of the potter that owns it.
you learn about electricity.
you learn about gas.
you learn about lead, barium, manganese.
you learn about machines.
or,
PAY THE PRICE.
MEL
check list 1, electrical box.
use duct tape with bold lettering.
`working on KILN.` do not touch anything in
this box...and that note is for ME.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
Sally Guger on sun 14 may 06
I've been a potter and an art teacher since the late 70's and just joined Clayart very recently. (even though I've checked out the archives from time to time.) I'm having a great time learning a ton of new things and reading all of this interaction!
Mel, I've already picked up on how much you do for this site, and how much effort goes into the sharing of your knowledge and expertise. The group is fortunate that you're out there!
I also agree with John that the Walker should not be in any classrooms, even though there are a hundreds of other ways a kid can get hurt. With new machines out there with so many safety features, there's no need.The middle school owns a Peter Pugger thanks to my fund-raising efforts about 5 years ago. We used to share the Walker with the high school and I just didn't want to assume the risk anymore. (I was the one to use it, not the middle-schoolers, but still they were always wanting to see it run and help -which they can do with Peter.) So, now that the high school guy is retiring and I'll be at both schools teaching the 3D and pottery classes, I need a Peter Pugger at the high school as well.
It sounds like there will be someone out there who will want the Walker for it's large capacity and because it does a great job at mixing and pugging.
Thanks for the input! Sally.
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