Some might call it the business end, perhaps not the most "graceful" angle to view the old Peter Pugger, but I guess it will have to do. This thing can grind up the red dirt like no other. Occasionally I will find a little flake of steel that has gotten into the mix,but no alarm. Sometimes if the little bit of steel is hidden within the pot's wall it will melt out and leave a nice "comet" trail in the glaze. It could be worse I guess. On a the rare occasion I will get a bit of plaster in a pot, which pops out after either the bisque or glaze firing.
The auger is driven with what looks like a motorcycle chain. It's pretty amazing that it's still dependable and needs very little maintenance. I've had to weld the plunger recently after a crack developed. I probably pug about 5 tons of clay every year, since 1999. Not bad. What a great simple machine.
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