December  2006    Issue #45
Published by
Gary R. Ferguson – Raku Artist
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In This Issue
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In This Issue
* While the Smoke Clears – Holiday Wishes.
* Electric Raku 
* A Chemical by Any Other Name is still a ...
* 3 Ways to Check Your Maturity
* More on Two Halves of the Same Pot
* Matte meet Glossy
* Raku Links
* Workshops 
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* 3 Ways to Check Your Maturity 

No, this is not a test to determine if you are an adult. 

Roger asks, “How do I know when a matte glaze has matured 
in a Raku firing?”

This can be a little challenging compared to determining if 
a glossy glaze is mature. A glossy glaze will reflect 
light (like water) when you look at it in the kiln. This is 
not the case for a matte glaze.

I know of three ways to determine if a matte glaze is 
mature:

1) Use a standing pyrometric cone that matches the glaze 
maturity temperature. This is probably the best method as 
the cone will bend when the proper amount of temperature 
and time has been applied.

2) Use a pyrometer and measure the temperature. This is a 
little less accurate than a cone, but if you fire to a 
certain temperature and then soak the kiln for a few 
minutes you should come out alright.

3) Use a glossy “witness” piece. You can fire a small 
piece with a glossy glaze that matures at the same 
temperature as your matte pieces. Then you can watch for 
the glossy piece to mature so you know when the matte 
pieces should be mature as well. 

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After reading Sue’s book I discovered dozens of tips, 
techniques, and methods of creating Raku beads and jewelry 
that I never would have thought of. The hundreds of color 
photos are not only instructional but inspiring as well. 
There is a new idea to try on almost every page. This book 
is a gold mine!” http://www.rakubeadjewelry.com
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Gary R. Ferguson - Raku Artist

(c) Copyright 2006, Gary R. Ferguson