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The Newsletter for Raku Artists and Raku Art Lovers In This Issue ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Happy New Year!!! In last January's Issue I stated some Raku Resolutions. Lets see how I did: 1. Finish writing a Raku book I've started - Done ( http://www.rakuglazes.com ) and have almost completed a second one. So extra points on this one. 2. Revamp my http://www.garyrferguson.com
website - Partly 3. Apply to at least four Juried Exhibits - Nope 4. Sell more art in eBay - Partly 5. Double subscribers to the Just Raku newsletter - Done So overall I guess not too bad. Hopefully your resolutions worked out as good or better. I'll have a new set for 2005 in the next issue. As always, I look forward to your feedback, suggestions, questions, and
article ideas at: Gary R. Ferguson ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * From the Studio * I did not get to spend much time in the studio this month given the holidays and some new "toys." The new "toys" were a Laptop and a DSL connection. The old PC was getting ... well old and DELL was having a heck of a deal before Christmas so I broke down and got a new laptop. Then about 2 months ago DSL became available in my neighborhood (for a reasonable price) and my existing "crummy" dial-up connection was actually going to increase in Feb, so I bit the bullet and ordered DSL. Even though I ordered "slow" DSL (meaning cheaper), it is 10x to 25x faster than my old dial-up connection was, and it also allows wireless access. So I'm no longer chained in my office for my writing and surfing work. I can hang out in the living room with the rest of the family while doing "Just Raku" stuff and not feel guilty. Because of the DSL connection, I had to make some drastic changes to the way I am sending out the Just Raku Newsletter, so I hope you are all still receiving it just fine. Ok, that's enough non-Raku stuff - on to the newsletter... ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Article * Colorants - Part I I get questions all the time as to "what glaze will give me such and such color", or "I have the following glaze, what colors should I expect?" In most cases the color of a glaze is a result of the colorants used in the glaze. Now each colorant can produce various colors depending on the type of glaze is it in, other colorants or chemicals used, and what type of reduction is applied. The following is part one of an overview of some of the most popular colorants and the possible colors they can achieve. Chrome Oxide Cobalt Carbonate/Oxide Copper Carbonate When Copper Carbonate is used in a reduction environment the following
colors are possible: Iron When Iron is used in a reduction environment the same basic colors are possible but with more of a tendency to Gray Green. Hopefully this will start to give you an idea of the colors possible with a glaze or a recipe you find. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Tips and Techniques * Glaze Mixing with an Index Card If you mix your own glazes it is very important to make sure you are adding the ingredients with the correct quantities and no ingredients are being missed or added twice. A good way to do this is to use a simple index card. Write the recipe you are going to mix on the card. Then calculate the multiplying factor for the batch your making (2x, 5x, 10x, etc.). This way you won't forget part way through measuring each chemical. Then as you add each chemical - check if off the list. This way you won't miss one or accidentally add one twice. If you mix a recipe regularly, you may want to laminate the card with the recipe, and then using an overhead projector pen to write the multiplying factor numbers and the tick marks as the ingredients are added. This way the card can be used over and over by just erasing the marks before mixing each time. ~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- * Q & A * Q: Where can I find the chemicals needed to mix my own glazes, such as found in your [Raku Glazes] eBook http://www.rakuglazes.com? A: First I would check your local yellow pages phone book under either
Pottery Supply or Ceramic Supply. Usually there is a local store that will
stock standard chemicals required for mixing your own glazes. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Glazing * Hi Gary, I was wondering if you have ever heard of a glaze called OCC
Luster? I have had it on my shelf for a couple of years and now that I am
better at getting the Raku results I have been trying to get I decided to
give it a try. Turns out I love it but can't seem to find where I found
the recipe. If you know of it would you please email it to me or if at all
possible ask your many readers if they have heard of it. It is probably in
your glaze book under a different name but I don't know it. Also, Gary I Rick: This glaze will be included in the 2nd edition of my Raku Glazes ebook, due out early this year. 300+ More Raku Glazes can be found at: http://www.rakuglazes.com ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Reader Feedback * Hi Gary, The rack is constructed with L brackets, nuts, bolts and washers -
stainless steel of course. It also tells you what type of commercial wire
can be used in order to reduce the cost of the high-temp wire, etc. I have
several racks now and have had quite a bit of success making Raku beads
for jewelry and really enjoy being able to glaze all sides of each piece. ~ ~ ~ Yolanda: * * * * * * * * * Hi Gary, I note that one of your readers is having a problem with glaze falling off - curiously, I've been having that problem too. I ran out of Gerstley Borate and decided to substitute Colemanite (adjusting the Flint and Nepheline Syenite to suit). Every time I used the Colemanite, the glaze fell off about 15-20 minutes into the firing cycle, but the glaze matured on the kiln shelf and had to be chipped off. Thank goodness for Bat wash! It turns out that Colemanite has chemically combined water that comes off, way over 100c (212F). In a slow fire electric kiln, the Colemanite has a chance to calcine slowly, without damaging the glaze, but in a Raku firing, it all happens too quickly and the rapidly escaping steam from the water is what blows the glaze off. Other ingredients may also have chemically combined water in them, causing the same effect. If your readers have changed their formulation like I did, or if they use commercial glazes and the manufacturer has changed formulation, this may be the problem. Excess Calcium Carbonate can also cause spalling by giving off CO2
rapidly ~ ~ ~ Chris: Hey Gary! ~ ~ ~ Elsa: * * * * * * * * * [In regards to dry glaze falling off in the last issue] * * * * * * * * * Hi Gary, Great job, as usual. I had a couple of thoughts as I read some of the questions in last month's issue. I may have mentioned previously that I've been sealing my Raku pieces with silicone grout sealer, a solution suggested by a California Raku artist. Although I don't have to worry about high humidity here in Colorado at 5000' altitude, I know that some of my pots have ended up living next to the ocean. Whether it was all that salt air, the humidity or pollution, at least one piece that ended up in Malibu lost its color almost right away. At the time (a few years ago), I hadn't found a sealant that wouldn't ruin the iridescent color of the copper matte surfaces. The sealants and fixatives I had tried killed the color immediately, but the silicone grout sealer has no effect on the color at all, and seems undetectable upon drying. I haven't had the time to do long-term archival testing, but was assured by the potter who told me about it that the color was protected by the sealant. Perhaps other readers are using this, and would be willing to share their experiences with it. Although I've been doing far more vapor glazing than Raku-firing
lately, I still have a need to warm pieces slowly before cranking the kiln
up to temperature. Since I use an electric for my vapor glazing and bisque
firing, I've come to love the computer controller on my kiln. Not only
does it give extremely accurate and repeatable firings, but it also has a
"preheat" mode which brings the work up to 180 degrees F. and
holds it there for whatever time you program it for. I use a Skutt 1027,
but I'm sure most other computer controllers have similar features. No
more Have a happy holiday season, and best of luck in the coming year. P.S. Here's a link to a gallery page with a photo of one of my vapor
glazed pieces in Santa Fe: ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Click Away * My eBay Listings http://tinyurl.com/tn08 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Workshops, Ads, etc. * LINDA & CHARLIE RIGGS For more details and some general saggar firing tips and techniques, check out my blog at: http://tinyurl.com/68wvs or http://justraku.blogspot.com/2005/01/saggar-workshop-in-arizona.html ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ This newsletter is send to opt-in members only. If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like your own copy each month send an email to subscribe@garyrferguson.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. If you wish to no longer receive this newsletter send an email to unsubscribe@garyrferguson.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Disclaimer: Just Raku, the owner(s) and representative(s) of this
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