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alcohol in raku (was firing raku in electric kilns)

updated sun 25 jul 99

 

John Baymore on thu 22 jul 99

------------------
(snip)

Have we ever got an explanation as to how it (alcohol) is used in the
process? I keep imagining the fumes exploding . . .
------------
Doesn't this alcohol reduction thing remind anyone else of the recent post
where a young woman was severely burned?

(clip)


This sounds like, to me, an extremely dangerous process. And yes, it sets
up the same potential for disaster that lead to the incident with the
innocent bystander getting fried which we've already recently heard about
here on CLAYART. If you are a big =22risk taker=22 personality =
type....have
at it. If not........be pretty careful.

This is a procedure that I would think might work 99.99999999 percent of
the time for you..... but then on the one occasion, a couple of the
multitudinous variables are slightly different, and WHAM....... you get a
big nasty suprise. Hopefully it is the potter who decided to do this that
gets it, and not an innocent bystander.

If someone WERE to try this, I would hope that they had about 20 years of
extensive raku background beforehand to gain a LOT of intuitive knowledge
about the behavior of the process and all the vasiables involved. I don't
think it is in the realm of tricks for the more novice potter.

Brings me back to ........ just because something can be done, should it be
done? You can buy black gunpowder at many sporting goods stores. Think
I'll go try it and see what effect it gives. You could set up a barrel
with a hose from a portable propane cylinder and pump some raw propane into
the container with the hot pot. You could use gasoline. Not. =3Cwg=3E

An awful lot of he effects caused by alcohol should be reproduceable by
some method involving less potential risk. For 99.999999 percent of the
effects achievable in rakuing...... alcohol, with it's attendant high
risks, is probably overkill.

Best,

......................john

John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA

603-654-2752
JBaymore=40compuserve.com
John.Baymore=40GSD-CO.COM

=22Earth, Water, and Fire climbing kiln firing workshop Aug. 20-29,1999
-one space available=22

Dale A. Neese on fri 23 jul 99

I have seen this process done with 2% isopropyl alcohol. The Raku ware was
glazed with the Copper matt glaze, pulled from the kiln when the glaze was
right, sprayed with the alcohol quickly. Yes indeed it does flash and cause
a lot of flames. This is not to be carelessly done. Then the flashed ware
sat for 4 minutes to cool, then reduced with one sheet of newspaper in a
reduction can, burped ever so slightly then allowed to completely cool to
the touch. The other process involves a Pyrex bowl, covering the ware so you
can view the amount of flashing taking place. Takes some patience, but some
wild colors are produced.
Dale Tex

Stephen Mills on sat 24 jul 99

This whole thread brings back the subject I raised on the List in June
when my correspondent Laura was badly burned as a consequence of the
introduction of volatile liquid into the reduction bin AFTER combustion
had begun. One or two Clayarters wrote to me mentioning the use of a
small amount of "liquid aid" as an addition to the reduction bin BEFORE
any pots were added. This is the only way I would use these substances.
Personally I like to control the rate of burn WITHOUT these additions, I
feel it gives me more options, and allows me the time to work with the
reduction bin, and is a sight less dangerous. The Raku process is risky
enough as it is. To increase that risk is, to me, bordering on lunatic
behaviour.

Steve Mills
Bath
UK


In message , John Baymore writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>------------------
>(snip)
>
>Have we ever got an explanation as to how it (alcohol) is used in the
>process? I keep imagining the fumes exploding . . .
>------------
>Doesn't this alcohol reduction thing remind anyone else of the recent post
>where a young woman was severely burned?
>
>(clip)
>
>
>This sounds like, to me, an extremely dangerous process. And yes, it sets
>up the same potential for disaster that lead to the incident with the
>innocent bystander getting fried which we've already recently heard about
>here on CLAYART. If you are a big =22risk taker=22 personality =
>type....have
>at it. If not........be pretty careful.
>
>This is a procedure that I would think might work 99.99999999 percent of
>the time for you..... but then on the one occasion, a couple of the
>multitudinous variables are slightly different, and WHAM....... you get a
>big nasty suprise. Hopefully it is the potter who decided to do this that
>gets it, and not an innocent bystander.
>
>If someone WERE to try this, I would hope that they had about 20 years of
>extensive raku background beforehand to gain a LOT of intuitive knowledge
>about the behavior of the process and all the vasiables involved. I don't
>think it is in the realm of tricks for the more novice potter.
>
>Brings me back to ........ just because something can be done, should it be
>done? You can buy black gunpowder at many sporting goods stores. Think
>I'll go try it and see what effect it gives. You could set up a barrel
>with a hose from a portable propane cylinder and pump some raw propane into
>the container with the hot pot. You could use gasoline. Not. =3Cwg=3E
>
> An awful lot of he effects caused by alcohol should be reproduceable by
>some method involving less potential risk. For 99.999999 percent of the
>effects achievable in rakuing...... alcohol, with it's attendant high
>risks, is probably overkill.
>
>Best,
>
>......................john
>
>John Baymore
>River Bend Pottery
>22 Riverbend Way
>Wilton, NH 03086 USA
>
>603-654-2752
>JBaymore=40compuserve.com
>John.Baymore=40GSD-CO.COM
>
>=22Earth, Water, and Fire climbing kiln firing workshop Aug. 20-29,1999
>-one space available=22
>

--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
home e-mail: stevemills@mudslinger.demon.co.uk
work e-mail: stevemills@bathpotters.demon.co.uk
own website: http://www.mudslinger.demon.co.uk
BPS website: http://www.bathpotters.demon.co.uk