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Mastering raku : making ware, glazes, building kilns, firing / Steven Branfman.

by Branfman, Steven.

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Lark Books, c2009.

175 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm.

Includes index.

Introduction -- 1. What is raku? -- Raku as a pottery technique -- The history of raku -- The aesthetics of raku -- Frequently asked questions about raku -- 2. Health and safety -- Studio design and maintenance -- Kiln placement and use -- The functional use of raku ware -- Protective wear -- 3. Clays for raku -- Suitable clays -- Selecting commercial clay bodies -- Formulating clay bodies -- Forming methods for raku -- Bisque firing -- 4. Glazes, slips, and other coloring agents -- Selecting commercial glazes -- Formulating glazes -- Glaze-application and decoration techniques -- Multi-firing -- 5. Kilns -- Kiln designs -- Combustion -- Gas-fueled kilns -- Wood-fired kilns -- Coal-fired kilns -- To buy or build -- 6. Building your own kiln -- First steps -- Building a top-loading soft brick kiln -- Building a refractory fiber kiln -- Recycling an electric kiln -- Constructing a wood-fired kiln -- Building a coal- or charcoal-fired saggar Kiln -- Accessories and repairs -- Protecting your kiln from the elements -- Creative problem-solving -- 7. The firing process -- Safety first -- Raku firing in an electric kiln -- Raku firing in a fuel-burning kiln -- The firing cycle -- Removing the ware -- Standard post-firing reduction -- Successive firings -- 8. Advanced firing techniques -- Firing variations -- Post-Firing variations -- 9. Related techniques for raku -- Slip resist (or naked raku) -- Horsehair raku -- Pit firing -- Sawdust (or smoke) firing -- Saggar firing -- 10. Finishing your ware -- Cleaning the ware -- Enhancing and altering surfaces -- Waterproofing and protecting surfaces -- Mending broken ware -- 11. Teaching raku -- Teaching raku in schools -- Giving workshops and demonstrations -- Leading group firings -- Conclusion -- Gallery -- Appendices -- Contributing artists -- Dedication -- Acknowledgments -- About the author -- Index and credits.

"Raku, a low-fire pottery technique that requires quick heating and cooling of the ware, offers something that few other firing methods do: a deep and satisfying participation in the firing process itself. Mastering Raku is the definitive book on the subject: a comprehensive, hands-on, technique-based guide that encourages experimentation. Mastering Raku includes up-to-date technical and creative information, how-to photographs, new clay and glaze recipes, and contemporary inspiration."--Dustjacket.

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