Pug mills: max water content, flocculation. plasticity?

[brookst]

Hello! I'm getting deeper into 3D printing ceramics, and am considering purchasing a de-airing pug mill to make loading clay easier and to reduce air bubbles (which cause mayhem). 

I do need fairly high water content in porcelain clay -- probably 23%, possibly as high as 24%.

I've heard that pug mills don't like very wet clay and can fail to mix/pug, with the auger failing to drive wet clay through the de-airing and extrusion stages. But I have not been able to get specific guidance on how much water is too much. Pug mill vendors and 3D printer makers alike have pretty much said "it depends, it's hard to say," and I don't blame them... but I also don't want to invest that kind of money if it's unlikely to be a viable solution.

So, my questions:

• Does anyone have hard numbers on maximum water content that still works in any particular brand of pug mill?
• Would flocculating too-wet clay make any difference in its mixability / puggability?
• Would adjusting plasticity higher or lower make any difference?

Thanks!

[CactusPots]

I know this isn't a very specific answer.  I usually pug clay wetter than is comfortable to throw and let it age to where I like it.  Still soft.  Personally, I think it could be pretty sloppy.  Not slip slop, maybe.

[Mark C.]

Wet porcelain can spin in the pug mill 

no idea in what that number is moisture wise

i can pug pretty soft clay with my PPugger

[CactusPots]

I don't do porcelain, so if it's different than stone ware in that respect, I wouldn't know.  The spin factor with stoneware is that the pug mill isn't full enough.  You need the friction of the clay on the inside of the chamber to hold the mass in place.  I've never reached the too soft limit on pugging clay.