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extruders and recycling clay

updated sat 21 oct 00

 

mgitlis on thu 19 oct 00


Hi, I have two questions. We have a Northstar extruder. It is really =
difficult to push the handle down and the clay through when it's full of =
clay. It seems like the barrel is a little too tight for the plunger. =
I'm ready to send it back to the supplier, but I was wondering if anyone =
had any ideas about how to use it more easily.=20

My other question is about reclaiming clay. Has anyone devised a way to =
screen slip for very small contaminants, like a shamy that has gone =
through the pugmill or splinters of wood. We reclaim a lot of clay and =
this has become a problem. Thanks for any ideas. Jessica=20

Hank Murrow on thu 19 oct 00


Jessica wrote;
>
>My other question is about reclaiming clay. Has anyone devised a way to
>screen slip for very small contaminants, like a shamy that has gone through
>the pugmill or splinters of wood. We reclaim a lot of clay and this has
>become a problem. Thanks for any ideas.


Good Evening jessica;

harry davis showed me a very effective way to screen any slurry in a hurry.
his device was a vibrating screen. A wood frame holding the mesh of your
choice(stainless is the best), and a sewing machine motor with an off
center disc mounted on the motorshaft so it vibrates like crazy. I can go
through 40 gallons in 1/2 hour with this rig. we called him "Shade Tree
harry" here in Eugene, because he had so many inventive ways to make the
work go easier. Miss him! Hank in Eugene

Joyce Lee on thu 19 oct 00


Jessica asked about difficulties she's having with her Northstar
extruder.

I have a Northstar and rarely used it because I, too, found it took too
much brute strength to extrude the clay from the barrel ... and that my
shorter friends were beginning to rebel at my requests to dangle from
the extended handle ... so it more or less just hung around for a
couple of years. THEN I discovered by happenstance that considerbly
softer clay than I was trying to force through was the answer. Now I
have no problem AT ALL and can extrude more coils within minutes than I
can use in one session. I've only discovered this in the last few weeks,
but am now having a fine time with my 80 or so dies that came with my
NCECA show price at Vegas .. "How soft is the clay," you ask? "Just soft
enough, of course." (Am I not learning the vernacular?)

Joyce
In the Mojave who isn't the only slow learner in the desert. We now
have the DUMBEST roadrunner hanging around our place. Poor baby. I
should be ashamed to say so, but this young female sits in the middle of
the big copper red birdseed bowl, sits all puffed out almost filling the
bowl, with her long tail hanging over the side ... sits very, very
quietly, not even blinking ... apparently thinking that she won't be
noticed and can then pounce on the birds as they come to feed. Not. I
think maybe something dire happened to her mom and she's had no
role-modeling..... that or mom abandoned her .....

Czola on thu 19 oct 00


At the school studio, we spray the interior of our extruder with a coating
of WD-40... seems to do the trick!

Over our recycling buckets is a device designed to catch some of the larger
miscreants. We've stretched wire mesh over a square wood frame that sits
snugly over the mouth of the barrel. The mesh has 1/4" apertures. Much of
the large stuff gets strained out before it gets into the pug, and it
ensures that the clay is of a small enough size to melt into slurry quickly.

Hope this helps
christina

Tom Wirt/Betsy Price on thu 19 oct 00


From: mgitlis
Subject: extruders and recycling clay


>. We have a Northstar extruder. It is really difficult to push the
handle down and the clay through when it's full of clay. It seems like
the barrel is a little too tight for the plunger.


Jessica....

First question....how stiff is your clay and how big is the hole in
the die you are using. If the clay is really stiff and the die
small...it will be tough.

Second....the plunger will ease up as you use it.

Third...Spray a bit of WD40 (usual precautions apply) on the die
plate, rubber gasket (if you're using one), and the inside of the
barrel and plunger plate.

Fourth....are you using the long handle extension?

Try running the plunger through empty....it should bind, but it
shouldn't have any gap either. If it binds, check with Northstar
first, but a little sanding on the plunger might take care of it.
I've used one of these for 6 years now and, while it's not a heavy
duty high production, machine, it works fine for small scale stuff.
They, I believe, now have a bigger unit.

I've found Northstar to be an excellent company to deal with.


Tom Wirt

Michelle Moody on thu 19 oct 00


Softer clay is the secret. You could also use a cheater bar (a pipe to
extend the handle length) but the softer clay is the trick.
----- Original Message -----
From: "mgitlis"
To:
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 6:37 AM
Subject: extruders and recycling clay


Hi, I have two questions. We have a Northstar extruder. It is really
difficult to push the handle down and the clay through when it's full of
clay. It seems like the barrel is a little too tight for the plunger. I'm
ready to send it back to the supplier, but I was wondering if anyone had any
ideas about how to use it more easily.

My other question is about reclaiming clay. Has anyone devised a way to
screen slip for very small contaminants, like a shamy that has gone through
the pugmill or splinters of wood. We reclaim a lot of clay and this has
become a problem. Thanks for any ideas. Jessica

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stolp pottery on thu 19 oct 00


SO Joyce what extruder did you get and what special
price did you pay? Maybe we can negotiate with
someone for the same.
THanks
Deborah Olson
----- Original Message -----
From: Joyce Lee
To:
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 9:18 AM
Subject: extruders and recycling clay


> Jessica asked about difficulties she's having with her Northstar
> extruder.
>
> I have a Northstar and rarely used it because I, too, found it took too
> much brute strength to extrude the clay from the barrel ... and that my
> shorter friends were beginning to rebel at my requests to dangle from
> the extended handle ... so it more or less just hung around for a
> couple of years. THEN I discovered by happenstance that considerbly
> softer clay than I was trying to force through was the answer. Now I
> have no problem AT ALL and can extrude more coils within minutes than I
> can use in one session. I've only discovered this in the last few weeks,
> but am now having a fine time with my 80 or so dies that came with my
> NCECA show price at Vegas .. "How soft is the clay," you ask? "Just soft
> enough, of course." (Am I not learning the vernacular?)
>
> Joyce
> In the Mojave who isn't the only slow learner in the desert. We now
> have the DUMBEST roadrunner hanging around our place. Poor baby. I
> should be ashamed to say so, but this young female sits in the middle of
> the big copper red birdseed bowl, sits all puffed out almost filling the
> bowl, with her long tail hanging over the side ... sits very, very
> quietly, not even blinking ... apparently thinking that she won't be
> noticed and can then pounce on the birds as they come to feed. Not. I
> think maybe something dire happened to her mom and she's had no
> role-modeling..... that or mom abandoned her .....
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Gail Dapogny on thu 19 oct 00


Jessica, You could have all of your reclaimed clay and slip go through a
grid into the scrap barrel. We have been doing this and it helps..
---Gail Dapogny


>My other question is about reclaiming clay. Has anyone devised a way to
>screen slip for very small contaminants, like a shamy that has gone through
>the pugmill or splinters of wood. We reclaim a lot of clay and this has
>become a problem. Thanks for any ideas. Jessica

Sharon31 on fri 20 oct 00


> At the school studio, we spray the interior of our extruder with a coating
> of WD-40... seems to do the trick!

I spray with baby oil, wich I put into a small spraying bottle, smells
beter!

Ababi Sharon
sharon@shoval.org.il
http://www.milkywayceramics.com/cgallery/asharon.htm
http://www.israelceramics.org/index.html

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