Mark C.

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
 
 

200 miles, 4 hours one way to Denver.  A couple of mountain passes, but we have friends and family in Denver so it's always fun to make a trip out of it.  Restaurants, museums, shows.  You make it count.  And all my friends and family know where the clay shop is, so I can pay for it over the phone and they will stop to pick things up for me.  It works.
 

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

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

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.

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.

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.
 

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.
 

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 

for throwing, a bat, a yellow rib, a wooden rib, a needle tool, sponge.    Handbuilding....wareboard, slab roller, red rib, needle tool, templates
When I cleaned out a studio for a long time potter's family after he had passed, he had 5 tools.  That was it.  There wasn't endless choices of ribs and knives and sponges and stuff.  A wooden handmade caliper, one wooden rib, one handmade needle tool, one small chunk of chamois and a wire.  That was it.  He had worked for years and years with only those tools..
r

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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 .