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raku/sand - no smoke

updated fri 8 mar 02

 

william schran on thu 7 mar 02


Folks - I've been using a can/sand post-firing reduction variation
for years with my raku classes. I started by creating a sand pit, a
8' X 8' square out of landscape timbers and filled with sand. Made
cylinders of hardware cloth ( a stiff metal mesh material found at
hardware stores or home centers) without top or bottom. These
cylinders are set upright into the sand. We add reduction materials
that will stay in the wire mesh, usually shredded newspaper. When the
pot is put in the cylinder and the paper ignites, a metal trash can
is placed upside down over it and twisted to seal the can's edge in
the sand - no smoke. We can vary the size of mesh cylinders and trash
cans according to the size of the pots. A set up of 4 cans at the
same time is comfortable to work with in this size sand pit.
Bill