RAKU Workshop - Buy a pot to glaze

Raku workshop 

Raku Firing

When: Saturday, March 22th

Timeline: Friday, 21th - 

Glaze Night for members - 6pm

    Saturday, 22th-

Set up - 12:30

1st Firing - 1ish

Public Start: 2:00 

Open 1st Firing: 2:45ish

2nd Firing: 3:15ish

Open 2nd Firing: 5ish

Clean Up: 5:30ish

Info:

Raku is a low-firing finishing process that originated in Japanese pottery. We will bring the kiln up to about 1,877 degrees (about cone 05) in just under 2 hours. The pieces will then be removed while red hot, placed in cans with combustible material, and lidded to create a reduction atmosphere. This will create amazing colors in the glazes and cause the smoke to fuse with the clay body. We will let them sit in this reduction atmosphere for 15 minutes before cooling them rapidly with water. 

We will also be opening the kiln when it hits about 1,500 degrees to remove pottery for burning items onto the surface, i.e. horsehair, feathers, rope.

Raku is not food safe. The ceramic will not be fully vitrified and the rapid cooling causes the beautiful crackling that can allow liquid to seep through. 

Making Your Pieces:

You will want to make things that are no larger than 1.5 pounds of clay with the Raku clay. You can use our SeaMix 6, but it is more likely to crack and break. Pieces can be thrown, or hand built but they need to be easily grabbable with long tongs (no small flat pieces). 

Notes:

• The inside of pieces typically get the best coloring from the reduction.

• Exposed clay will turn gray to black.

• If you are wanting to do surface burning, you will want to burnish your piece, there will be no glaze to smooth out the surface.

• If you want to buy your own glazes for the event, please make sure it is Raku Glaze, otherwise it will not work.

• Pieces must be out of the bisque fire by the 21st.

• You can get Raku clay from Kelly for $1.30 per pound

• We will want around 30 pieces total for the two firings, please make 1-3 pieces, but only 1 piece for surface burning.