Craig Martell on fri 8 nov 02
Hi fellow mixers of stuff:
When dry mixing, I always use a lot of Vermouth. But we were talking about
clay and glazes.
If one uses a dough type mixer to do a claybody, I think dry mixing is a
real good idea for a couple of reasons. All the ingredients are mixed
easily and faily well in a short peroid of time and it's easier on the
equipment. I have a stainless steel mixer that I do porcelain in. I add
all the ingredients and dry mix for about 10 minutes. Since dry powders
offer little resistance to the force of the motor, gearbox, and blades, dry
mixing will relieve the motor of some really hard work. When I've dry
mixed enough, I add the water with blunged vee gum and run the mixer just
long enough to wet the mix. Then the clay is run thru the pugmill, without
deairing, and bagged for ageing.
When I blunge clay and glazes, I never dry mix. It just ain't necessary as
far as I'm concerned.
regards, Craig Martell Hopewell, Oregon
Michael McDowell on sat 9 nov 02
Ron,
I think the discussion so far has brought up several methods of dry
mixing and several instances where it is advisable to do so. What
hasn't been done is to give a direct answer to your question. If you
are getting a good mix of ingredients with the methods you are using
(wet mixing, excess water, blunger or whirler), and you are
comfortable with those methods, then there is no need to add dry
mixing to the equation. It is when you wish to do something
different, for whatever reason, that you may find dry mixing, or
Dannon's suggestion of pre-wetting certain ingredients to be
helpful.
There are a million ways to skin a cat. If you have one that is
working for you, go with it. Still, you may wish to know about
alternatives. Someday you may wish to skin a cat of a different
size...
Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, WA
Michael@McDowellPottery.com
http://www.McDowellPottery.com
--ORIGINAL POST--
This is frequently brought up on Clayart ie.to "dry mix" ingredients
before
adding to water. In my experience there does not appear to be any
difference as long as in "wet mixing" excess water and a blunger or
whirler
are used. Would anyone like to present their "proof "to clayart that
dry
mixing is necessary? RON MITTON SOUTH AFRICA
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