Sheila Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Hi from New Zealand. I recently bought an old pug mill on line at auction here (See photo). It is bigger than I expected and is a really heavy duty bit of equipment. There is no makers name and no info with it at all. I think I can get the basic milling function going but it also has a vacuum pump and de-airing section and I have no idea how this should work and what sort of pressures I should be looking for. I'd love to hear from anyone out there with experience of this type of machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudlark Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Hi from New Zealand. I recently bought an old pug mill on line at auction here (See photo). It is bigger than I expected and is a really heavy duty bit of equipment. There is no makers name and no info with it at all. I think I can get the basic milling function going but it also has a vacuum pump and de-airing section and I have no idea how this should work and what sort of pressures I should be looking for. I'd love to hear from anyone out there with experience of this type of machine I use a Venco pugmill and the vacuum runs at -30" Hg (Mercury) or -100kpa. Hope this is of use. Mudlark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icyone2 Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 looks like homemade perhaps is it just regular metal and rusted inside too? , the vacuum areas need to be sealed with caulk or silicone if you plan on taking it apart to get it (vacuum area) going. At least mine does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Savino Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Hi from New Zealand. I recently bought an old pug mill on line at auction here (See photo). It is bigger than I expected and is a really heavy duty bit of equipment. There is no makers name and no info with it at all. I think I can get the basic milling function going but it also has a vacuum pump and de-airing section and I have no idea how this should work and what sort of pressures I should be looking for. I'd love to hear from anyone out there with experience of this type of machine A lot of old pugmills just aren't going to maintain vacuum pressure, and many people find it's more hassle than it's worth to keep that aspect of the wheel operational. I use mine like a big old sausage grinder, for recycling -- I suppose there's a little lmore shrinklage without the deairing, but it wedges up soft and throws beautifully. Watch your hands! If there's a way to make a kill switch or otherwise shut it off if something gets stuck, I recommend it highly! Pugmills don't know clay from flesh and bones and just keep chugging, so be careful. Does it come apart? Unless you use it all the time, clay can harden around the auger and that's a half day's work to dissassemble and clean out the chamber... but if you store clay in there wet for too long, you can get corrosion and metal flecks in the clay. Good luck with your machine! I find that the huge quantities of fresh clay and the ease of recycling have improved the quality of my work. Medocre pots go right back in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 That is a Harry Davis type pugmill and was probably home made. Look up a book called "A Potters Alternative" and it has all the info on operation and construction you will ever need. If it is from New Zealand, it could have been one of Harry's. He lived there for quite a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 That is a Harry Davis type pugmill and was probably home made. Look up a book called "A Potters Alternative" and it has all the info on operation and construction you will ever need. If it is from New Zealand, it could have been one of Harry's. He lived there for quite a while. see this page for more info http://iweb.tntech.e...uts/pugmill.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Username Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 Hi Sheila, If you will send me a message with your email address (AN email address), I will send you all the pages from the Davis book (in a ZIP file) covering the manufacture, assembly, and operation of this pugmill. It's as close as you will get to an operating manual, I guess. The plans are a bit of overkill, but may assist you in some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.