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flameware raku

updated tue 17 jul 12

 

Roxanne Hunnicutt on tue 19 jun 12


my understanding is that the body must be pourous to get the carbon to
penetrate the clay!

i make much smoke fired ware and have been raising my bisk temp to see how
high i can go before a disaster happens, either breakage or the body gets
too vitrious to hold the color. but do experiment and please share your
findings! thanks,

rox



--
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as
when they do it from religious conviction - Blaise Pascal.
home - 541 479 1349 cell - 541 944 1353

Snail Scott on tue 19 jun 12


On Jun 18, 2012, at 6:22 PM, Eric Newman wrote:

> Before I start testing, does anyone have experience using =3D
fired-to-maturity (cone=3D20
> 10) flameware for subsequent horse-hair raku decoration?



It all depends on what you mean by 'maturity'. If it=3D20
means a tight, vitrified body, then it won't absorb=3D20
or hold the smoke patterns. Thermal-shock resistant=3D20
bodies (like flameware, or almost anything loaded=3D20
with kyanite) will readily handle the stresses of raku,=3D20
but the thing that makes smoke effects work (whether
horsehair or blackware or other) is the _absorbency_.=3D20

It's a convenience (but not a coincidence) that many
effects desired in contemporary raku need a porous=3D20
clay body, and porous (undervitrified) clay bodies are=3D20
also dandy for withstanding the thermal shock of raku.=3D20
You can do raku with vitrified bodies as long as they=3D20
can handle the thermal shock by other means, but=3D20
when you give up porosity, also must you give up the=3D20
effects that exist in symbiosis with that porosity.=3D20

-Snail=3D

Cathi Newlin on tue 19 jun 12


I wonder if paper clay might be a solution?
It remains porous even at cone 10 (is my understanding) and I've been
experimenting with it in raku. I haven't done horse hair with it yet,
but is certainly handles my rough and tumble single firing technique well.

On 6/18/2012 4:22 PM, Eric Newman wrote:
> Before I start testing, does anyone have experience using fired-to-maturi=
ty (cone
> 10) flameware for subsequent horse-hair raku decoration? I'm hoping to b=
e able
> to get the decorative effect on a more durable pot, and am thinking/hopin=
g
> flameware may be able to take the thermal shock of being removed from the=
kiln
> at 1800 degrees. Thoughts? Also, would I need to have a still-porous su=
rface
> (like a very high-fire slip) for the horsehair smoke to infiltrate/stain?=
(I am not
> averse to applying a protective cold finish at the end.) Thx all!
>
>

--
Cathi Newlin, Angels Camp, Ca
box49@caltel.com
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
http://www.CNewlin.com

Eva Gallagher on wed 20 jun 12


That's a great idea using paper clay - I had tried doing raku with flamewar=
e
fired to matruity as I wanted some extra strong clay to use for outside
mobiles that would not chip so readily. However as mentioned it would not
take much smoke.
Eva Gallagher
Deep River, Ontario
http://newfoundoutpotter.blogspot.com/


----- Original Message -----
From: "Cathi Newlin"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: Flameware Raku


>I wonder if paper clay might be a solution?
> It remains porous even at cone 10 (is my understanding) and I've been
> experimenting with it in raku. I haven't done horse hair with it yet,
> but is certainly handles my rough and tumble single firing technique well=
.
>
> On 6/18/2012 4:22 PM, Eric Newman wrote:
>> Before I start testing, does anyone have experience using
>> fired-to-maturity (cone
>> 10) flameware for subsequent horse-hair raku decoration? I'm hoping to
>> be able
>> to get the decorative effect on a more durable pot, and am
>> thinking/hoping
>> flameware may be able to take the thermal shock of being removed from th=
e
>> kiln
>> at 1800 degrees. Thoughts? Also, would I need to have a still-porous
>> surface
>> (like a very high-fire slip) for the horsehair smoke to infiltrate/stain=
?
>> (I am not
>> averse to applying a protective cold finish at the end.) Thx all!
>>
>>
>
> --
> Cathi Newlin, Angels Camp, Ca
> box49@caltel.com
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> http://www.CNewlin.com
>

Eric Newman on sat 23 jun 12


Thx for the suggestions....I have had no luck throwing paperclay, so am i=
=3D
n the=3D20
middle of trying a white slip over the flameware body...the clay fired to=
=3D
Cone 10,=3D20
so vitrified, but the slip formulated to be underfired, hence still porou=
=3D
s. Then, I'll=3D20
do the horsehair process...hoping that the clay can take the thermal shoc=
=3D
k, but=3D20
the slip will accept the carbonization.....stay tuned (it may be a few we=
=3D
eks until=3D20
the next high-fire).

Eric Newman on fri 13 jul 12


well - initial results are in and are promising!=3D20=3D20

I used the Flameware clay body from Seattle Pottery Supply and threw a
couple of forms (vase and covered jar). Not having a slip on hand that I=
=3D

knew would stay porous at Cone 10, I used our kiln wash (EPK+Silica+Alumi=
=3D
na
Hydrate) and brushed on a thin layer. Bisqued to Cone 08 (no problem wit=
=3D
h
wash fit!), and glazed with our studio Ohata Kaki glaze only on the insid=
=3D
e.
I was concerned about our glazes not fitting the flameware body, but thi=
=3D
s
glaze recipe is very similar to the one posted by Robbie Lobell in her
flameware article, so I was hopeful. Fired the pieces to Cone 10 redux, =
=3D
and
no problems apparent with fit. Wash stayed white (would like a smoother
texture in future but not sure if kaolin or white fireclay terra sig woul=
=3D
d
stay porous at that temp....room for experiment) and clay is lovely speck=
=3D
led
orangey beige.=3D20

Then, in an electric kiln, I fast-fired the pots to 1500 degrees (1300 ju=
=3D
st
doesn't give me enough time to apply the horsehair), pulled them out usin=
=3D
g
asbestos gloves and eye protection), placed on a pre-heated piece of kiln=
=3D

shelf on a banding wheel, and applied the horsehair. Voila! Stinky, but=
=3D
voila!

The burning and smoking on the kiln wash looks the same as on regular por=
=3D
ous
ware, but where the vitreous clay body was exposed, the horsehair left
little mark.
The pot is water tight (tested overnight and no leaks or weeping!). The
outside surface will still need to be sealed with wax or acrylic for ease=
=3D
of
cleaning, but at least I'll have horsehair pots that can be used for othe=
=3D
r
than dry arrangements!

I just need to work on my application technique...my horsehair squiggles =
=3D
are
not very aesthetically pleasing yet.

Hope y'all find this interesting....suggestions/additions/encomiums are a=
=3D
ll
welcome :-)

Eric Newman on sat 14 jul 12


fyi - I posted a couple of pix to my website: www.cynosure-arts.weebly.c=
=3D
om=3D20
under the "A Great Place to Make Art" tab. The vase (8") is bare clay a=
=3D
nd kiln=3D20
wash slip (glazed inside); the covered jar (7") shows a bit of the Kaki =
=3D
glaze on=3D20
the rim and lid. Eric