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help needed! bailey extruder

updated sun 12 jul 98

 

Pamela Jo Stamper on wed 8 jul 98

Hello all,
Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculptures
and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
call IT a sculpture.
Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com

Mo and Les Beardsley on thu 9 jul 98

Pamela Jo Stamper wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello all,
> Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
> purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
> some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
> hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
> Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
> This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
> does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
> to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
> forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculptures
> and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
> suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
> call IT a sculpture.
> Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com


Hi...
I did the same thing with my accident settlement only didn't have enough
for a pug mill and an extruder (Bailey) so bought a North Star. I had
the same problems as you are having. Eventually I discovered that I
had to pug inbetween 10-14 0/0 more water into the clay. Then I could
make it work and could also pull the handle without dislocating my
shoulder. I use bagged purchased clay. After it is extruded I use
if necessary if it looks like it will slump on me, a hand held propane
torch with a trigger. Works great. There was much frustration until
I softened the clay.

Regards
Les Beardsley, from sunny Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.

Clyde Tullis on thu 9 jul 98

I use a manual one,but I don't think there would be much different.
What Makes them ugly? Dog ears? Try softer clay. Alot of the off-the shelf
stuff is too stiff to extrude well. On the other hand, I've taken some clays
right out of the bag and had good results.
Die design is also important. I use 1/4" thick acrylic and bevel the edge of
the openning. John Glick has some info out there about this. Does anyone
know where?

Pamela Jo Stamper wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello all,
> Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
> purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
> some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
> hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
> Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
> This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
> does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
> to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
> forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculptures
> and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
> suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
> call IT a sculpture.
> Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com

Sandra K. Tesar on thu 9 jul 98

Pamela,
I was just notified by Lark Books that they are currently soliciting
slides of work by people who do creative things with extrusions for their
NEXT book specificallyon Cermaic Extrusions...so take heart...help is in
the new millenium.
Sandra on Keel Mountain

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David Hendley on fri 10 jul 98

So Pamela Jo, you fell for it.
What makes you think that those pictures in the Ceramics Monthly
ads are real?
We, on Clayart, have already determined that the infamous Tom
Coleman Geil kiln ad picture is staged.
And a majority here think there's nothing wrong with that.
Maybe what you're trying to do can't be done!
Caveat emptor.

Seriously, you SHOULD be producing 'pitiful junk that gets recycled'
at first. Would you expect to throw a 6 ft. pot, like the guy in the C. I.
wheel ad, the first week you got a wheel?
Take some time to experiment and learn how to use the extruder.
Try it slower, try it faster, try softer clay, try stiffer clay,
try moving the die off-center, try modifying the die,
and most importantly, try making your own dies.
That's where a lot of the creative work is done, anyway.

BTW, for whoever asked,
the excellent John Glick article on creative extruder use and
die making is in Studio Potter, Vol. 7, No. 1, (the late 70's).

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas


At 08:03 AM 7/8/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello all,
> Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
>purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
>some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
>hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
>Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
> This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
>does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
>to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
>forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculptures
>and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
>suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
>call IT a sculpture.
> Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com
>

DIANA PANCIOLI, ASSOC. PROF. on fri 10 jul 98

Dear Pamela:

You usual clay formula may not be a good extruding body. That could be
one reason why you are having problems. Another is that your body may not
be soft enough--clay for extrusion needs to be softer.

Regarding Clyde's note about dies--I think your big machine needs more
than 1/4" plastic. I assume you are using dies which came with the
extruder. 1/4" polycarbonate plastic works for smaller extruders (not
acrylic, it isn't strong enough.)

This might be an opportunity to announce that I TOO am writing a book
about extrusion--that makes 3 of us. By next year at this time everything
anyone ever wanted to know about extrusion will be in three books!

Diana

On Thu, 9 Jul 1998, Clyde Tullis wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I use a manual one,but I don't think there would be much different.
> What Makes them ugly? Dog ears? Try softer clay. Alot of the off-the shelf
> stuff is too stiff to extrude well. On the other hand, I've taken some clays
> right out of the bag and had good results.
> Die design is also important. I use 1/4" thick acrylic and bevel the edge of
> the openning. John Glick has some info out there about this. Does anyone
> know where?
>
> Pamela Jo Stamper wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Hello all,
> > Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
> > purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
> > some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
> > hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
> > Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
> > This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
> > does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
> > to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
> > forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculptures
> > and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
> > suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
> > call IT a sculpture.
> > Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com
>

Clyde Tullis on sat 11 jul 98

Pamela:

oh yea, I use 1/2" birch plywood to back up larger dies. It is also beveled. Th
bevel, of course is on the clay side. The material is aquired from the dumpster
at the plastic suppier.

Diana, Need some slides?

DIANA PANCIOLI, ASSOC. PROF. wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Dear Pamela:
>
> You usual clay formula may not be a good extruding body. That could be
> one reason why you are having problems. Another is that your body may not
> be soft enough--clay for extrusion needs to be softer.
>
> Regarding Clyde's note about dies--I think your big machine needs more
> than 1/4" plastic. I assume you are using dies which came with the
> extruder. 1/4" polycarbonate plastic works for smaller extruders (not
> acrylic, it isn't strong enough.)
>
> This might be an opportunity to announce that I TOO am writing a book
> about extrusion--that makes 3 of us. By next year at this time everything
> anyone ever wanted to know about extrusion will be in three books!
>
> Diana
>
> On Thu, 9 Jul 1998, Clyde Tullis wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > I use a manual one,but I don't think there would be much different.
> > What Makes them ugly? Dog ears? Try softer clay. Alot of the off-the shelf
> > stuff is too stiff to extrude well. On the other hand, I've taken some clays
> > right out of the bag and had good results.
> > Die design is also important. I use 1/4" thick acrylic and bevel the edge o
> > the openning. John Glick has some info out there about this. Does anyone
> > know where?
> >
> > Pamela Jo Stamper wrote:
> >
> > > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > > Hello all,
> > > Last year, feeling rich from a auto accident settlement, I
> > > purchased the big kahuna of Bailey extruders --the hydraulic version and
> > > some hollow dies. My problem is that none of my attempts to extrude large
> > > hollow forms look anything at all like Bailey's pictures in the Ceramics
> > > Monthly. Instead I am producing pitiful junk that gets recycled.
> > > This is too expensive a machine to only use for mug handles (It
> > > does that very well!) Do any of you have this machine? Have you managed
> > > to do anything amazing with it? I had visions of extruding lots of hollow
> > > forms, letting them dry a bit, and putting them together to make sculpture
> > > and pots and even columns.(NOT HAPPENING!!) Help....does anyone have any
> > > suggestions? I'm getting ready to decorate it with feathers and beads and
> > > call IT a sculpture.
> > > Pamela Jo stamps@seasurf.com
> >