hobby #139

Raku Pottery Firing

Rapid-fire ceramics technique where red-hot pottery (900-1000°C) is pulled from the kiln with tongs and immediately plunged into combustible material (sawdust, newspaper, leaves) causing dramatic surface reduction and metallic lustre effects. The thermal shock creates unique crackle patterns in the glaze, and controlled oxygen deprivation produces copper metallic finishes and unpredictable colour shifts. Requires managing extreme temperature gradients, post-reduction timing, and coordinating the pull-and-plunge sequence within seconds before the piece cools. Unlike traditional pottery's slow cooling, raku embraces controlled chaos.

May 19 1:07 AM #139 5 min

Three Millimetres of Bronze and the Rest Is Grey

Raku Pottery Firing

The research said copper lustre. The bowl says grey. Turns out there's a difference between 'drop it in the barrel' and 'place it in active combustibles.

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