Pat Bettendorf and Bob Napack have offered to organize weekly raku firings on Friday mornings. Richard Moren will also participate. They are eager for studio participants, and as they say, participation in the process is half the fun. They will also fire any member’s raku-glazed ware even if they don’t wish to participate.
If you want to participate, have your piece prepared on Friday morning.
Pieces must be made out of a clay suitable for raku: WSO, Stony, Long Beach, Amador, Black Mountain.
Pieces must be bisqued.
If you wish to use a glaze you must use one of the raku glazes (in the cabinet to the left of the display cabinet near the glaze area).
Do not use our regular glazes!
Raku glazes are painted on, not dipped.
On Friday morning they will plan with you carefully so that everyone knows their assignment when the kiln is opened and the pots transferred to the reduction chambers.
With the limited space, a maximum of four people can be involved in each firing, although more can observe, as long as there is space.
They encourage interested members to come by on a Friday morning and observe the process, even participate in one of the firings. (Bear in mind that the space near the kiln is small and will hold only a few people at a time.)
Firings will begin around 9. Usually they can do from three to five firings in the morning if it’s not too windy.
To participate, wear leather, hard-toed shoes or boots, long pants and sleeves, hat and hair clips, mask and eye protection. This is because in raku firing the red-hot pots are lifted and transferred to metal cans (reduction chambers) full of combustible material, which will catch fire and burn, and there is smoke and ash.
📝 If you don’t want to participate but would like a bisqued piece fired, plan to come to observe the firing. Your piece should be raku-glazed and can be stored on the shelf above the raku glazes. Be sure to fill out the slip of paper with your name and instructions, even though you will be present. If for some reason you cannot be present, write to Bob Napack [bobnapack@napackdesign.com].