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Pugmill As Extruder - Will It Work?


Karen B

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I have been considering purchasing one of these extruder dies that are made to fit on my Shimpo Pugmill. But when I look at the picture, I can't imagine that the extrusions won't meld together as soon as they pass through.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!

Karen

 

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Those are made for individual smaller solid extrusions. The one on the bottom left looks like it was designed for handle shapes, the top one for mostly bars, and the bottom rt for slab/tile shapes. None of these are designed for a hollow form.I would think you should extrude about 18 to 20 inches and cut it off carefully on to a board and separate the individual pieces immediately.

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soft would be OK, not wet though. Getting used to your pug mill for doing this will be trial and error, but it will be worth it if you want to use extruded forms for handles, tiles or other forms of construction. Would work well if you are looking for coil construction coils even though these coils would be very consistent with little character.

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Strickly answering yopur question yes it will work.

 

These are made for my peter puger as well.The pieces will seperate but blocking off to many holes will put stress on the die.

I feel a better way to go for handles is an extruder with a custom die that way you only get what you want handle wise.

Its much faster than bolting up 4 bolts on pug mill. I use a brent extruder for this as well as a scott creek. Both of these units use the 4 inch aluminum circle dies that you show in photo. I buy blanks (full disc) and make my own handle dies from them.In one die you can make at least 3 handle sizes-blocking off with a piece of plastic only the one you need to shoot.

I have a few commercial dies but they are not my shapes-I do use them but more for bamboo handle lugs on covered jars than handles.

Mark

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I use a peter pugger and I cannot imagine it not driving me batty trying to use it to extrude something from its barrel other than something like tile or coils.

 

I would have to reach back hit the pug button, deal with the line of extruded clay piece and then reach back and hit the stop while not trashing my extruded piece that is being held up. You can lay out a board but I think you would have to basically walk it down the board in some fashion or roll a cart forward? It just sounds like a lot of aggravation.

 

My wall extruder works like a champ and I simply stop pulling down when I have what I want, letting it hang while I carefully deal with it.   

 

If you do go this way can you update this post once you have used it to let us know how well it works from a practical standpoint?

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I use a peter pugger and I cannot imagine it not driving me batty trying to use it to extrude something from its barrel other than something like tile or coils.

 

I would have to reach back hit the pug button, deal with the line of extruded clay piece and then reach back and hit the stop while not trashing my extruded piece that is being held up. You can lay out a board but I think you would have to basically walk it down the board in some fashion or roll a cart forward? It just sounds like a lot of aggravation.

 

My wall extruder works like a champ and I simply stop pulling down when I have what I want, letting it hang while I carefully deal with it.   

 

If you do go this way can you update this post once you have used it to let us know how well it works from a practical standpoint?

 

Thanks Stephen, I will think about the board, but I guess it will roll forward ok.

I can't justify getting an extruder, plus I have absolutely no place for it.

 

  The switch on the Shimpo is very conveniently placed. No reaching required. 

I also have assembled it so the handle you see on the hopper is turned 90 degrees

clockwise for better leverage.  

I will post pics.

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I hear you on cost, pottery is expensive isn't it. The $300 wall mount ones do come with a pretty decent set of dies but yeah a good one with an additional set of larger dies and a few other upgrades can get into the $6-700 range real quick.  

 

My buttons are on the side toward the back but I really mean that with only two hands and dealing with the pugger extruding and dealing with both the  buttons and extruded pieces seems awkward if you are extruding say handles or some other small line output where it is important that the extruded clay not be handled or moved around too much. Have you seen any videos of someone using it for something other than tiles and coils.

 

On space, my extruder station is really just the extruder mounted on a stud next to the end of a counter. The wall extruder is maybe 6 inches wide and I leave a gap of about 2 feet before the next counter and center it. You could also mount it in front of a door or some other open space to make it dual use since the actual time the extruder is not closed and sitting idle is brief. 

 

either way I hope you enjoy having your new extruded options for your work.

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I am a little leary of having a 4,500 dollar machine do the job of a 500 dollar extruder.  The motor and auger is rated

to move so much clay thru the tube cavity.  If you don't have room inside, there isn't anything wrong having mounting

one outside, maybe on the wall, or if needed a 4 x 4 post...  If you need dies for the extruder, you should be able to

buy a damaged hood or trunk from a auto salvage yard for 6 - 8 dollars and cuts blanks out to take to a machine shop.

If you're the only one to use the pug machine using soft clay, lets say it may or may not be a problem, but 3 years from

now some visiting yahoo will use it to pug really stiff clay, on the one day you forgot to remove the end plate, and something

has to give.  I know the pug mill is privately owned, but at the college, I've dug out wooden ribs, sponges, needle tools,

and very large chunks of bisque, all of which shouldn't go into any pug mill, much less go thru an extruder die.

If you buy an extruder I read where someone figured out that they could wedge clay, roll a newspaper plastic bag

over the clay, and drop it in the extruder tube.  In theory, the clay comes thru the die, and to clean up, just pop out the

empty bag, and wipe down with a wet sponge.

Good luck on the decision,

Alabama

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Ha ha, I knew if I said I had absolutely no room for an extruder that people would take that as a challenge. So thank you for your enthusiasm! but I really have no room. It sounds like the die I want will work for the minimal need I have for extrusions and will cost me under $25 with my gift certificate. 

 

I appreciate you all being there when I need you!

 

Karen

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The main Issue I see is these thin extrusions hanging up when extruding horizontally.Heck this almost happens on my peter pugger with a 3 inch round. I can see a REAL issue with buckling extrusions.You are going to have to think that out. How about calling Bailey and talking about this issue or Peter Pugger-if you machine can handle a single handle die you can have northstar make your handle/die shape in whatever material you like for a lot less than these dies sell for.Check that option out. I would just cut one up in aluninum disc with a drill and jewlers saw and files as I did with my handle dies.
. You could try and comunicate with shimpo as well about small hole dies vs all these open shapes.
The extruder is so much easier as the extrustions are already hanging straight down. You really need to consider this.For me after 40 years of extruding in a very small shop and using my peter pugger VM 30 hands down go with the extruder-it only need a small footprint on a wall stud next to a door frame-if you shop has a door you have a space for it to hang.
Mark
Please let us know if you go the die route with all the holes on a horizontal extrude-as I'm more than curious if it works out.
Mark

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when i wanted to use my bailey pugmill for an extruder i asked jim bailey if it would work.  he said it would not with the kind i have.  the auger would meet resistance and  just spin without pushing anything.  contact the manufacturer.  talk to the people who know.

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Oops yeah, thanks.

 

 

Karen

Oldlady has a Bailey and I think you said you have a Shimpo?.

 

If you do get an extruder you will use it for other things as well.

Mark

 

 

 

Oops, yeah thanks!

 

I can use my slab roller to make the long thin "extrusions" if need be. 

 

Last kid is off to college in Sept. We are moving from MA to NJ. Hopefully

we will have a bigger garage for me to take over where we move and I 

will have room for an extruder.  Here is a couple pictures of my studio.

The shelves and table on the right go up to the door frame. On the other

side of the door is a rain barrel with hooks on the wall above it for mops etc..

The other side is equally full with shelving and a tiny area for seated plastic

cartons and lawn signs. 

 

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karen, you do have room for an extruder.  bolt a 2x6 upright onto the leg of the table holding your pugmill.  bolt the extruder to that just high enough to not be in the way.

 

it looks as though you share your space with a vehicle.  too bad. 

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karen, you do have room for an extruder.  bolt a 2x6 upright onto the leg of the table holding your pugmill.  bolt the extruder to that just high enough to not be in the way.

 

it looks as though you share your space with a vehicle.  too bad. 

 

Yes, on days like today, 6"+ of snow, or bitter cold nights, I pull my car in so no room for anything outside of that leg. Also need to wedge there. Other side would interfere with the functionality of the table. Thanks so much for all the suggestions. 

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My extruder lives most of it's life on the floor in the corner out of the way.  When I need to use it, I undo 6 bolts, position the extruder, replace the bolts, and extrude away.  When finished, it goes back into it's corner and hides.  The bolts actually live on the outside of the garage wall, but barely notice.

 

So long as you have space to hide it and space to mount if for using, you DO have the space!

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Chilly, - "So long as you have space to hide it and space to mount if for using, you DO have the space!"

 

What's cool is even if your suggestion is not fitting for me, it will probably give someone who wants an

extruder ideas for installing theirs. 

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my earlier comment, but I am not looking to get an extruder.

I am looking forward to talking to some tech support people about the pugmill dies tomorrow. I will post the outcome. 

 Battening down the hatches now for a possible blizzard tomorrow night! 

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