week 26 - Fire!

My pottery friend Gill was kind enough to give me a bit of a Raku training while we did a small firing for the Egyptian paste beads.

Here is the setup: Kiln, empty trash can (so you have something to rest the lid on, it gets very hot), propane canister, containers with sawdust, wet towels and water, danger signs!


The top of the kiln, you look in there to see if the pots look 'glossy', when they are, they have reached the right temperature. (this is all very approximate!)


Metal containers with shavings - the shavings will start to burn when we put the hot objects inside, this will burn up all the oxygen and create the 'reduction'.


Rack of beads to go in the kiln - last week these were coloured, now they are covered in a crystalline 'hair' which will become the glaze when they are fired.


We load the kiln and turn the gas on - flames! HOT! The burner is really loud.


We put the beads in the metal containers and then covered them and draped in wet towels. This helps to keep the smoke down. The smoke is dangerous - it can explode so you have to be careful.


These are the beads - now we have to wash and scrub the soot off!


I was really happy to have the opportunity to do this - it also means when we have the Raku firing for the class, I can help. There is a lot to do quickly once things come out of the kiln!