Raku oil can for Valentine's Day

[coldplugs]

My wife gave me this for Valentine's day. I'd seen this fellow's work in a pottery magazine about a year ago and was hugely impressed. (I've been a "beginning" potter for 3 years now).

I've seen some good ceramic work before and usually figure that with enough time and experience "I could do that". This I will never be able to do. It's Raku, for those who know what that is. I expect KellysGuy understands what's involved better than I do.

 

[Guest]

This I will never be able to do. It's Raku, for those who know what that is.

That's piece is difficult, but raku is a piece of cake so don't be intimidated by lesrning it. While we never do anything that detailed, it aint nuthin' to slather three coats and cook it. Lemme know when you want to build a kiln, I'll walk you through it. Sure, things break sometimes but that's raku. That's a cool piece. Looks like I see some bottles of glaze in the background.

 

[Guest]

You can do it, we can help! :thumbsup:

( Watch Home Depot sue me now.) :laugh:

 

[JPSmit]

That is truly beautiful! I'll be honest, the first picture I thought - "Oh, it's a shaving mug" but then I saw the rest. Very special indeed!! (Raku is beautiful isn't it?)

 

[Guest]

That is truly beautiful! I'll be honest, the first picture I thought - "Oh, it's a shaving mug" but then I saw the rest. Very special indeed!! (Raku is beautiful isn't it?)

His work is really nice. Kelly's has seen it before and commented about it. He's been in major publications. AS you stated earlier, that's a level most can't reach. Most we do is two colors and no detail, which is the hard part.

Don't be intimidated by the process though, if I can do it you can too.


How many pieces is it? Can you tell how he made it?

 

[Guest]

You musta been a good boy as I can assure you she spent some money on that!

 

[JPSmit]

You musta been a good boy

Mae West said it best: "When I'm good, I'm very good. When I'm bad, I'm better"

 

[Guest]

You musta been a good boy

Mae West said it best: "When I'm good, I'm very good. When I'm bad, I'm better"

That's at least a $250 piece, maybe higher...possibly double.

The thing about raku is it's prone to crack or blow up. Something that intricate is really tricky. Even if it makes it through in one piece the colors comming out right is a crap shoot.

If it sounds difficult it is, that's what makes it easy for simpler pieces. It either comes out or it doesn't. Once it goes in the kiln you have VERY little control over it.

We usually pull piece out at 1850 degrees F to put in reduction. That's a HUGE thermal shock for a piece of clay. There's a 50-75% chance of success....or failure. That's why raku is more expensive...not to mention the emergency room visits. :eeek:

 

[coldplugs]

That's piece is difficult, but raku is a piece of cake so don't be intimidated by lesrning it. While we never do anything that detailed, it aint nuthin' to slather three coats and cook it. Lemme know when you want to build a kiln, I'll walk you through it. Sure, things break sometimes but that's raku. That's a cool piece. Looks like I see some bottles of glaze in the background.

Thanks for the offer. We've never done raku - I may contact you when we decide to build a kiln for it. At this point we only have an old Weber grille body we're thinking of burying. Does that make sense?

(Note to JPSmit - yes - raku makes a beautiful surface. Hard to describe it when it's "right")

The biggest part of the can, the "can" part and the base, is a single piece with a pretty thin wall. Then there's the domed top, a flange for the lid, the lid, the spout, the two small brackets for the handle (from a thin slab), and the small handle on the back that reads "tilt". He uses porcelain mixed with molochite.

No idea of the cost. Not sure I wanna know.

 

[Guest]

No idea of the cost. Not sure I wanna know.

You don't.


We have an old BBQ here we're gonna convert to do large raku platters. I made her regualar gas raku kiln from a garbage can. Biggest cost is the fiber. You can make a burner yourself, however; her's is store bought. It was given to us by a friend.

By burying, do you mean to fire in?

 

[coldplugs]

...

By burying, do you mean to fire in?

Yes, but darned if I remember why I think it needs burying. I was on my second brandy when I wrote that. Maybe I'm thinking of baked beans.

 

[Guest]

Pit firing; haven't yet but on the list. Got a saga kiln but haven't used it yet. Gotta really nice and big gas fire kiln and haven't used that yet either.

Saga kiln is real easy to make too and a lot cheaper than a raku kiln.