Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 22, 2022 Report Share Posted April 22, 2022 I'm a new Peter Pugger owner and am changing from a red to a white bodied clay. Anyone have tips or tricks to offer on how to do that? I'm afraid I am going to have an awful lot of "mixed" clay in the process since the pugger never really empties after a pugging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 22, 2022 Report Share Posted April 22, 2022 Take it apart ( a few nuts and boldts on barrel -pretty easy and quik) especially with that little unit and clean it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 23, 2022 Report Share Posted April 23, 2022 @Crooked Lawyer Potter Which unit did you get? I'm still waffling between the VPM9ss and the VPM20ss. I need to make up my mind. It occurs to me that the 9 would have an advantage if you try to actually use the extruder dies for it. Or maybe not since it doesn't have to be full to pug, it just won't pug out the last few pounds. Those "few pounds" are fewer in the 9 than the 20. So maybe it doesn't make that much of a difference for that purpose either. ARRRRGH! DECISIONS! Oh and I brought home a bat yesterday. I'll give my wheel a whirl (sorta literally I guess, for sure maybe) and see what happens when I turn it on for the first time in like 10 years. Wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 23, 2022 Report Share Posted April 23, 2022 They all have to be somewhat full to pug-No difffereance on that fact in all models. The 9 is a very small output Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2022 On 4/23/2022 at 3:42 AM, Pyewackette said: @Crooked Lawyer Potter Which unit did you get? I'm still waffling between the VPM9ss and the VPM20ss. I need to make up my mind. It occurs to me that the 9 would have an advantage if you try to actually use the extruder dies for it. Or maybe not since it doesn't have to be full to pug, it just won't pug out the last few pounds. Those "few pounds" are fewer in the 9 than the 20. So maybe it doesn't make that much of a difference for that purpose either. ARRRRGH! DECISIONS! Oh and I brought home a bat yesterday. I'll give my wheel a whirl (sorta literally I guess, for sure maybe) and see what happens when I turn it on for the first time in like 10 years. Wish me luck! I've got a VPM-7. I'm really just a hobbiest and sell only so that my garage does not fill up with pots. Its plenty big for me. But again, I want to caution new owners that there is a break in period. Difficult for me at first but once you get to know the machine it seems to work better and better. I really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 25, 2022 Report Share Posted April 25, 2022 @Crooked Lawyer Potter There's a break-in period even when its the operator that's new. There's a learning curve. I expect mine to be steep and I'll most likely spend a while climbing it LOL! The new pugging person is working at climbing theirs and, well, our clay is still pretty variable at the studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted April 26, 2022 Report Share Posted April 26, 2022 Or as a tile producer doez here just have a blush clay as it cleans the machine out .. I do this, lazy, shimpo old pugger, sections too heavy nowadays. Items needing the pure clay made either side of the blushes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 26, 2022 Report Share Posted April 26, 2022 @Babs So what do you do with the "blush" clay? I mean if its in the same firing range the mixture ought to be ok, but what if you're pushing out cone 10 porcelain after cone 04 earthenware? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bette Posted April 26, 2022 Report Share Posted April 26, 2022 I used a red clay for some years with the Peter Pugger, then decided to primarily use a white clay. I still use both clays, but I just use the Peter Pugger for the white clay I now most frequently use, rather than the bother of cleaning it out between changes. When I did clean the Peter Pugger after some years with the red, I took it apart to thoroughly clean and that worked for everything except the inside walls of the mixing chamber, where the residue of the red clay seemed embedded in the slightly rough inside surface. I took the mixing chamber to a local sandblaster and for $80 it was essentially resurfaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 26, 2022 Report Share Posted April 26, 2022 Yes the aluminum barrels get pitted over time expecially from low fire talc bodies and all porcelains -sandbasting helps as noted above. The stainless machines not so much as the metal is much more durable and tough. My used VPM 30 was pitted from a school low fire program-then I have used it for years with Porcelains (I never clean it now but did once to get out the low fire clay) The newer stainless VPM SS20 is slick as can be no pits ever with all porcelain (I never clean it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted April 26, 2022 Report Share Posted April 26, 2022 11 hours ago, Pyewackette said: @Babs So what do you do with the "blush" clay? I mean if its in the same firing range the mixture ought to be ok, but what if you're pushing out cone 10 porcelain after cone 04 earthenware? Hmmm........I am not. This works for me. Tiler puts out white, blush and terracotta tiles, unglazed, blush line, lovwely. I use the blush forg mugs , planters, bowls with glazes are ok. Other glazes wait for the clear line of clay. Works for me, that is all. Better than wreckinv my septuagenerian back eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 You and me and my sextegenarian (that sounds more exciting than it really is) back, shoulders, and wrists quite agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 My pugmill has cast metal parts so v heavy. Bolts holding it together may be siezed also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 "Take it apart ( a few nuts and boldts on barrel -pretty easy and quik) especially with that little unit and clean it. " So am I going to find an "O" ring between the 2 major parts of the unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 So am I going to find an "O" ring between the 2 major parts of the unit? yes there is an o ring at every junction an every Peter pugger-they make the seal the the vacuum makes. All metal to metal connections have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 They scare me. Is there a risk of not being able to properly re-seat it and causing future problems with the vacuum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 @Crooked Lawyer Potter The only way that seems likely is if you damage the o-ring, and then you just replace the o-ring. It's like the washers in your garden hose. They get damaged from time to time and then they fail to seal and then ... you just replace them. Easy-peasy. Promise. I plan to train my son to help me clean it out. Then when I'm even older, he can do it under my supervision LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 OK. Here goes. This will be the last time I do it since I've decided to quit using the dark clays. I get this longing for them every so often -- I see pieces that look so earthy and fundamental. But after a day or two I realize what a mess they make in my studio! Im sticking with good ole BMix from now on. (or at least not using the pugger to prepare the dark clays) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 @Crooked Lawyer Potter I will NEVER give up my dark clays! I'd give up the white clays long before that! LOL! Good luck. Just pay attention to what came from where so everything can go back in the right spot. Little baggies and a sharpie can help sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 "I don't need you to remind me of my age. I have a bladder to do that for me" Yeah. But does he have to do it 3 times a night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 A light smear of silicone grease. For the o rings, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 A light smear of silicone grease. do not use any sharp objest on o-rings every as you will nick them. Wipe them down with water and a rag to get clay off. Dry and wipe with silicone grease (go buy some 1st) bolt it up evenly and forget about it. I diving we depend on o-rings with our lives-they are easy to care for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 7 hours ago, Crooked Lawyer Potter said: OK. Here goes. This will be the last time I do it since I've decided to quit using the dark clays. I get this longing for them every so often -- I see pieces that look so earthy and fundamental. But after a day or two I realize what a mess they make in my studio! Im sticking with good ole BMix from now on. (or at least not using the pugger to prepare the dark clays) You can coat your white with an earthy slip, just saying. Done a lot the get the ubiquitous speckle but can go gutsier too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Lawyer Potter Posted April 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2022 14 hours ago, Babs said: You can coat your white with an earthy slip, just saying. Done a lot the get the ubiquitous speckle but can go gutsier too. Exactly my plan! I disassembled and cleaned it out last night and all appears well. I took the opportunity to see exactly how much clay would fit into the chamber and how much would then be pugged out. I put in a full 25 pounds and got back out right at 15.5 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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