joysweeper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
joysweeper) wrote2006-03-24 08:34 pm
joysweeper) wrote2006-03-24 08:34 pm
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Just because I can, I'll prattle on about something I did in class today. It's called rakou firing.
Okay, first you make something out of an oddly thick yellowish clay that dries really fast. Once it's dried and fired in a normal kiln, you put a special glaze on it. The glaze is also very thick and dries with surprising speed; after it dries it has a texture like wetted sidewalk chalk and looks like yogurt coating.
Then, you put it in an outdoor kiln. The one we used was gas-powered. There's this winch used to open and close the thing. Once the piece is in, you wait, and the kiln gets incredibly hot. There are the viewing holes on the sides and top of the kiln; which is a cylinder. Once it really starts going these translucent orange flames start shooting out of those holes.
Still, you have to peer through to monitor your clay piece. It starts to glow orange after a while. When it glows white and the glaze is running, it is time to turn the gas off- and that is VERY important-, open the kiln, and begin the next step. When the kiln first opens each piece is a very even white-orange, but their surfaces darken on contact with air.
The next step is picking each piece out of the kiln using these massive metal tongs(and wearing these incredibly huge, thick gloves) and carrying it to an open trash can(aluminum) filled with flammable matter. Newspaper shreds, leaves, sticks, sawdust, whatever. You just dump it in, the stuff inside catches fire, you use the tongs to shovel more stuff over it, and then you back away and someone else closes the lid.
The you wait for a while, and the lid is opened and smoke and flames start shooting out. You tong each piece out and dunk it repeatedly in a bucket of water. The water boils over madly, turns to steam. Then you set the pieces aside.
And they...are...GORGEOUS. It's this truly awesome metallic iridescent finish... scrubbing the carbon off takes a while and lessens the impact of it, but still! Truly, truly lovely. In places the glaze is cracked, but it's actually a nice look. When I get mine graded I'll have to get a digital camera to take a pic and see if I can show it to you, LJ-luv. I like the looks of each of them...
Okay, first you make something out of an oddly thick yellowish clay that dries really fast. Once it's dried and fired in a normal kiln, you put a special glaze on it. The glaze is also very thick and dries with surprising speed; after it dries it has a texture like wetted sidewalk chalk and looks like yogurt coating.
Then, you put it in an outdoor kiln. The one we used was gas-powered. There's this winch used to open and close the thing. Once the piece is in, you wait, and the kiln gets incredibly hot. There are the viewing holes on the sides and top of the kiln; which is a cylinder. Once it really starts going these translucent orange flames start shooting out of those holes.
Still, you have to peer through to monitor your clay piece. It starts to glow orange after a while. When it glows white and the glaze is running, it is time to turn the gas off- and that is VERY important-, open the kiln, and begin the next step. When the kiln first opens each piece is a very even white-orange, but their surfaces darken on contact with air.
The next step is picking each piece out of the kiln using these massive metal tongs(and wearing these incredibly huge, thick gloves) and carrying it to an open trash can(aluminum) filled with flammable matter. Newspaper shreds, leaves, sticks, sawdust, whatever. You just dump it in, the stuff inside catches fire, you use the tongs to shovel more stuff over it, and then you back away and someone else closes the lid.
The you wait for a while, and the lid is opened and smoke and flames start shooting out. You tong each piece out and dunk it repeatedly in a bucket of water. The water boils over madly, turns to steam. Then you set the pieces aside.
And they...are...GORGEOUS. It's this truly awesome metallic iridescent finish... scrubbing the carbon off takes a while and lessens the impact of it, but still! Truly, truly lovely. In places the glaze is cracked, but it's actually a nice look. When I get mine graded I'll have to get a digital camera to take a pic and see if I can show it to you, LJ-luv. I like the looks of each of them...