Raku firing

The 2nd round of firing my clay pots and heads today.

Raku is so exciting. The kiln is made from a lidded dustbin, with a hole cut towards the base for a gas flame to enter the bin. The temperature needs to reach around 1040 degrees C which takes between 15-30 minutes. Once reached the items are moved with irons to another bin and covered with sawdust.

No one can predict exactly what the results will look like when finished. Glazes crackle in fascinating patterns and metallic oxides change colors. Different colors appear in different areas of one piece from a single glaze depending upon the amount of oxygen during the firing and in the bin during the post firing reduction.