Whilst working as a vacation student at a coking plant in South Wales
(attached to the now-defunct pit at Bedwas) in the mid 1960s, I spent some
time making 'pug' from crushed coke and water. This was used to seal the
oven doors during the recharging process. As I remember, it was hot, dusty
work - 60 hours a week on a three shift pattern for the princely sum of £10!
Deri Parsons
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kelvin Lake" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 10:16 PM
Subject: Re: Pug Mills
In brickworks Pug Mills are used to mix clay and grog (old ground up
bricks), which is then extruded through nozzles to directly form bricks
or alternatively 'lumps' which can then be put onto a press to create
shaped bricks.
Old style pug mills are usually large 'tubs' with a rotating vertical
axle holding blades or paddles. Clay and grog is fed into the top of the
tub, 'mixed' by the rotating paddles and then extruded from the bottom
of the pan by means of an archimedes screw feeding the clay mix to the
nozzle. In works making bricks by hand the extruded clay is cut with a
wire into the required 'brick' sizes.
You will find similar devices in most works that created hand made clay
products e.g. bricks, tiles, glass pots and other 'ceramics'.
Kelvin Lake
Shropshire Caving & Mining Club ^o^
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