other possibility is that the clay was a bit wet when it went thru the
pug, you'll know if this is the case 'cos it'll look "dog-eared" as it
comes out of the machine....
Hugs
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
I think you may have hit the nail on the head there... some of the clay had
gone a little too hard to work with, and so I compensated with very soft
clay - which I mixed together to get a happy medium (so for every hard bit,
a soft piece went in too). Yes, the result was a little 'dog eared', but I
did put it through several times to work it thoroughly. I have gone back to
the clay today and it has rested overnight; it's still not right, but not as
bad as yesterday. Could this have been the cause of the clay going 'bubbly'
too?
Thanks for the input (and the hug - I need it at the moment - sniff)
JM
'the learning never stops'