~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
JUST RAKU
The Newsletter for Raku Artists and Raku Art Lovers
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
June 2005
Issue #31
Published by
Gary R. Ferguson – Raku Artist
http://www.garyrferguson.com
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
In This Issue
* While the Smoke Clears
* Icy Raku Sweet Spot
* Stop Cracking Slabs
* Raku Bisquing
* Raku Beading Glaze
* Raku and Alcohol (no not Booze!)
* Raku Links
* Workshops

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
* While the Smoke Clears *

Hello again.

Well I almost made it. I almost got the June issue out
during June. I'll try to be better for the July issue, but
it will be tough as I have several projects on my plate
right now.

I'm pretty excited. If you have a copy of the new Axner
Pottery catalog, take a look in the books section and
you'll see my Raku Glazes and Raku Secrets books are now
available. If you don't have it handy you can see them on
line at: http://www.pottery-books.com/axner/books/p617.php
and: http://www.pottery-books.com/axner/books/p615.php

As always, I look forward to your feedback, suggestions,
questions, and article ideas at: editor@garyrferguson.com

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Here is an easy (and free) way to support this newsletter.
Open a new eBay account by clicking on the link below and
select "register" at the top of the screen. Then look for a
deal and bid. Your support is greatly appreciated!
http://www.qksrv.net/click-411938-2202639
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

* Icy Raku Sweet Spot *
by Michael H.

I have noticed several requests for help that all stem from
applying glazes too heavy, underfiring, or overfiring. I
thought I would share a visual tip.

First, I fire in a 55 gallon barrel lined with fiber, one
peep hole, two shelves, and I use a single Raku burner from
Ward Burners, a fairly basic setup. I fire multiple pieces
with different glazes, all of which mature at different
points. I use no pyrometers or cones; it is all done by eye
(don't get too close to the peep hole or you'll loose your
eyebrows - gotta buy one of those face shields some day).

What you need to do is really observe how the glazes behave
as they are heating, knowing the stages each glaze goes
through on the clay body helps identify the perfect
maturity of the firing.

Some glazes bubble up, pop, pit, etc., and then seem to
flow together. Others will begin to change colors and go
from matt to shiny. Others will begin to run. What you are
looking for can best be described as "seeing the sun
reflecting in melted water on the surface of a frozen
pond." When you see just that sheen (the "Raku sweet spot")
the glaze is mature and ready to be plucked from the fire
and put into reduction.

For those of you in the "hot" areas that never see iced
ponds take a cake pan and freeze a block of ice. Take it
from the freezer and set it in the sun. Come back in about
1/2 hour and position yourself so that the sun reflects on
the water - that's what you are looking for.

Try it before you start firing next time.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
If you are interested in making a little extra money for
taking on-line surveys, click on the link below. Go to
http://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=1424287 and click on 'Join'.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Stop Cracking Slabs *

My challenge at this time is I'm loosing about a third of
my bowls. I make large, irregular slab bowls and lots
of them are breaking. I don't know if I'm loosing them in
the kiln or the reduction but too many of them crack. Do
you have any ideas for a fix?

Libby K.

I do have a few thoughts and suggestions that may help.

First, make sure you are wedging you clay really well
before you start your slab work. You might want to even
try wedging in some Kyanite. Kyanite is the "miracle"
component to make almost any clay Raku worthy.

You may also want to Raku fire a little slower, especially
if the bowls are large so the temperature difference from
top to bottom or from one side to the other is not very
great.

You may also want to fire them standing on edge. This can
reduce the stress and also make them easier to remove from
the kiln with tongs later.

Finally I would leave them in the reduction chamber for 30+
minutes and then if you finish cooling with water make sure
the whole piece is quenched at the same time, again so one
part of the piece is not cooling faster than another.

Hope this helps.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku: A Practical Approach by Steven Branfman
The "nuts and bolts" how-to book of Raku
Order 30% off at: http://www.garyrferguson.com/branfman
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Raku Bisquing *

Is it possible, and reasonable, to do bisque firings in a
Raku kiln.

Brad F.

It definitely is possible. You just want to try an follow
a normal bisque firing schedule - low and slow for several
hours and then a slow climb to the final bisque temperature
and then a slow cooling period.

~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Books, Music, Videos and that's just the start. Amazon
sells more than books! Help support this newsletter by
using this link: http://www.garyrferguson.com/amazon
~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

* Raku Beading Glaze *

Two weeks ago, I attended a pottery sale at the Community
Center here. One of the artists had on display some of her
Raku work. Several of her pieces had a Raku glaze on it
that seemed to bead all over the work. Have you ever seen
or heard of such a glaze, my wife wanted to try it out, but
was a little shy to ask the potter if she would share the
recipe.

Ron

There are two "Beads" recipes in my Raku Glazes ebook
http://www.rakuglazes.com, which are copied below. I have
not tried either of these recipes yet, but they seem to
indicate what you are after. Let me know what results you
get.

Beads

Magnesium Carbonate 31.25
Borax 25
Gerstley borate 31.25
Flint 6.25
Zircopax 6.25

Glass Bead Raku
Gerstley Borate 50
Borax 40
Flint 10
Magnesium Carbonate 50
Zircopax 10

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
"Bought your book - great compendium!"
http://www.rakuglazes.com
~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

* Raku & Alcohol (no not Booze) *

I recently went to an art festival where a Raku artist
Bruce Odell was doing a Raku demonstration, which was cool,
and different from any I've seen. His pots had clear
crackle and a copper luster glaze. When he took it out of
the kiln. He left it in the open air for a few minutes to
get the clear crackle process started, then he sprayed a
mixture of what he said was alcohol, corn oil, and water on
the pot to somehow initiate the copper coloration process.
He had a tub of coarse sawdust which he made a hole it then
put the pot in it and covered it up to the hole in the top
and after a few minutes of full reduction he started moving
around the sawdust and exposing parts of the pot to air to
"selectively" paint with the copper achieving whatever
color he wanted wherever he wanted. I've never seen anyone
exercise this type of control over the reduction and copper
coloration process.

I recently bought some denatured alcohol that I saw in an
explanation of what Charlie Riggs used in his copper matt
reduction process. So, I have assumed that Bruce Odell was
using denatured alcohol in his mix but I don't know
percentages of the mixture. I'm a little hesitant to just
mix some denatured alcohol, corn oil and water in whatever
amount and spray a red hot Raku pot with it. I'd like to
continue to live for a while yet. You wouldn't happen to
have heard of this and know what the mix would be for this?

Was thinking of trying this with the Copper Luster II
recipe from your glaze recipe ebook since it calls for
sawdust reduction.

Have any ideas on this technique?

PS. Here is a link describing Charlie Rigg's Technique:
http://www.potters.org/subject15943.htm

Regards,
Brian D.

I have not actually used alcohol in my reduction process
yet,but I have talked to a couple of potters that have. It
is my understanding they used just the alcohol in a sprayer
and this created the reduction process. I would imagine
that mixing the alcohol, water, and oil together would add
to the variability because I don't think these mix well
together and would have different impacts on the reduction
process.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku Pottery by Robert Piepenburg The must have "Bible" of
Raku http://www.garyrferguson.com/piepenburg
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Click Away *

My eBay Listings http://tinyurl.com/tn08
Just Raku Blog http://justraku.blogspot.com
Just Raku Logowear http://www.cafepress.com/justraku
Got Raku? http://www.cafepress.com/gotraku
Just Raku Archive http://www.JustRaku.com

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku – John Mathieson http://tinyurl.com/3f5yh
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Workshops, Ads, etc. *

Please let me know of any Raku workshops in your area.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku: Investigations Into Fire by David Jones
Order 30% off at: http://tinyurl.com/8m5x
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

This newsletter is send to opt-in members only. If this
issue was forwarded to you and you would like your own copy
each month send an email to subscribe@garyrferguson.com
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

If you wish to no longer receive this newsletter send an
email to unsubscribe@garyrferguson.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in
the subject line.

Disclaimer: Just Raku, the owner(s) and representative(s)
of this website and newsletter will not be held liable for
any direct or indirect losses or damages originating from
the use of any information listed on our website or in our
newsletters. By using this site and newsletter you agree to
indemnify and hold all owners and representative parties of
Just Raku harmless from any claim or demand originating out
of your use of the Just Raku website and/or newsletters.
Use of our website and newsletters is an indication of your
complete understanding and acceptance of these Terms of
Service.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
JUST RAKU (C) Copyright 2002-2005 Gary R. Ferguson