Pugmill learning curve

[Ceramicheights]

I've had a Peter Pugger VPM60 for almost a year now, use it weekly, and I still find I am not getting consistent batches. Full disclosure, I had never used a pugmill prior to purchasing one, but with years of recycling clay by hand, I didn't think I would be so bad  at it. This is something I've brought up with Peter Pugger and they were really receptive at first. I figured it was my inexperience, and they do mention there's a large learning curve when it comes to recycling scrap. 

After using it some time, my current issues aren't too different from my initial ones. Mainly, the first three pugs (20" by 3.5" diameter each) are basically garbage, and then the batch starts to resemble the consistency of what I have in the hopper. I end up feeding most of it back into the hopper, mixing again, and then I can usually use everything except the first 20".

For seasoned puggers out there, do you run into this? I read an older thread where someone hated their pugmill, and the post is now closed, but for the first time I felt vindicated instead of gaslit. I was so paranoid about mixing too much and making short clay, that I wasn't mixing enough. When the clay got hot I freaked out, and PP told me I must have finally fed enough clay into the machine. So, hot clay = good? But hot clay for too long is definitely bad. No matter how long I mix, my batch is not homogenous. It's wetter towards the pugging end and stiffer towards the vacuum wall. And I can tell my pugs go from wetter to stiffer as they're being extruded. I once weighed all the clay in a batch to prove to PP that I was loading enough clay.

In the end, it's preferable to hand recycling clay. I want to make a YouTube of the process someday in hopes it can help others. But overall it's been pretty frustrating.

[Pres]

I taught in a classroom for years. When in college, I used a Walker pug mill to pug clay for my own use. It was expected of us. Then when I started teaching HS we didn't have a pug mill to use in the classroom, and the slop and trimmings just piled up. Then I was able to swing an Amaco pug mill. It was small table top, and slow, but we were able to pug most ot the clay in our classes. New Hs renovation and I got a budget for new equipment. Bought a Walker for in the classroom, that same pugmill is running today! They were beasts, and big floor models, but they did the job well. They are not made anymore today.  

Yes I loved it, and really took good care of it. 

• kept it covered when not in use, both the top hopper and the end of the tube. .  there were lids for both.
• kept a little water in it with the clay in it when not in use.
• always recycled the first tube length which was about 3 1/2 feet.
• Anytime the clay started coming out unusable, would recycle until it started to run right.
• Kept slop in large buckets to dry til puggable, would mix this with fresh trimming/returns from another bucket so that soft and harder was evenly mixed

In the end, it does take time to learn a new skill, but with preparation of the clay going in and recycling what ever come out poorly you'll get there.

 

best,

Pres