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raku blow ups...

updated fri 5 jun 98

 

Kathy E. McDonald on thu 4 jun 98

Hi....

Bill:

I haven't raku'd much in the past while but have done lots in the past.

I have vivid memories of hearing pots blow up in the kiln...some of those
pots
had been bisqued , glazed and sitting on shelves for a long time...so I
couldn't blame it
on moisture.

The only specific thing I changed was the rate of the temperature climb in
the kiln
for the initial stage of the firing and slowed down the amount of heat /gas
going into the kiln.

I used a weedburner to raku back then.

Your problem could come from many sources...but after losing a lot of
pots...some not my own...(ouch)....I preheat the ware on top of my ekiln or
on the raku kiln when its firing, and take it real slow through the initial
firing stages.

Paperclay seems to be kinder in such circumstances,,,this based on some
limited firing experiences this past two months in someone else's raku kiln.
I think it has a lot of merit for raku firing particularly in schools....


Just one other slip to go into your suggestion box....

Kathy

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