Raku Firing! - 18th March 2016

Raku Firing

Health & Safety:

1. Beware of hot temperatures and smoke.
2. Ensure apron is fastened securely.
3. Make sure gloves cover any long sleeve and come up to elbows.
4. Wear sensible footwear.
5. Wear protective gloves when using oxides and glazes or wash hands thoroughly between each use.

Materials:

Apron,

Gloves,

Plastic Goggles,

Paintbrush,

Plastic jug,

Stirring stick,

Metal bucket of water (outside),

Long tongs,

Sawdust,

Kiln,

Metal Bin,

Using the techniques learned from my throwing skills block, I made two pots in raku clay for raku firing.

I made one which is more of an ashtray style and the other which is like a small vase. I hadn't thrown in a few months so they were a bit wobbly, but after I made them, they went in for a bisque firing in the kiln. 

For the raku firing, we had to use specific raku oxide/glazes. 

For my first vase type pot, I used satin matt white - small crackle under around the top edge, copper apple green around the top half of the pot and crackle white along the side.

This is how it turned looked:

For my second pot, I used metallic blue/ purple gold raku - copper carb bentonite to paint two of the floral patterns around the circumference of the outside. Next, I used bright turquoise crackle around the top edge and on another two flowers and finally I used a red bronze for the final two flowers. 

For the inside, I painted in a dry copper glaze, and dripped a few splashes of raku orange glaze.

The kiln is set up outside due to the high risk of fire and heated up. Using the long tongs, the work was placed inside the kiln and the lid closed. The pieces remained inside until it reached 1000 degrees! This took about 10/15 minutes.

After this, taking the tongs again, the work is removed and placed into the metal bin, where sawdust is then thrown directly on top of the work to help it burn, and the lid is placed on top. Make sure you're wearing your goggles because being so close to the fire and burning sawdust, WILL make your eyes sting.

As you can see, Zoe is wearing the protective uniform suitable for working in such high temperatures. Unfortunately, when I tried this, I was on sawdust duty and my apron flew open because I didn't tie it properly, so make sure the apron is on securely!

After a while, the work is then transferred from the metal bin into a wheelbarrow... 

Where it is then placed in a bucket of cold water.

Once it has been put into the bucket, you scrub at it until the colours start to show up underneath and you are left with beautiful pieces of work in black and colourful contrasts.

Here's how my pieces turned out!

Overall I am quite pleased with how my work turned out, especially the ash tray one. The floral pattern came out beautifully. I was a little disappointed that the apple green around the top of my second pot didn't come out, but I do love the unpredictability of the oxides and glazes, especially under a raku fire. I can't way to hopefully try raku firing again.