Pottery Tips and Techniques Decorating with Chatter

The origins of chattering is unclear, but it is thought that it is a technique that was discovered accidentally, when a metal turning tool began to jump on the pottery surface, giving it a regular pattern.



Chattering is a decorative technique where a flexible metal tool is allowed to jump across the surface of a leatherhard piece of pottery, making regular ditch like depressions on the surface.
The tools which potters originally made, where from the soft strap iron used to bind boxes, were literally called planes.
We always called those metal straps spring steel.
Depending on the speed that the pottery was turning and the way the tool was held, a regular pattern would evolve.
Potters use a white body clay, covered with a dark slip or engobe.
When the flexible metal trimming tool is held onto the turning pot, it will skip across the surface, digging into it in a sgrafitto manner, revealing the lighter body beneath.
In sometimes a white slip is used over a darker body, in which case the chattered decoration appears as dark marks on a white background. Chattering is a technique that is still practiced today by individual potters and they usually make their own chattering tool.
A fail safe method is making the hoop tool from the spring steel of an old clock spring, bent in the reverse direction to which they were wound.
These also have the advantage of being of very high quality steel, which in effect sharpens itself against the clay, so they get better with use.
Chatter marks will form successfully, as long as the pot is not too wet or dry.

Once you have your chatter marks on your pottery, pick out a glaze color that you like and put three coats on.
Make sure that your piece is completely dry and fire the pottery.
To check if your piece is dry, touch it to your cheek and if it feels warm, it is dry enough to fire.
If you just want the natural looks of your pottery, glaze with a clear glaze.


You can be robbed of what you have, but not of what you are.

Pottery and Ceramics Glaze Decorating with Oxides

More than likely, you have never heard of oxides and you probably never will unless you work with pottery or ceramics.
Even working with pottery and ceramics, in this day and age, you won't be introduced to the word, because the stains and glazes that you will be working with are ready made.
Oh, I take that back, you might see the word if you read the labels on the glazes that you are using!!!!
I thought I might tell you a bit about oxides in case you want to do some experimenting.
Oxide is described in the dictionary as any compound of oxygen with another element.

How does oxide compare to stain?
Oxide is a raw material.
A stain is a blend of raw materials, including oxides to achieve a consistent color.
Glazes and slips made with stain will generally be more uniform, but those made with oxide will be more splotchy, specked, which some people see as beautiful!
There are four main color additives used.
Some are called oxides and some are called carbonates, such as cobalt oxide and cobalt carbonate.
The oxides are usually stronger in color and more speckled.
The carbonates have finer ingredients.

Oxides can be mixed with water and added to clay and knead in, but this would be quite expensive for deep coloring of large pieces.
They can be added to slip or glazes.
Mix with water and mix often as it settles out fast, brush on bisque and fire.
This is a way to get natural looking surfaces.

Iron Oxide

This comes in many types and can provide a wide variety of colors under different firing conditions.
Types of iron oxide are red iron oxide, black iron oxide and yellow ochre.
At earthenware temperatures, up to 4% oxide will produce amber and honey glazes.
At stoneware temperatures it can be applied directly to stain the clay surface.
It is often used in this way to highlight textured surfaces.
It can also be added to the glaze.

Cobalt Carbonate - Cobalt Oxide

This is the most powerful color and produces various shades of blue.
It can be harsh if used by itself, so is sften mixed with iron, manganese, magnesium or copper to create more subtle colors.
Like iron oxide, it can be added to the glaze or can be applied to the clay surface and fired to stoneware temperatures.
By itself it will tend to create a dark slate metallic finish.
It can be mixed with manganese and iron to product rich black slips.

Copper Carbonate - Copper Oxide

Copper should not be used in soluble glazes for food and drink containers, they are not food safe and will leach into tea for example, making your tea have a coppery taste.
It is not very effective used on it’s own.
Better to add to or cover with glaze.
In an electric kiln it will create a variety of green shades.
In alkaline glazes it will create turquoises.
It can achieve red colors in a reduction kiln.

Manganese Dioxide - Manganese Carbonate

In glazes these create colors such as mauve, purple and brown depending on the other ingredients.
By itself it produces an attractive brown with tiny metallic specks at stoneware temperatures.
The dioxide is more speckled than carbonate.
It is often mixed with other oxides such as cobalt to create purples and iron to produce rich browns.

There are others like chromium and nickel, but they are not as predictable throughout all of temperature ranges and should be handled carefully as they are toxic.

If you make your own glazes, you already have seen many oxides used in glaze recipes.
It is probably best, when first starting out, to stick with recipes for colored glazes.

How to experiment with oxides.

Brush oxides on greenware, bisque and glaze.

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Make some slip and add some oxides to create your colors.
Mix well to get more uniform colors.
To get more random, blotchy colors, don’t mix well.

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Brush oxide wash over an unfired glaze, then fire.
Be very careful when handling because you can smudge the oxide.

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Brush oxides on, then apply glaze.
Best to dip or spray to avoid brushing the oxide off, and if dipping it is best to put some glaze aside so oxide doesn’t contaminate your whole batch of glaze.
Generally the stronger the oxide wash, the more it will bleed through the glaze.
Where specified by the manufacturer this is explained on the specific glaze label.

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Mix ball clay with your oxide and water.
It give you a better consistency and tones down the color.

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Brush a couple different oxides on and overlap in areas.

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Sgraffito
Brush on oxide.
When dry, scratch with a sharp tool through the oxide to show the clay underneath.
Cover with transparent or translucent glaze.
You can do the same thing with oxide over unfired glaze too.

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Spatter wax on the surface and paint the oxide wash over that.
Once the piece is fired, the wax will burn off and give you an neat effect.

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Use other masking techniques, such as torn, wet newspaper and paint an oxide wash over it.
When this is fired, the paper will burn away and it will give you a different effect.

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Sprinkle a variety of different oxides on a newspaper.
Lay leather hard objects onto the newspaper and oxide mixture.
You can also use a piece of styrofoam or a sponge to pick up the oxide and blot it on your piece.
Keep the pattern as it is blotted or you can smear it around.
If you’re once firing you can add glazes.
Otherwise fire to bisque and apply glazes, the oxides will still interact with the glazes when fired together.

Oxides are strong colorants, so a little bit goes a long way.
In a solution you will probably only want about 2 to 8% or you will end up with black.

Always use a respirator or mask when handling the dry oxides.

Using oxides like this will provide unpredictable, but sometimes beautiful results.

Test!
Take Notes!

Fish Press Technique

Prepare Clay

Knead the clay as if working with bread dough to remove any air pockets.

Roll Clay

Roll out the clay with a rolling pin.
This pottery fish press technique is easy to do.
It is best to lay paper or a piece of plastic to roll the clay out on, it will make it easier to pick up after it is rolled out.
If you lay a yardstick on each side of your clay just wide enough so that the rolling pin will ride on them, when your clay is rolled out it will be the same thickness throughout.

Press Fish Skeleton Into Clay

The best fish for getting a skeleton for this process is your pan fish because they are fried whole and the skeleton is usually flat.
After you have carefully taken the meat off the bones, dry the skeleton in the oven at about 100 degrees with the door cracked for about one hour.
Gently press the fish skeleton into the clay with your fingertips.

Cover Fish

Cover the clay slab with freezer paper or craft paper.

Press Fish

Press the fish skeleton into the clay with the rolling pin.

Lift Paper

Peel away the paper.

Remove Fish

Gently remove the fish skeleton.

Add Details

Use a embossing tool to carve in the background detailing.

Apply Color

While the clay is still wet, apply the EZ Stroke colors (which can be purchased at any ceramic shop) for the background and detailing of the fish.

Add Details With Color

Outline and detail the fish with black.
Let the clay dry.
To finish the piece, glaze with clear glaze and fire to shelf Cone 06.

Drybrushing

Dry brushing is done with a "dry brush". You want almost all the paint removed from the brush, so that the brushing gives a slight tint that you build up until you have as much color detail as you want.

The Majolica Method

The Marble Effect

A lot of times I would look at a piece of pottery or ceramic that I was working on and wish I could make it look like marble or think to myself it would sure look nice if it were marbleized.
I have attended many classes given by the ceramic or craft stores, one showed us how to make our piece look like it was made out of marble.
I wrote down the technique and here it is.
You will see the name Gare for the products used to make the glaze, but you can ask at any ceramic or craft store what to use to make the glaze.
The brand doesn’t make any difference they all pretty much work the same.
Just tell them that you need something to make a glaze look like marble.
If your ready, let’s go!!

Put down a thick layer of newspapers or a folded hand towel, forming a fairly flat cushion.
The thicker the better.

Cover that with a flat sheet of aluminum foil.

Mix 1 part Gare Magic Flow with 2 parts Gare Super White Glaze in a bowl or small cup.

Pour the mixture into a puddle at least the size of your project on the foil.

Dribble your choice of accent color glaze in coin size drops onto the puddle.
Swirl the color through the white glaze with a toothpick do not mix it.
It should appear streaky.

Hold the bisque over the puddle and rock it from one end to the other so that the whole area is coated.
Lift the bisque straight up out of the puddle and keep it horizontal for a few seconds so that it doesn't run.

Repeat this process with all of the surfaces until the whole object is covered.
Let it dry for about an hour.
You're now ready to fire.

Tips

You can rush the drying with a hair dryer set on low heat.
This can also be done with your basic paints using the same procedure but instead of firing when it is dry, spray it with a clear spray.
If you use paint and fire it, it will burn all your paint off.

Marbleizing With Glaze

Combining glazes by applying one over another is an old, tried and true technique, yet is one that you never get tired of.
Each piece completed with this method will be different and unique
The Vase picture shown uses a number of glazes to create a marbleized finish.
Try the technique as given below and use it with your choice of satin and art glaze to see what effects you can achieve.

Step 1

Select and carefully clean a suitable greenware vase.
Fire the greenware to cone 04.

Step 2

Thin some mirror black glaze to the consistency of milk and use it to pour glaze in the inside of the bisque vase.
Pour out the excess glaze and use a damp sponge to wipe off any glaze drips.

Step 3

Use a glaze brush to apply three coats of green gold art glaze to outside of the piece and two coats to the bottom.
Apply the glaze evenly and allow each coat to dry before applying the next one.

Step 4

Spoon some green antique glaze onto a glazed tile or a plate covered with aluminum foil.
Add 2 or 3 drops of glaze thickener and mix well.
Sponge the thickened glaze onto the vase in an up and down pattern or at an angle. Stop about 1” above the bottom of the piece to allow for any running of glazes during firing.

Step 5

Repeat the above step with Antique Rose, Steel Gray, and White Satin glazes, allowing the glazes to overlap, if desired.
Allow the piece to dry.

Step 6

Load a #8 round brush with glossy black glaze and with a wiggly motion of the brush, outline the various color areas. Allow the piece to dry, stilt, and fire it to appropiate cone number.
Common sense is genius dressed in work clothes.

Finishing Tips and Techniques

To keep your piece wet while you are working on it, store it in a plastic bag when not working on it.
If it starts to dry out on you, get a spray bottle of water and lightly spray your piece and return it to the plastic bag and let it set for a couple days.
A clay pottery or ceramic piece can be pushed out, cut out, twisted or bent, with a little care.
The pushed out clay can give depth and dimension to a finished piece, altering the clay body to get different artistic affects.

You can use the tools such as the ones pictured below to alter your piece of pottery or ceramic.

You can carve a design in your piece or even add a piece to it.
When you are adding a piece be sure and score both surfaces and use slip to hold it on with.
If the piece you are adding on is very big, you will need to prop it while it is drying and during firing.

Ok, enough of this technical stuff, now I'm gonna tell you how I altered the ceramic piece pictured at the top of the page and changed it to look like the piece below!!!!

To do this I started with the gal that I buy all my greenware from and told her I wanted her to pour the ceramic piece called Sundancer heavy. I also wanted her to call me so I could pick it up wet because I had an idea for altering it.
I wanted to make a Indian Hoop Dancer.
When I got the ceramic piece home, the first thing I did was clean up all the mold lines. I had to be very careful, having it poured heavy I didn't want to bump the arms or legs, they could break off easy enough in it's fragile state.
The indian had buckskin pants on and the first thing I had to do was get his pants off.
This is the reason for the heavy pour. I had to carve on his legs keeping it in proportion to the rest of the body.
This is the only major altering that I did, and you can see how it made an entirely different piece out of it.
Before I set it in a safe place to dry, I check it all over to make sure I have gotten all the seams and blemishes from the piece.
I check for dryness by putting the piece up to my cheek or wrist and if it feels warm it is dry enough.
I fire it at Cone 06 for the allotted time.
I use ceramic acrylic paints and as soon it dries, I spread on a walnut oil stain and wipe it off with a soft Viva paper towel.
The water paint is slightly tinted from the stain and the stain stays in the crevices of the piece giving it more depth.
The hoops are large rubber O rings and I wiped them down with alcohol and painted them to look like wood and glued them onto the piece.

WAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

This is what the finished piece looks like, looks a lot different, huh?

If you want a place in the sun, you have to put up with a few blisters.

What Is Raku?

Raku is a pottery technique that has it's origins in 16th century Japan.
We are pretty sure that it was developed by Korean pottery workers under Japanese rule but the exact way that it was developed and how it was discovered is a mystery.
The raku technique, like other pottery techniques such as salt glazing and pit firing is about the firing process, but association with raku often goes much deeper into its philosophy, roots and cultural significance.
Raku from across the pond and the western version are similar in many ways but there are also some significant differences.

Just about all other types of pottery are loaded into a cold kiln, where the firing proceeds slowly until the desired temperature is reached.
This firing cycle may take anywhere from 8 to 24 hours or even longer.
When the kiln has reached the right temperature, which is generally determined through the use of pyrometric cones, it is shut off and allowed to cool enough to remove the pottery or ceramics using bare, or lightly gloved hands.
The cooling cycle may last from 12 to 24 hours or longer.
The pottery is considered finished when it is taken from the kiln. In raku, the pottery may be loaded into a cold kiln, but are often preheated and loaded into a hot kiln.
The firing proceeds at a rapid pace with the pottery reaching the desired temperature in as short a cycle as 15 to 20 minutes.
Some raku firings can last up to several hours depending on the individual pieces and their firing requirements.
Glaze maturity is judged by the trained eye without the use of cones or measuring devices.
When the firing is determined to be completed the pottery is immediately removed from the kiln.
Since at this point the glaze has melted, tongs or other lifting devices are used.

This is the stage in the process where traditional and contemporary raku differ in technique and treatment.
In our western version the pottery is treated to an after firing reduction phase.
The pottery is put into a container with combustible material such as sawdust, or leaves and allowed to smoke for a certain length of time.
The carbon rich atmosphere reacts and affects the glazes and clay and produces unique effects on the surfaces of the pottery.
Some of these effects are metallic and crackled glaze surfaces and black unglazed clay.
When the pottery has cooled, they are washed with an abrasive cleaner to remove all residue of soot and ash and then dried.

Who Invented Raku?

Paul Soldner introduced the new method of firing and was one of a few responsible for making raku popular in this country beginning in the 1950's.

What Is The Difference Between Pit, Sawdust, Smoke firing and Raku?

These types of firings are often confused with each other because they do share some similar characteristics.
Raku pottery is fired in a more or less conventional type kiln where glaze technology is understood and used.
The others are forms of primitive firing where temperatures reached are generally lower and glazes are not commonly used.
In primitive firings, the kiln may consist of a simple hole in the ground or a pit.

Do I Have To Bisque Fire First?

Raku firing greenware is a sure way to line the bottom of your kiln with broken pottery pieces!
Always bisque fire your pottery to at least Cone 08 before glazing and raku firing.

Can Raku Be Used For Functional Use?

The handed down use of raku pottery in the Japanese tea ceremony has contributed to the confusion about the functional use of raku.
With very few exceptions, all raku fired pottery is fragile, porous and generally unsuitable for functional use.
Unless such fragile pottery is treated after firing with a non-glaze material, such as a polyurethane or acrylic sealer or an oil of some kind, the pots will soak up water and eventually breakdown.
You should treat raku as decorative.
The occasional use of raku in a functional setting is OK, but keep in mind that the glaze is soft and can be easily chipped and swallowed.
Food use and storage is not recommended for Raku Fired Pottery.
The fragility of the pottery also causes the reliability of handles and other attachments to be extremely questionable.

Is There A Special Raku Clay?

Raku clay is any clay that can be successfully raku fired.
That includes just about any type of clay out there!
A clay suitable for raku needs to contain a lot of fireclay and similar refractory materials so that it can withstand the sudden heat shock of the raku process.
This includes most stock stoneware clays.
The clay does not have to be loaded with coarse grog but it does have to be open enough to expand and contract without cracking.
Most clay suppliers can help you choose the right clay body.
The other characteristics that you are looking for are your personal ones such as plasticity, color, texture and so forth.
Nothing needs to be sacrificed in order to have a good, reliable raku clay.

What is a raku glaze?

Similar to the question of raku clays is the answer to this question.
Any glaze that you can successfully raku fire is a raku glaze.
The most important factors in identifying raku glazes is the temperature at which they mature, how you plan on using them, and what kind of effects you are looking for.
You must also keep in mind that if you are using a variety of glazes on the same pot or in the same kiln load, unless you know that they will all mature to your satisfaction at around the same temperature, you will be faced with varying degrees of maturity.
Now, just because a glaze is formulated to fire at a temperature higher than your usual range doesn't mean that you should eliminate that glaze from your pallet.
Experiment with your glazes to achieve a variety of surface effects from dry textures to surfaces with a high gloss.
Don't limit yourself to homemade or personal glazes either.
Try low fire commercial glazes for some unusual results.

Which Cones Do I Use In Raku?

The only cones that should be used near a raku kiln are ice cream cones!
Because of the fast firing, varying atmosphere, multiple loads and other factors, pyrometric cones are generally poor indicators of heat and temperature so they are not used.
Most raku pottery workers fire their pottery using the actual glaze melt as the visual indicator of maturity.
Some pottery workers, do use pyrometers or cones to warn of coming glaze maturity and then check the pottery visually through the peepholes.
Some temperatures of raku depends on the glazes that you are using.
Most raku is fired in the range of cone 010 to 06.
You must remember though, that you, as the maker of the pots are the final expert on whether a glaze is mature, underfired or overfired.
If a glaze is not glossy enough, doesn't have the expected crackles or metallic effects and doesn't exhibit any other characteristic that you find desirable, you need to adjust the firing.

What Can I Do If I Don't Get Bright Metallic Effects Or Crackle?

Assuming you are using the correct glazes, both metallic effects and dark crackle lines are a result of firing the glazes to their maximum maturity followed by a fast after firing reduction technique.
You must quickly get your pottery from the kiln to the reduction container and covered before the pot has a chance to cool too much, otherwise the after firing reduction will not be effective.
Pronounced crackle effects are also often dependent on a thick application of glaze.

Bright Metallic Effects And No Colorful Glaze Effects.

This is the exact opposite of the question and problem above.
Brighter colors need a degree of after firing oxidation in order to develop.
There are several ways to achieve this.
When you remove the pottery from the kiln, spray the areas with water where you would like more color to develop before placing the pottery in the reduction container.
This will oxidize and cool the glaze.
Another method is to hold the pottery in the air for 10 to 30 seconds before reducing the pottery.
Allow the combustible material to ignite and cover the container only after flames have clearly developed.
Other pottery workers will uncover the reduction container after a short time allowing the material to ignite again while fanning the pottery.
Using these and other similar techniques you will learn how to control the amount of metallic and colorful effects on your pottery as well as gray to black unglazed areas.

Can I Preheat My Pottery In The Kiln As It Is Warming Up?
Using A Fiber Garbage Can Kiln With A Lift Off Lid, Will My Pottery Get Preheated Enough By Setting Them On The Lid.
Do They Get Hot Enough On A Fiber And Expanded Metal Lid?

This question shows a common misunderstanding about the raku process.
The only time you need to be concerned about preheating your pottery is when you are doing multiple loads in the same kiln.
The first load should always be in a cold kiln taking the temperature up slowly.
Now, if you are going to fire additional loads, you should be preheating your pottery on or along side the kiln.
If the lid of the kiln is a wire mesh and fiber lid then you might get enough radiant heat.
You can also place the pottery near the flue opening so they get the heat coming from the draft.
Be careful not to place them too close, too soon or they may break.
After preheating on top of the kiln you can place the pottery around the base of the kiln and after you remove the fiber chamber, let them heat up there for a minute or two, then put them on the kiln shelf letting them sit for another minute, then put the chamber back in place for a minute, then relight the burner.

Can I Fire Raku In An Electric Kiln?

Almost any type of kiln can be used for raku as long as it meets certain requirements of the raku process.
It must be located outdoors or in close proximity to the outdoors.
You must be able to easily reach into the kiln to remove your pottery.
If you are going to be firing multiple loads the temperature of the kiln must be easily controlled.
An electric kiln is perfectly suitable for raku, but there are some special considerations that require careful attention.
You must remember that you are exposing yourself to a live electrical current when you open an electric kiln, so you must protect yourself from any possible contact with the current.

How Does The Terms Flue, Damper, Stack And Chimney Apply To Raku Kilns?

All fuel fired kilns need some way for the gases to exit, the air flow to be controlled and air to enter the chamber.
Conventional kilns have a flue, damper and chimney.
The flue is a path in the kiln for the gases to move through after they have circulated through the kiln on their way to the chimney.
The damper is a device, usually a kiln shelf, that slides in and out of the lower part of the chimney in order to control the size of the opening and controlling the exit of the gases and their mixture with air.
Raku kilns are generally small and overpowered.
Most have a simple opening in the top of the chamber covered by a broken kiln shelf piece.
The kiln chamber is essentially the chimney with the opening for the flue and the kiln shelf the damper.

Can't Reach Temperature No Matter How Much Gas Is Use?

This is the most common question regarding the raku firing.
The successful rise of temperature in any fuel fired kiln depends on the correct mixture of air and fuel.
A hotter kiln is not necessarily dependent on more fuel!
If there is too much fuel, the atmosphere will be smoky, full of flames and the temperature will not rise.
Also, if there is too much air, the temperature will stagnate or fall.
Usually, the solution to a situation in which the kiln doesn't reach temperature is to increase the air in the air and fuel mixture.
In a gas fired kiln this can be done by increasing the available air in the burner or around the burner.
You can also simply open the opening at the top of the kiln.
Most pottery workers use a meter controlled type burner that has a disk that screws open or closed.
Open it for more air.
If you are using a power burner in which a fan is attached, increase the air flow.
Experiment to arrive at the correct mixture but be patient!

Do The Tongs Used To Lift The Pottery Leave Marks?

Sometimes they do.
More often though the glaze is still melted enough that once the pot is released from the tongs, the marks tend to smooth out.
In either case the tong marks should not be treated as defects but rather as characteristics of raku.

What Does The Term Reduction Mean?

Reduction is a firing term that refers to a lack of oxygen in the combustion process.
This lack of oxygen in the atmosphere causes the fuel to search for oxygen elsewhere to allow for more combustion to take place.
This can take place during a firing as in reduction stoneware.
In this ordinary situation, the additional oxygen is found chemically bound in the the clay body and glazes.
The result is characteristic reduction effects.
Reduction as it is referred to in raku usually takes place out of the kiln separate from the actual firing as described earlier.
Now, just because you are doing raku doesn't mean that you can't experiment with actual reduction firing in the more ordinary sense.

Does Pottery Have To Be Remove From The Kiln To Apply After Firing Reduction Or Can Reduction Material Be Insert Into The Kiln Chamber?

As described earlier, after firing reduction is normally done by removing the pottery from the kiln and placing it in a container with your combustible material.
Certain situations may make it difficult to actually remove the pottery from the kiln while they are hot.
For instance, your piece may be too large or awkward to handle.
In this case you can achieve some after firing success by shutting off the kiln, adding your reduction material to the chamber and closing off all open ports including the flue, peep hole and burner ports.
At best, the chamber will be only marginally sealed and since effective reduction depends on an air tight chamber, your reduction will be only partially successful.
If your kiln is a lift off fiber type then you might try removing it and replacing it with a metal drum or can for the reduction phase.

Do Different Types Of Reduction Material Give Different Effects?

The short answer is yes.
The long answer is much more complicated!
Here is a medium answer.
Your reduction effects are certainly influenced by how much carbon is in the atmosphere that surrounds your pottery.
In other words, how much smoke your pottery is quickly subjected to.
Some materials have the potential to release more carbon than others.
The condition of your material such as wet, damp or dry, as well as the particle size as in the case of wood materials like sawdust, shavings or chips can be important. The type of wood can also affect your results.

Must There Be Clouds Of Smoke When Doing Raku?

Raku doesn't require smoke at all.
There are two aspects of the process that have the potential for creating smoke.
If you are using a fuel fired kiln as opposed to an electric kiln, then it is likely that there will be at least some smoke generated during the firing.
If you are doing after firing reduction, there will be smoke created then as well.
The amount of smoke is determined by the efficiency of your reduction technique, the material you are using and the amount of material you are using.
If you are reducing in a container, the tighter the lid fits, the less smoke will exit the container.
There are other techniques of reduction that create less smoke than others.
Of course, if you are not doing after firing reduction and simply cooling your pottery when it comes from the kiln, then there is no smoke created.

What Is Smokeless Raku?

Smokeless raku is not really smokeless at all.
It is an after firing reduction technique that is designed to produce minimal smoke by keeping the reduction chamber as air tight as possible.
This can be done using a combination of tight fitting lids with gaskets of wet paper or cloth.
The tightest chamber is one made by turning your container upside down onto a bed of sand or dirt.
Arrange a ring of sand or dirt on the ground for the lid of your container to fit onto when placed upside down.
Place your reduction material within the ring.
Quickly take your pottery out of the kiln and onto the material and cover it with the container pushing the rim of the container into the sand.
Bury the rim with additional sand to keep the smoke in.

What Is Meant By Naked Raku And Slip Resist In Raku?

Naked raku or slip resist refers to a variety of techniques whereby a clay slip is applied to the surface of the pottery.
This slip is formulated to peel away during the firing and not permanently adhere to the surface.
As the slip peels, shrinks and separates from the surface it exposes the pottery to varying degrees of after firing reduction.
When the piece is cooled, whatever slips remains on the pottery is removed by scraping and cleaning.
As a further decorative process, you can scratch and draw through the slip prior to firing to create other designs.

Kilns and Other Pottery Tools

Without them we would not have any pottery or ceramics!

Clay is the most important material of pottery and kilns are the most important tool.
Kilns are the ovens by which clay is turned from a very fragile material into one that will last for centuries.
The history of the development of kilns is fascinating and I have tried to give a quick history of it, and if you

It is fun making your own pottery or pouring your own ceramic piece, but the fun doesn't stop there!
Firing the kiln is also a time of high excitement for a pottery or ceramic artist.
There are few things more fun than tending a kiln through its firing cycle and then, after impatiently waiting for it to cool, opening a kiln to see what the kiln gods have given you.

Haven't heard of kiln gods, huh?




Well, if you want to know what they are,


Today pottery and ceramic artist primarily use gas fired or electric kilns with a few preferring oil or wood fired kilns.
There are advantages to each and every pottery or ceramic artist has fairly strong opinions on why what he or she uses is best.
Now, the simplest, easiest and cheapest is an electric kiln.
Most of the pottery and ceramic artist do their bisque firing in an electric kiln even if they prefer gas, oil or wood for glaze firing.
If a pottery or ceramic artist chooses to glaze fire in an oxidizing atmosphere, an electric kiln can also be an excellent choice for glaze firing.
But, if reduction firing or salt soda glazing is desired, then a gas, oil or wood fired kiln is the tool of choice, because it would ruin the electric kiln.
I guess I'm kinda lazy, but I have been able to get the effects I want with an electric kiln so I use that for both bisque and glaze firing, I can just set it and forget it!!.
I have found out through the years that whatever pottery or ceramic project that I might be working on will get done a lot faster and look a lot nicer if I do use the proper tools.
More time is spent looking for something that you think maybe can be used to do a certain procedure and nine times out of ten you have to resort to two or more other things that may help you to clean, trim or carve your project.
Just bite the bullet and get the correct tools to start off with, it will save you lots of time that you would spend lookin for something around the house that might do the job.
Good Luck and have fun!!

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CERAMIC BUTTERFLY VASE

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Pottery throwing demonstration

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Centering a large piece of clay Pottery Wheel Throwing Demonstration

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How to throw a pot

SIMON LEACH - repeat throwing coffee mugs

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Throwing a Plate

Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plate Throwing

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Great Basin Pottery