search  current discussion  categories  kilns & firing - raku 

all night raku

updated mon 30 apr 01

 

aaron tester on sat 28 apr 01


This is just one of those feel-good up dates that people send out every o=
nce
in a while.

About five years ago at Green Mountain College in Poultney Vt, the tradit=
ion
of an all-night raku firing started with one of my collegues, Jeremiah
Barnard (who has since graduated). On April the 27th (yesterday) we had =
our
fifth all-night raku. Many of the students (ceramics I) didn't know what
they had in store for them, but quickly fell in love with the fire, the
smoke and the wild colours that result from the process.
Originally the plan was to run the firing all night untill the tank
froze up on us at 3:00 am (does anyone have a suggestion for de-icing a
propane tank...with out building a fire underneath of it as some aquatenc=
es
of mine have done)...all but three pieces of mine kicked the bucket
throughout the firing...they didn't explode in the kiln bt when I pulled
them out of the reduction...but most of the student work that was hauled =
out
was outstanding most of them being copper matts (I am beginning to think
they are not as elusive as I was lead to believe!...its all about the bla=
ck
copper oxide).
Anyway, I just wanted to spread the word that a good time with clay
has been had...its 3:16, the kiln is shut down until tomorrow when we fir=
e
back up at one, the reduction pits have been snuffed, and I am going to b=
ed.

Night all,
Aaron Tester
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

Mark Terry on sat 28 apr 01


CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG writes:
>(does anyone have a suggestion for de-icing a
>propane tank...with out building a fire underneath of it as some
>aquatences
>of mine have done)...

My good friend, and Raku potter extraordinaire Cindy Hoskisson runs a
small stream of water from a garden hose over her tank after the first 1/=
2
hour or so to keep it from icing up. We fired all day in January without
a single mishap using this technique. I recommend you give it a try so
long as the outside temperature is above freezing.

Marcia Selsor on sat 28 apr 01


Dear Aaron,
I just finished a workshop with Montana Interscholastic H.S. kids from
all over the state. They are in Billings to work with artists on Friday
and Sat. Spring is here and raku time. (snowed last Sat. but that's
Montana) The burner system Marc Ward put together for me worked great.
Fired two kilns (20 minute batches) with two burners and three tanks-no f=
reezing.
slick system and admired by the teachers from Butte.
I am beat. The kids loved their pots. Time to nap!-3:45 pm!
Marcia in Montana
--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Tuscany2001.html
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Gallery.html

aaron tester on sun 29 apr 01


Thank you everyone for the suggestion about how to keep the tank from
freezing up on me! Though we are winding down for the 2000--2001 school
year, it is definitly something that we will try next year (as well as a
small temporary wood fire kiln).

Aaron Tester


>From: Mark Terry
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: all night raku
>Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 22:15:14 -0700
>
>CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG writes:
> >(does anyone have a suggestion for de-icing a
> >propane tank...with out building a fire underneath of it as some
> >aquatences
> >of mine have done)...
>
>My good friend, and Raku potter extraordinaire Cindy Hoskisson runs a
>small stream of water from a garden hose over her tank after the first 1=
/2
>hour or so to keep it from icing up. We fired all day in January withou=
t
>a single mishap using this technique. I recommend you give it a try so
>long as the outside temperature is above freezing.
>
>________________________________________________________________________=
______
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

Maggie Woodhead on sun 29 apr 01


Kia Ora,
We always dribble the water hose over the gas tank when i=
t
starts to ice up. To avoid the problems of international semantics that =
is the
hose you use to water the garden etc.
----Best Wishes Maggie----
maggiew@clear.net.nz


----- Original Message -----
From: "aaron tester"
To:
Sent: Saturday, 28 April 2001 07:09
Subject: all night raku


This is just one of those feel-good up dates that people send out every o=
nce
in a while.

About five years ago at Green Mountain College in Poultney Vt, the tradit=
ion
of an all-night raku firing started with one of my collegues, Jeremiah
Barnard (who has since graduated). On April the 27th (yesterday) we had =
our
fifth all-night raku. Many of the students (ceramics I) didn't know what
they had in store for them, but quickly fell in love with the fire, the
smoke and the wild colours that result from the process.
Originally the plan was to run the firing all night untill the tank
froze up on us at 3:00 am (does anyone have a suggestion for de-icing a
propane tank...with out building a fire underneath of it as some aquatenc=
es
of mine have done)...all but three pieces of mine kicked the bucket
throughout the firing...they didn't explode in the kiln bt when I pulled
them out of the reduction...but most of the student work that was hauled =
out
was outstanding most of them being copper matts (I am beginning to think
they are not as elusive as I was lead to believe!...its all about the bla=
ck
copper oxide).
Anyway, I just wanted to spread the word that a good time with clay
has been had...its 3:16, the kiln is shut down until tomorrow when we fir=
e
back up at one, the reduction pits have been snuffed, and I am going to b=
ed.

Night all,
Aaron Tester
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

_________________________________________________________________________=
_____
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclin=
k.com.