The secrets of Raku Revealed - Page 20

Dawn >^..^< · #**571** 2010-03-03, 8:42pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SL Beads

I hope Dawn will come back to this thread. If not I welcome suggestions from anybody. My problem with Raku is shaping. While super heating my bead till I get white glow, bead holes become totally thinned out. In order to reshape the bead holes, I start bringing the bead back to the flame and marvering many times. So of course, as a result, I get yackey poopy color and what can I do? I reheat my bead and lose the bead hole, again and again. I would like to know how you people end up with beautiful colors and beautiful bead shape at the same time. To me that seems impossible. Am I heating the bead too much? Sachiko L.

It does sound like you're heating the bead too much. (Or I should say too deeply.) Make the bead in a low neutral flame and get it shaped the way you like it. Don't even think about super heating it until you have the shape you want. Then let the bead cool and loose it's glow so the core is nice and hard. You only need to super heat the outer surface of the bead. I do this by bringing the bead right up near the face of my torch so the flame candles almost lick the bead. Get it hot hot hot and then get it out of the flame before the heat starts to sink all the way into the bead causing it to loose it's shape. As it cools, it should turn really dark. Then just bring it back in the flame as if you were flame polishing it to develope the colors but don't get it super hot again. I hope this helps! And don't give up!

SL Beads · #**572** 2010-03-04, 4:40pm

Thanks Dawn. I do work in the neutral flame to shape my bead first. However, I think I am making a mistake in the next step. I use two concentrators with my MiniCC and so my thinking is that I have plenty of oxygen and I don't have to lower my gas too much. As a result I am heating my bead till white glow and soupy. I have to turn my mandrel really fast lest I won't lose my glass to the tabletop. This way my bead gets really really black. I was happy about that because I heard black is good. Unfortunately my bead stays black under the clear glass and come out of the kiln black. So, what I read in your advice is that I should not melt my bead to the core. I may not be reducing my bead, but I must still be heating it too much. So, even if I have lots of oxygen, I should cut down the propane gas. OK, back to square one or one and a half. I really appreciate your responding to my post. Sachiko L>

MadelineBunyan · #**573** 2010-03-05, 1:08am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawn >^..^<

As it cools, it should turn really dark. Then just bring it back in the flame as if you were flame polishing it to develope the colors but don't get it super hot again. I hope this helps! And don't give up!

think you missed this bit, you need to do this even if you are encasing I believe.

SL Beads · #**574** 2010-03-05, 6:37am

I remember Dawn's instruction said that you should not try to get the colors if you are encasing. That will happen while you are applying hot melted clear glass. But I flame annealed to get some colors with the unencased Raku. Nothing happened. I have a feeling my totally black bead meant I burnt my bead to crisp. I am on my way to my studio now. I am determined to bring some colors today. Thank you for your post. S.L.

MadelineBunyan · #**575** 2010-03-05, 8:33am

hmmm...thinks must go play more with raku...

dragonfly designs 56 · #**576** 2010-03-10, 10:13pm

for the year (five years ago) that i made beads, only made frit and raku beads for a year. never got any color. Just recently started again, and now I get color, not consistently yet, but getting there...maybe it has to be aged five years to work...he he

MerryFool · #**577** 2010-03-11, 7:25am

I need to read your advice over and over, Dawn, until it sticks like glue and then try it out when I next get to torch! Here's crossing my fingers!!! Thanks for the advice

lbowman1 · #**578** 2010-03-12, 12:25am

I finally dug through all of this thread. Whew! That took a while. It has inspired me to try raku next time I get a chance to use a torch. I ordered a little bit of raku frit yesterday.

Now if I can just get the nerve to post pics of what I make. lol

Lori

Mitosis Glass · #**579** 2010-03-13, 10:47am

Dawn, somewhere in this thread you explained how to make colourful Raku dots, by repeated heating and marvering then covering with clear. Here are my results from that instruction. Excuse the washed out photo; they look better in real life:

JulieV · #**580** 2010-03-13, 11:44am

COOL! I like that!

Mitosis Glass · #**581** 2010-03-13, 4:01pm

Thank you!

This is the only time Raku did neat things for me. Otherwise it's usually some lame shade of brown or grey.

monarae · #**582** 2010-03-14, 11:34pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellyhorton

Weird, I have to reduce the hell out of raku in the beginning to make the colors strike for me. No wonder I could never get color, i would have never thought to reduce. Weird, I followed your steps, maybe my torch is cursed. thats it, thats why I cant make a decent bead, lol

I thought you were NOT supposed to reduce, that the raku wil turn dark brown when super heated and cooled, but if you reduce it turns silvery and you get yuk if you reduce and blues if you "brown" it.

sixbabygirls · #**583** 2010-03-17, 10:52am

I have read and reread and this is what i got for my first attempt it isn't easy The beads in this post are so beautiful i hope to one day get all those colours ..... does it matter if you only have 1, 5lpm concentrator with a mini ? I can never tell if it has a really oxygen rich flame ?

seedbead · #**584** 2010-03-20, 9:08pm

I have read every post in this thread, and tried several time to dance with Raku. I think I am finally getting some colors from raku on a HH (Yellow and blue count? Right?)

Mitosis Glass · #**585** 2010-03-20, 9:26pm

Awesome, seedbead! Those look fantastic!!

kerryf6 · #**586** 2010-04-07, 2:54pm

getting colour after all now !! on a HH and am having a leaf moment, and bingo !!! also some poop coloured beads changed in the kiln that was overfired a tin bit and came out yummy, so left some of the other poop coloured ones in a corner of the kiln for a few more firings, and as each one comes out I check, and yes, with normal firings, they are slowly changing !!! these firings are not overcooking, just normal annealing temps but these leaves are the first quickies that worked !! lets try to get a photo up .....

Dawn >^..^< · #**587** 2010-04-09, 11:16pm

Wow! Everyone's beads are looking great!

Lately I've been making sets using Raku, Multicolor Dark and Chalcedony all in the same set for an even wider range of colors. Here's a few examples....

ElementalsDesign · #**588** 2010-04-09, 11:30pm

Dawn.. these pictures.. these BEADS absolutely take my breath away.

Truly gorgeous.. a veritable parade of gorgeous!!!

Rachel Kat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawn >^..^<

Wow! Everyone's beads are looking great!

Lately I've been making sets using Raku, Multicolor Dark and Chalcedony all in the same set for an wider range of colors. Here's a few examples....

JulieV · #**589** 2010-04-10, 6:11am

Holy RAKU Batman!!! Dreamy, breathtaking, stupendous!

glasser · #**590** 2010-04-10, 11:18am

OMG I think I just had a rakugasm. You are my idol!

dragonfly designs 56 · #**591** 2010-04-10, 3:27pm

omg...thats friggin hysterical. LMAO

Quote:

Originally Posted by glasser

OMG I think I just had a rakugasm. You are my idol!

dragonfly designs 56 · #**592** 2010-04-10, 3:28pm

The number one thing ive learned. Must turn bead black first! Like you said Dawn, if you dont do that, really not getting crap.

Amy's Artisan Beads · #**593** 2010-04-10, 8:33pm

Dawn, Those beads are DELICIOUS! My husband wonders why I spend so much time on this site? Great bead porn!!

sixbabygirls · #**594** 2010-04-11, 1:08pm

Breathtaking Dawn!!!!!
It makes want to try again to make the color come alive
just hate wasting a whole night at the torch for mediocre
beads yours are soooo incredible will reread all the notes once more.....
Thanks for showing what can be attained!

sixbabygirls · #**595** 2010-04-11, 1:09pm

Breathtaking Dawn!!!!!
It makes want to try again to make the color come alive
just hate wasting a whole night at the torch for mediocre
beads yours are soooo incredible will reread all the notes once more.....
Thanks for showing what can be attained!

simvet02 · #**596** 2010-04-12, 6:22am

Dawn, your beads have always been inspiring as have your instructions.

I'm not getting wonderful colors with raku but when they come out of the kiln they have changed colors. Is there an annealing range that they should be in to retain the colors?
Here is one where the colors dimmed a bit but are still at least there.

Dawn >^..^< · #**597** 2010-04-12, 7:11am

Thanks so much to everyone for all the nice compliments!

Glasser...Rakugasm!

Jan, I use the same annealing schedule for Raku as I do for everything else. I garage at 950 all day while I work, then about a half hour after my session, I ramp down.

Also, be sure not to keep the kiln door open too long, because if the temp drops too low, the kiln will have to really heat up to recover and sometimes this can result in loss of color. I have a Chili Pepper, and when I add beads or have to rearrange beads in the kiln I try to do it as quickly as possible.

Pat · #**598** 2010-04-12, 7:51am

Dawn, do you treat the multicolor the same as Raku?
I love how you laid out the first picture.

Dawn >^..^< · #**599** 2010-04-12, 9:04am

Hi Pat,

Yes, I do treat the Multicolor AND the Chalcedony just the same as Raku. So far I've only used the 96 COE Multicolor and Multicolor Dark. Haven't tried the 104 COE.

The beads in that first picture are the smallest ones I've ever made like that. They're 10mm!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat

Dawn, do you treat the multicolor the same as Raku?
I love how you laid out the first picture.

simvet02 · #**600** 2010-04-12, 1:26pm

Thanks Dawn, must be the way I'm holding my mouth when I put them in the kiln. Raku is so fussy. But I'm getting the hang of it.