Peter Pugger Mfg
Contact: Randy Wood
12501 Orr Springs Rd
Ukiah, CA 95482
U.S.
Phone: 707.463.1333
Fax: 707.463.1333
The first Peter Pugger was born in 1973 in sunny San Luis Obispo, California. It was a collaboration of a then little known architect/potter named Gordon Motta and an even lesser known engineer named Randy Wood. Gordon wanted a pugmill and Randy had ideas.
These two researched, sought out, analyzed and visited every existing
pugmill they could find - from studio models to industrial giants.
After many long nights of welding, cutting, banging, bending, consulting, and a little swearing, a very strange pugmill emerged, made mostly of recycled parts from abandoned garlic factory processing equipment.
This long-nosed monstrosity was aptly named "Peter Pugger" by a friend with an active imagination.
At that point no one imagined Peter Pugger would ever begin manufacturing. "If I had it to do over, I'm not sure I'd call it Peter Pugger", says Randy, "but it sure is a name people don't forget."
Gordon eventually moved back to the island of Hawaii where he grew up and became a now famous potter, leaving Randy the task of parenting "Peter." During the late 70s, while having made over a hundred long-nose puggers, Randy overheard a friend complaining that his pugmill wouldn't mix and his mixer wouldn't pug!
Randy put his thinking bandana back on and realized, while digging clay out of a mixer and stuffing it back into a pugmill, that this was a big waste of creative time and energy. By 1980, after several prototypes and much experimentation, Peter Pugger Manufacturing had its first patent and was well on its way to producing the first and ONLY pugger-mixer on the market.
Sales started slow, but new owners were delighted with the ease of mixing and recycling, and word soon spread. As the pugger-mixers started showing their worth, more potters started asking about vacuum deairing. Was it not enough for a clay mixer to unload itself through a pugmill? Not for everyone. So Randy went back to work trying to add vacuum.
This solution proved elusive. None of the conventional vacuum methods worked when mixing in a pugmill. Over the course of twelve years and after dozens of prototypes, Randy finally hit upon the exact combination that would work well, last a long time with low maintenance, and be perfectly safe and easy to operate - The Power Wedger was born.
What started out as a lark has turned into an organization producing various sizes of quality custom-crafted machines engineered for the long-term.
More than 25 years proven performance
in working and educational studios.
Self-Unloading
The Pugger-Mixer is a unique self-unloading clay mixer with pugmill output. Recycles Scrap
The Pugger-Mixer recycles scrap as well as mixes from dry powder. Saves Time
Complete processing of your clay in one machine saves you space, money and best of all, your time.
Models:
* VPM-20 Vacuum Deairing Power Wedger - batch size: 20-30 lbs.
* VPM-30 Vacuum Deairing Power Wedger - batch size: 30-40 lbs.
* VPM-60 Vacuum Dearing Power Wedger - batch size: 70-100 lbs.
*
PM-50 Pugger-Mixer - batch size: 60-85 lbs.
*
PM-100 Pugger-Mixer - batch size: 125-175 lbs.
Who Uses Peter Pugger Products and Why
Schools, Colleges, Universities
Production Potters
Artists, Craftspeople
International Customers
Schools, Colleges, Universities
Saves Time
* Pugger-Mixers are ideally suited to classroom situations. Reclaiming massive amounts of scrap is what they are designed to do.
* Moist clay from abandoned projects can be stored in the hopper and recycled between classes. Dry chunks, like broken
greenware, take more time to blend completely.
* Constant hand-feeding is not necessary with the Peter Pugger: load a batch in the hopper, push MIX and let the machine
homogenize the whole batch. Switch to PUG and the machine empties itself in the form of solid clay "logs".
How is Peter Pugger Different?
The Peter Pugger Pugger-Mixer is known worldwide as the only pugmill with the unique ability to both mix and pug in a single clay processing machine.
The Pugger-Mixer performs a variety of functions efficiently, transforming clay in any form to a usable product.
The VPM-20, VPM-30, and VPM-60 Power Wedgers provide vacuum deairing of clay prior to pugged output.
Does the Work of Two Machines!
It's a clay mixer and a pugmill.
Costs less than both.
Uses the studio space of only one.
Features
Mix moist clay from powder and water.
Reclaim scrap - wet or dry.
Blend two or more different bodies.
Add materials (wet or dry) to an already moist body.
Adjust moisture of an already wet body.
Easy to clean.
Auto safety shut off.
Advantages
The Pugger-Mixers have two basic advantages over conventional pugmills - both saving you time and energy:
The ability to mix clay and pug clay in a single clay processing machine.
No need to continually hand feed as with a standard pugmill.
Easy to Use
Load the clay or scraps (wet, dry, slip, slop, powder or greenware) in the oversized hopper.
Close the lid.
Push the mix button and GO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
When mixing is complete, push the "PUG" button and the Pugger-Mixer automatically empties itself in a homogenized log of clay.
