Raku is a type of low-fire ceramic firing technique, in which a previously fired pot is rapidly heated in a small kiln, and then removed at a temperature near 2,000°F when the glazes have melted. The glowing pots are then placed into containers of combustible materials which immediately ignite. The containers are then covered so as to starve the flames of oxygen. This results in a “reducing” smokey atmosphere; one where the combustion is looking for oxygen, which it steals from the oxides in the glazes, thus “reducing” their chemical makeup from an oxide to a metal. This results in unpredictable metal flashes on the finished pottery.

We’ll be attempting two (or more) firings back-to-back, each with four vases, making for a vivid and fiery display after dark.

Evening Schedule

• 3:30 PM – Heat the kiln and settle in for some early chit-chat

• Around 4:00 PM – Glazing begins

• 5:00–6:00 PM – Raku firings (two or more in rapid succession)