Tracy or Joy Gunderman on sat 12 dec 98
Greg Lamont recently asked about using a propane torch to work Raku glaze
colors.
I do this quite a bit. It's a form of reoxidation of the glaze. I use it
when my smoked pot is so fully reduced that it's mostly copper. I take it
directly from the smoker to a cool brick and then torch the areas I wish to
oxidize. I've also done it to a cold pot but worry about the thermal
shock. Only once a chip of clay/glaze flew off but that means that
protection is a good idea. I can't explain verbally the torch "painting"
technique but it's a matter of heating a location or area and pulling the
torch away as the color develops. (color develops as the torch is moved
away). Takes a little practice.
However, this is a "fix" in my book and never as nice as developing the
colors in the smoker by "burping" (uncovering the smoker momemtarily). The
torch never seems to create the free flowing feel as does the natural way.
But the trouble with burping is that it's rather uncontrolled and if too
much then you've lost the reduction and therefore the torch won't bring it
back (although the propane flame can have a reduction zone but I've never
been able to use it). So if your copper glaze is already green you've got
yourself a green pot.
Tracy
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