Raku Break (Post Fire Reduction or American Raku)
Had to take a break to catch up on some Raku (i.e., Post Fire Reduction or American Raku)potteryfiring over the weekend. I lost one to heat stress.
It was a piece of junk anyway but still
wasted effort getting it to the glazing phase.
It had to be this weekend because this was the first
period in a long time with temperatures below the high
90's or low 100's. It has been hanging around 90+ even
late into the evening. Factor in the protective clothing
and the kiln firing ~1800 degrees & that
does a little ass scorching. Not a whole lot of fun
to fire in the summertime. But still preferable to the
winter. Wet and (relative) cold increases the heat/cooling
stress and causes more crumbled pottery. It's also
wet and cold, I hate that.
posted by slaghammer at 1:44 PM
6 Comments:
Did you actually make those? Kudos! The last ime I made a pot was in GCSE art and it all fell down on one side so I made it look like a Dalek instaed of a pot. :-)
If you did make them - keep going, they're good!
Hi Ghostrose,
I did make them. They are stoneware clay thrown on a wheel and raku fired. I mix my own glazes and the raku kiln is homemade. Anyway, everybody goes through the same frustration the first few times at the wheel. You start out intending to throw a vase or bowl and it turns into an ashtray and usually progresses a turtle or some other lumpy form that you can stick a few legs and a head on to finish it out. I’ve seen a few interesting ceramic turtles.
Thanks for compliment.
So there's a serious, artistic side to The Loony Alchemist. I should have known. c",)
Hi irene, art is a jealous parasite. It must be fed or it consumes the host. Goddamn! That was excessively dramatic! Let me try again. Hi irene, art is like a rash that must be smeared with ointment lest it boil up in the most uncomfortable places. Yes, that is truly how I feel. I think I like the first one better though.
Simply cool! Reach around, pat that back...I like your raku!
Hi madpotter, thanks for dropping by. I appreciate your kind assessment of my humble efforts. I visited your blog and I love your work and I am envious of your kiln. My small raku kiln is homemade from junkyard stainless steel scraps. As I am also a metalworker, I try to build as many of my pottery tools as possible. Since I live in the middle of a subdivision, I have to limit my firings to times when the reduction smoke is least likely cause neighborhood insurrections. I’m surprised somebody hasn’t called the fire department by now. If I’m ever in the Aiken/Augusta area, I’ll swing by and gawk.
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