Raku Magic

So far, throwing pottery has sorta-kinda not really been my jam, but there is one part of it that I must say I enjoy quite a bit.

That would be grabbing red hot ceramic pieces out of a kiln and putting them in large metal trash cans full of fire.


Yes yes. Raku is totally awesome.


Well, today was pretty much all about glazing, so in between prepping our regular glazes, we set up a few things for raku and set them outside. I dipped one of my shaped cylinders in Raku Burst, and one little mug (that I was never really a fan of) in Tutti Frutti and White Crackle--sort of a half and half design.
Then! We loaded them up in the kiln, and a while later, a few of us were called out to pretty much prepare for battle.
I was put on tongs duty since, while I didn't have tennis shoes, I did have sandals. Others with flip flops were on the trash cans.

After suiting up in heavy leather (gross, but it did mean not horrible burns upon me) jackets and aprons and spats and gloves and we all had helmets with safety visors.



Before the action! I believe other peoples got some of the action shots, so hopefully I will receive them at some point.


The Raku process pretty much goes like this:

1. Prof opens up the kiln.
2. Tongs people start reaching in and grabbing glowing hot pottery.
3. We turn to our respective trashcan and trashcan operator and they open the lid.
4. Trashcan people must use the lid as a shield against the giant fire that is inside of the trashcans.
5. We place the pottery inside onto a bed of burning newspaper and sawdust.

Also there are four of us doing this repeatedly (and very quickly so things don't cool off) in the small space outside until the kiln is empty.


After all that nonsense, we take off our leathers and go inside since it is 1000 degrees outside (slight exaggeration) and we're all sweating like crazy people.


A bit later, we go back out and suit up once more, since the pottery must now be taken out of the trashcans and quenched in water.

Only now when you open the trashcans, giant clouds of smoke pour up and out of them into your face and you can't see anything. Also your eyes hurt and you can't breathe.

So we dig around blindly in the trashcans and pull the stuff out, slowly lower each it into a bucket of water, then set it to the side.


Lastly, you rub / clean of your piece with sand to get them all nice and shiny and ready to go!


The finished product!

My cylinder has this awesome green upper half, and the bottom is completely coppery looking. It also has mysterious circular recesses in them, which still looks totally cool.
I am very pleased.


My mug came out slightly worse. The Tutti Frutti side is pretty cool. Kind of pink and green swirls.
But the White Crackle... For one: it doesn't match the other colors, second off: it just looks sort of gross. But whatever.


Anyway, that all actually took place right after class had ended.



Glaze drying!


Pieces ready for the kiln! I have no idea how these will turn out. Hopefully they'll be cool.


Clear glaze going on top of an orange and blue square design on one of my bowls.


I cracked one of my vessels shortly before it was graded...




_______