| Plan a
raku party for you next birthday, lock-in or any event. Raku is a type of pottery that is quick and exciting. Raku is a pottery firing technique dating back to 16th century Japan. In the western world, the glazed ware is removed from the kiln at approximately 1800 degrees, placed in a pit containing combustible materials, and tightly covered. This procedure reduces the oxygen in the chamber creating interesting and unique effects in the pottery's glaze. | |
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Choose Your Pot
The first thing to do is pick pot. Choose the size and shape you desire. I always bring plenty to choose from. |
| Choose your Glaze
You see an examlpe of the type of glaze you want. Then with a brush and a few simple strokes, your pot is glazed. |
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Now They are Ready
to Fire The glazed pots are placed into the kiln and heated up to 1800 degrees in about 45 minutes. |
| Checking the Heat
You can't see the flame during the day time. The inside is about 1800 degrees now. To show how hot the kiln is, I hold a piece of paper above and to the side of the exhaust hole. It immediatly goes up in flames. |
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Removing From the
Kiln Before the pots come out of the kiln, I like to talk about the process and what you are about to see. As the pots are removed from the kiln they are glowing red hot. This looks really great at night. |
| Out of the Kiln and
into the Can Once removed from the kiln they are placed into a trashcan full of newspaper. The newspaper bursts into flames from the heat. A lid is placed on top of the trashcan and the pots smolder inside for about 20 min. |
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The Results !
Here is an example of the results. You see three different glazes here. A metallic flash on the left, a white crackle in the middle , and a high luster on the right. |