Raku Firing Day – 12^th November 2011

Promptly, at 0900 on a cloudy but, fortunately, rain-free day, several members of the Farnham Kiln Club[1] met at the Kiln site before ambling down to the Glaze room to see what glazes were on offer, and get glazing. 

Then back up to the kilns for loading and firing (under Ashley’s expert eye).  As all of the pots had just been glazed, the first firing (3 kilns) was taken quite slowly.  The pots were ready for after about two hours and the unloading into sawdust went with some expertise - we seem to be getting quite good at this.  This stage in the proceedings was watched by the only group from the UCA’s Open Day that managed to find us – I trust they were impressed.

We managed one more firing (another 3 kilns) and finished mid afternoon:  an excellent day was had by all – do check out the results.  Particularly impressive, I feel, were the various Crackle glazes.  However, one has to say, the new “purple” does seem somewhat brighter, and bluer, than its predecessor. 

I was trialling Solargil’s RIF Primitive clay that was such a hit in pit-firings at the ICF Aberystwyth this summer.  It is highly resistant to thermal shock, and I thought it might fare well as a raku clay.  Unfortunately, once bisque-fired (to about 950⁰C) it’s almost vitrified and doesn’t take up the glaze too well.  That said, enough is adsorbed to keep the clay body free from the smoke fumes and, with copper-containing glazes, give a distinct copper sheen.  Bisqued and unglazed, it absorbs carbon to a rather dull grey.  Back to the drawing board, methinks!

We also tidied out the wood-store, disturbed several VERY large spiders, and prepared wood for the firing on 10^th December.