Backroom Boys of Pottery

Most people have marvelled at the potter's art. How many stop to consider where the supply of the necessary ingredient, clay, is processed? Not many. "Photo News" takes a look at one of the few small clay processing plants in New Zealand, at Mapua.

Sixty years ago William McPherson began a clay business. In those days he supplied clay for a variety of products. Pottery was not among them.

Today Ian McPherson Ltd is a thriving business, with the accent on supplying clay for pottery. Mr McPherson, son of William McPherson, has been involved with clay for over 30 years but it is only in the last 16 years that the business has catered for potters and it is only more recently that the business has been worked fulltime on this line. In charge of the clay processing is Auburn Hill, Mr McPherson's son-in-law. The clay is dug from pits at Takaka and the West Coast before being trucked to Mapua for processing.

In the barrow is Puramahoi clay bound for processing. Other piles of clay in the background are of different sources

Impurities in the slurry are sieved through this filter to give a supply of coarse silica for putting in raw clay and this gives clay extra texture. Auburn Hill clears the sieve

Tossing clay into the slurry mixer is Glen Gates. Different brews of slurry are mixed for different types of clay

This is an old system of removing excess moisture from clay. The mixture is placed in these drying bats and the method relies on air drying, and the absorption of moisture by the plaster of Paris bats, to achieve its end.

This is the filter press into which slurry is forced under 80lbs/sq. in. pressure. The slurry is filtered through jute and is forced against steel rings. There are 40 of these rings and the press is screwed to 5000lbs/sq. in. Auburn is holding a ring of clay about ¾ in. thick and weighing about 30lbs and in this state it is worth about one dollar. Right - After going through a pug mill the clay is packed into plastic lined bags for transporting to potters all over New Zealand. Below - Here the clay emerges from the pug mill as "sausages" weighing about 281bs. The clay is blended in the mill. On the table are rings of clay folded ready for milling. Below Right - Auburn Hill does not profess to be a potter but each batch of clay is tested for throwing, on a wheel.

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The Nelson Photo News

No 132 : October 16, 1971

Backroom Boys of Pottery