Mark C.

Send a message to JohnnyK here as he has one in middle Cal. Look him up eralier on this thread and send him a personal message.

Pres in the long run its just a short trip really-You got to go-take a bus or train or maybe a plane but its the heart of Ceramics on that Island.

I use the 20SS all the time-and the hopper size is the smallest I feel one wants. As you noted you can unbolt the sections and clean the screw as its exposed 360 degrees at that point I feel this machine is the perfect size for most applications-I bought as 1 year old model used lightly for 4 k with stand Keep in mind they are really heavy so the rolling stand is a must have unless you want to never move it (check the machine weights to see what I'm talking about) Forget the 7SS for all my resaons I posted in above post. I also think the 9SS is also a bit on the small side with only outputing 13#s of clay so outpouuting 150#s an hour would be a tough killer job. My friend has this tiny machine and he felt burned about it. The local clay supplier recommended this size to him and he went with that suggestion.He had a falling out with them and this one one of the resasons. The 13# output is pretty small then you repeat the feeding cycle all over I think a few on this board own the 9SS so maybe they can chine in about it?

Not sure if you had read this fellow issues with the Shimpo pug mill Did you see this poast last week I own and use two peter puggers so I know your learning curve-the real issue is size of machine That said they all do exactly the same thing and they do it well The VPM 7s are just to darn small-the output that is the VPM 9 also is pretty small not the machine as much as the whole mixing chamber which get really small in thiose smaller units All clay mixers and puggers hold larger volumes of clay that never make it out the barrel-in the nooks and crannies as you said. Folks new to this need to understand that 25#s in does not equal 25#s out more like 2/3 of that if you are lucky That relationship is pretty constant My larger VPM 30 holds 85#s of clay when its 100% full and I'll be lucky to get 55#s out the other end. same is true with my VPM-SS 20 45# capacity -and 30#s output As you noted you need to add clay turn it on so the hopper clay is away from entry hole and add more etc until you cannot close the hopper almost so ikts jambed full 100% to get your maximum output. This process takes a bit of learning-its also harder with smaller amounts in those smaller machines . The VPM 7 is just to darn small. This company makes a great product but after they sold all the larger units to schools and professionals they went for the hobby market and the VPM 9 was that go to unit. (I have full timer potter freiend with one of those) He said its output is way to small for him. They should have stopped making any smaller machines at the VPM 9 instead they shrunk it down again to the VPM 7-That machine will only output 2/3 of whats in it-its max capacity is only 14#s so on a good day you get 2/3 of that 14#s of clay-just over 8#s My advice as all the machines are just within a 1000$ of each other ($4k-5K) is to get the larger machine the VPM 9 is the smallest machine in my view you should consider. As noted in above pots you need to stuff that hopper full turn it on a second stuff it again and again until you can only force it closed and then its full to get your most output. This is less importaant in the larger machines VPM 20s and above as the outputs are just better amounts. On needs to look at batch capacity in all Peter Puggers and realize outputs are 2/3 of that no matter what the size of machine You are not the fist person who feels the 7 is to small and for justa few hundred more dollars one can get the VPM 9 which hold 25#s so you get 2/3 of that which is about 16#s For me as a professional the VPM 20 is a s small as I would ever consider as it holds 45#s and you get 30#s A standard box of clay is 50#sin two 25# pugs-so if your output is only 8#s well you get the point its just a small log of clay even for a hobbist Here is the whole thread

I have a supplier about 10 minutes away. that said there was no supplier within a 8 hour drive most of my 50 year career . So I had to be my own supplier and thats almost still true today. I do buy a few items locally when I'm in need between my usual truck orders.Its a small shop with no equipment for sale usually

So if its only about make clay softer or firmer and NOT wedging the peter pugger or any mixer pugger (like a Bailey) is your machine of choice-You can add water or dryer clay to wetter clay or dry material to Harden soft clay. In a pug mill you cannot change the clay mosisdture cintenr very easily as it moves thru the machine from point a (hopper ) to B the (end nozzle) whereas a mixer pugger will aloow you to mix the clay in the 1st chamber to how you like it than discharge into a pugged log when you get it the way you like-no straight (stand alone) pug mill will allow this process. I pout 6 tons thry a Bluebird pugmill so I know something about standard pug mills- As I said mixer /pugger is the only way to go. You can get them used if you have time on your side.

Alumina Hydrate from any ceramic distributor is what to use-not something off the net for beauty products Its a costly material these days but worth it-I buy it in 50# bags but its sold by the #

I'm with Neil on the whole expensive machine deal-I threw away my trimmings and slop for decades and the only reason I have the two Petter Puggers is for my wrists (after surgery) I have 7k invested in them total as I bought each used. I need soft clay these days and do not wedge -these work well for that-I can soften clay if need be or Harden it for my press mold forms. I have yet to clean either of them as there is no need to-the clay never dries out with the rubber cap on.

The Venco and the shimpo in my mind only pug clay-which is only part of whats needs doing in my mind whatever machine one gets its needs to come apart to clean out. Usually its 4 bolts I would never buy just a pug mill-waste of money-as the newer machines mix and pug so making clay more or less firm is easy as well as reclaim or even starting with dry materials Pug mills are outdated unless all you want to do is pug mixed clay say at the clay factory. My peter puggers keeps clay moist for any amout of time. I would only clean it to change bodies and I have two of them with different clay bodies . The Petter Pugger and the Bailey that mix and pug are the only way to go. Venco came out long ago and was one of the 1st mills on the scene for consumers. Parts are a bear to find-the Shimpo is another import so check on parts availability . all machines need from 4 to 6 bolts off to come apart-My Peter has 4 bolts on the barrel De airing is the only way to go these days with whatever machine you get I no longer wedge -its been about 10 years ago I stopped after my wrist surgery

I have two GFI outlets near each outside door and all outlets in covered kin area are on a GFI downstream.I keep a fire extinguisher near the gas kilns in covered area (part of outside studio space ). My delta air filtration hepa filter is for my lung safety. same with my central vac dust vacuum system . I'm waiting on a new motor right now as I go thru them pretty fast-clay is killer on motors.Its a warranty claim. My whole studio and kiln area has tons of LED 4 foot covered and non covered light fixtures (12-14 I think) so I have light everywhere when needed.Many are 4 and 3 bulb fixtures and a 3x6 window with non solar gain coatings in between the double glass and is facing south in throwing area. Studio is well insulated as well. Its toasty in winter with gas heater and cool in summer with no heat.My hot wax pan is outside so fumes are exterior ,as is all the kilns as they are all outside under a huge metal roofed area.

If you never move the kiln hardwiring takes all the loose connections out of the picture. No more heating up due to loose contacts. Plugs can get hot with lots of amps so yes hardwiring is easy and heat will no longer be a factor.If you use the kiln a lot this all takes a toll on pugs and sockets I have found.. I gave up on plugs in the 80s for electrics only melted and fried a few breakers since then.

Is the plug a molded plug and cannot be taken apart? Or is it the kind with 4 screws on one of the flats and you can take it apart and see if the wires are cooked? More info is needed-plug should NOT get toasty-it can also be the plug was not plugged in enough and this alone coild be the issue.Ant loose plug prongs or wire within the plug can make for excess heat and issues

Babs The stoneware plates are made by me in the 70s-the bowl in the crab dinner shot is also made by me in the 80s (stoneware) The tamale dinner plate is by me same story from the 70s (we have a whole 8 place sald and dinner set from then we use daily) That is a glaze I worked on in school that was my favorite and still is. The bowl is from my collage pottery girlfriend in the early 70s I have a few of those in the bowl stack still and the mug is a salt mug from a apprentice from the 90s. She is now a potter in Washington stste after taecking elementary school for a few decades first. I see her some years at a fair I do in Washington state-met her duaghter and husband last year-we did another mug trade as well. I like to use other potters mugs dailey

Lets see a wooden pointed stick either from Kemper or a beach find via a grinder for a point-a pro needle tool, sponge (I do not use ribs much anymore) water bucket(mine is a bowl) I'm now down to simple basics-then of couse one trim tool (for me its custom Bison double ender thats small)

Katys fish house is still there-and some still call them Humboldt Crabs These crabs came from one of my diver friends who dove on a small commercial boat in Trinadad harbor-crabs where given to him then 4 to us.Small world

A diver friend called with 4 fresh crabs for us a few days ago-ate them same day they came to surface, Live backed them and slipped and really cut my palm badly--some antibiotic cream and super glue I was able to center and throw pots the next day. These guys are tasty served hot out of the steamer with hot melted butter Last night it was tamales another treat. Potters need to eat well.

Mold and clay is fine-aged clay can mold and it is a non issue.I have clay that is decades old a bit of mold is no problem . Many other things to worry about (watch the news if you like to worry) I alsways consider mold to be a sign that clay is aging well like myself as a potter.

We do a fair amount of press mold handles on baking dishes (they are shell shaped ) and they get 90 degree bend-so press mold is a yes if that helps They are from the same porcelain mix as the slab dishes are made from 3/4 porcealin and 1/4 wso some are 100% porcelain as well (the smaller dishes) On handles I handled 60 mugs yesterday in about 1 hour 45 minutes (taking my time includes extruding) these where 1# mugs - today it will be 50 more mugs 30 are 1.5# mugs the other 20 are 1# mugs-the larger handles take more time. all mugs have a thumb spot so that takes a bit more time.

I never had any luck with bending slip wares-they do not like it I think the extruded handle is your best option (its what I do with thousands of handles per year) slip ware just does not bend well as it cracks . The way the particles line up is my thought as they tear easy with bends.-Your extruded handles will be 25 times stronger with all the compression.

My glaze book from collage will keep me busy for whole life and then some- most from my glaze and clay body class-then 4 years of school in glaze room I have added a few from friends-traded for some as well as a few from magazines-its always the same test to see what it does/looks like in my kiln atmosphere .

We my list is maybe a bit more personal That is people I knew or not who influenced me during the past 50 years either in collage or beyond-now beyond is since 1976 Some are still alive but most are not. Some partied with back in the day when I did that some not All influenced me to varying degrees Some I have pieces in my Collection some not most where trades Warren Mackenzie John Glick Robert Arneson-lived next to my sister in Davis long ago Don Sprague Richard Shaw Robert Sperry Howard Kottler On a more personal level of influence Michael Lucero-went to school with him Resse Bullen –My mentor Tom Coleman-log time friend from a workshop long ago Patti Warashina- friend from the 70s-she could party with the best of them Otto and Vivika Heino-great folks still sad they are gone Eric Norstad-had clay named after him –we use a pot daily of his Clayton Bailey-a real influencer for me personally

Most of my life in clay I have been a start from scratch camp as far as glazes go. I have also been a re-formulator to some extent as well to others recipes . I guess if I recall back in high school I used what they had for a less than a year (low fire) then same deal in 1st quarter at a JC (high fire) but it was during the next quarter I make my own scale (balance beam) and started making my own from that point on within a year I had a glaze calc class at Humboldt State (just changed their name last week To: Cal Poly Humboldt-big news for or small community here) its only the 3rd Cal Poly in state now Never looked back-of course most of that is lost in my brain these days-I have more ideas than time these days I got lazy a few decades ago and have Laguna clay make my rutile base by the ton in 50# bags-I make about 14 other working glazes year around.That glaze is one of my most popular glazes with customers -not with me but I'm ok with that. I have an order in right now with them for more glaze. I just got the quote -it used to be $45 a 50# bag now its $72 a bag-just like everything these days its costs more.

When the snow blows in the deep dark of winter all potters roll up in a nice deep bed of Silica to keep cozy wait this is not about that at all! Ok I mowed the lawn today so no snow here.

Yes especially if they have a reputation behind them and thats over the decades Not all companies make all things best For example Brent makes great wheels that last a long time(they started with wheels only and where one of the 1st to make quaility wheels with all speeds) -they are not alone as there are others now doing the same now making great wheels Brent slab rollers work but the cable system and boards for thickness are not as easy to use and require adusting alot compared to say a Bailey slab roller Bailey makes great long lasting slab rollers that are easy to make any slab thickness (If I recall slab rollers where one of his 1st items) Take North Star for example they knocked off many products and made slab rollers with plastic gears in the start which failed, now they are using metal gears-this example is a company changing for the better over time-if you had an early model you suffered Soldner made great foot pedals and pretty good wheels and was one of the 1st in with a clay mixer that worked ok (back then schools used dough mixers) Walker mixers came on the scene at around the same time. Soldners mixers worked great but are brutal on you body as you have to bend over to load it and scrape it out. I have run a few tons thru one back in my prime and it killed me then Peter Pugger was the 1st all around mixer and pug machine all in one (they where the 1st) and makes a Soldner mixer look like a stone Age tool Petter Puggers added vacuums to the machines and they are a dream to use now So yes Brands make a differeance but no one brand does it all the best So you want to spend $200 on a wheel and those toy ones on Amazon from China look good and they are cheap ,well you will find out the hard way that Brand names make a difference