The secrets of Raku Revealed

[Dawn >^..^<]

I've had quite a few people tell me lately that they just can't get any colors out of their Raku, and want to know what my secret is. Well I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else.....LOL!
I went through tubs of raku frit before figuring it out, so I'll give you a few tips on what works for me. And if anyone else has any tips, please feel free to chime in. But first, a little raku eye candy to get you motivated......

17270

25779

24819

23915

Okay, in a nutshell, it's all about heating it up super hot then chilling it real quick. Try this ...... Make a very small black barrel. Roll it in #0 raku frit and melt it in. Let the bead cool until it looses it's glow then super heat it until it gets that "white orange" glow. Take out of the flame and gently marver it with a graphite or brass tool. You will notice the raku turns black. THIS IS A GOOD THING! Now encase the bead in clear. You will start to see the colors develope as the bead looses it's glow. And even more gorgeous colors will appear when it's cooled and you take your bead out of the kiln.

The same thing applies to beads that you don't plan on encasing, but you may have to experiment a bit to know how hot to go before chilling.

To do a "Rainbow Dot".....make a bead, add a dot of raku with stringer, heat it and flatten it with a graphite or metal tool of your choosing, let the bead cool slightly then just barely heat the dot again, as soon as you see the edges of the dot start to well up flatten it again. This is what makes that little rainbow pattern in the dot. Then apply a drop of clear over the raku dot and tada!....You've got a raku rainbow!

Now get off that computer and go DO some RAKU! :-D

Edited to say....You really need to read through this entire thread. There's tons of beautiful photos and great advise from not only myself, but lots of other members as well. But if you want my most up-to-date explanation of Raku in a nutshell, go to post #405 on page number 14. As time has gone by, I'm starting to figure out how to better put into words what I need to say about Raku. Print it out....Read it...Have fun with it, and don't forget to post photos of your gorgeous beads!

[Kevan]

Nice beads, Dawn! I love those cones.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks Kevan!!!

[Kevan]

Can I ask what black you are making your twisties with? Oh, and what you are using to encase with? I want to encase some plain raku, but I only have 104.

[Laurie L]

Awsome - just awsome. Thanks for your generosity !!! This is going to make a lot of people very happy, myself included. LOL

[Dawn >^..^<]

Can I ask what black you are making your twisties with? Oh, and what you are using to encase with? I want to encase some plain raku, but I only have 104.

Sure! I used intense black stringers on a raku rod to do the twisties. They were my very first ones! Raku twisties, that is.
And I usually try to use Lauscha clear to encase with, but sometimes I break down and use this nice factory pulled Vetrofond stringer that I ordered a buttload of a while back when it was on sale.

[Kevan]

Oh, thanks!!

[Ari'elle]

Thank you for the great tips Dawn! My problem is when I think its hot enough, I also start to lose the shape or I don't get the cool colors until the raku stringer has spread a great deal and I would rather have thinner detail lines. My stringers are pretty thin, a mil or less. Maybe I'm overheating? Those rainbow dots are very cool!

[pittypat]

Just rated my first thread!! This is SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much...I have been playing with raku all week...getting better, but I copied every word and tomorrow WILL be a better raku day!! Thanks, Dawn...

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thank you for the great tips Dawn! My problem is when I think its hot enough, I also start to lose the shape or I don't get the cool colors until the raku stringer has spread a great deal and I would rather have thinner detail lines. My stringers are pretty thin, a mil or less. Maybe I'm overheating? Those rainbow dots are very cool!

Okay....maybe we can fix that too. To get good colors out of your scroll work without having it spread too much, try this.

Make your bead and apply the raku scrollwork or lines or whatever, but leave it raised. Spot heat your raku design and chill and flatten with a little metal spatula or butter knife. Heat and chill and flatten until you've coaxed some colors out of the raku. At this point you can gently heat your bead back up to a low glow to shape it up or squish it in a press, just being careful not to get it too hot again.

Once you've "chilled" the colors into your raku, it will stay there unless you overheat it, and then it could go back to browns again.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Just rated my first thread!! This is SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much...I have been playing with raku all week...getting better, but I copied every word and tomorrow WILL be a better raku day!! Thanks, Dawn...

Woohoo! I got Stars!!! :-D Thanks!
And happy raku-ing at the torch tomorrow!

[Ari'elle]

Thank you Dawn! That's exactly what I'm doing wrong, trying to keep it all hot at once. Many times I've lost the color and had to start all over. I guess I was more worried about getting the bead too cold and cracking it. You've given me all kinds of great ideas to play with after Shabbat. I was starting to get frustrated and decided I would back shelf the raku for awhile, but it keeps calling me...

[Ari'elle]

I didn't know we could rate threads (newbie here); this is my first one. Cool!

[Shelley]

Great tips Dawn, thanks heaps!
Although, I've tried superheating, get the raku going so dark I can't see it, and can't get any more colour to come back....! What's happening there? Some designs I don't want to encase and I get frustrated when the raku 'dissapears' on me.... Any ideas?

Shelley
Sydney Australia

[Dawn >^..^<]

Great tips Dawn, thanks heaps!
Although, I've tried superheating, get the raku going so dark I can't see it, and can't get any more colour to come back....! What's happening there? Some designs I don't want to encase and I get frustrated when the raku 'dissapears' on me.... Any ideas?

Shelley
Sydney Australia

While encasing raku is almost fool proof, NOT encasing raku can sometimes require a little more coaxing. Here's what I do. Once the raku is too dark, I let the bead cool just a bit until it totally looses it's glow. Then I bring it back into the flame and heat it good and hot (but not "white hot") again and the flame seems to suck the color back out of it.....but then you need to spot chill it again to get some of the color back.

The part of this whole raku thing that I had the hardest time with was allowing myself to put a bead in the kiln that looked like it had black raku on it. I had one bead in particular that had scroll work on it that looked black. The next day when I pulled it out of the kiln, what was ugly black had turned to a most awesome red with blue and green edges!

That's why I say it takes a little experimenting to know how it should look while it's still hot to get the results you want once it's cooled down. Make some tiny test beads trying different things and let them air cool so you see what the results are right away. Then pick one you like and try to do the same thing again. Once you get used to knowing what to look for, you can move on to that big fabulous set!

[Blueflameart]

raku rox! another thing I'll add is try this ... make a barrel .... get some semi thick raku stringer and go from side to side "coiling" it around the bead ... do what you wish on the ends .... as soon as you get the raku on ... do not super heat or touch a marver .... just burn it in as you would any other stringer ... again ... try not to super heat it .... now clear it as you would any other bead .... I use the "coil" method with 3 to 4 mm Lau. stringer ... the result always varies because of how much heat you used as you melted the stringer in. I've gotten a very "velvet" type green .... and a tripy cosmos type green look. Try it , you'll like it 8) Be Blessed and 5 star thread , thnx for doing it!

[joyce-l-o]

Hi Dawn,
What base colors do you use with the raku? Also what c.o.e? Thanks Joyce

[Dawn >^..^<]

raku rox! another thing I'll add is try this ... make a barrel .... get some semi thick raku stringer and go from side to side "coiling" it around the bead ... do what you wish on the ends .... as soon as you get the raku on ... do not super heat or touch a marver .... just burn it in as you would any other stringer ... again ... try not to super heat it .... now clear it as you would any other bead .... I use the "coil" method with 3 to 4 mm Lau. stringer ... the result always varies because of how much heat you used as you melted the stringer in. I've gotten a very "velvet" type green .... and a tripy cosmos type green look. Try it , you'll like it 8) Be Blessed and 5 star thread , thnx for doing it!

Ooooo! Thanks Chad! That sounds very cool. Now we need to see a picture!!! :biggrin:

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Dawn,
What base colors do you use with the raku? Also what c.o.e? Thanks Joyce

Hi Joyce,
I use all soft glass, 104 coe. And you can use any color for the base, but my favorite is black. I like the way the colors POP against the black. Cobalt is nice too.....and some colors react with the raku causing it to be outlined in black, like ivory, coral and turquoise. I guess it all depends on the look you're going for. I've never met a raku bead that I didn't like....LOL!

[born2snooze]

Wha a great tips, I just bought 3 jars of Raku from heritage and Connie Fox, I manage to get some colors out, but wonder what is the best way. Thank you for your generosity to share dawn! Lovely lovely beads you got there. Yummie! :D :love:

Oh, I looove the raku rainbow dots! I will give it a try soon! :love:

.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Can I ask what black you are making your twisties with? Oh, and what you are using to encase with? I want to encase some plain raku, but I only have 104.

Oh, oh oh!!! Now that I'm actually AWAKE, I just re-read you question, and I understand now that you want to encase "Pure" raku......

I tried with Lauscha but of course the bead cracked, so now I just use a 104 coe base rolled in raku powder for almost the same effect, with less risk of the bead cracking.

To encase pure raku, you would need to use a clear that is closer to the coe of raku, like maybe system 96 or Kugler?? I myself prefer to encase with small stringer sized rods of 2-3mm, and I haven't found any that small that would be compatible with the raku. So I've been sticking to the "rolling it in powder" method.

Sorry for the confusion....

[emeraldartistry]

have you tried Pi - glass - I am not sure what happened to them lately but they are 96 COE and I have some
Bridget

[*Naos*]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing. Dawn!

I do have to say, though....in defense of Raku in it's natural state... I like the khaki it makes! :D

[Dawn >^..^<]

have you tried Pi - glass - I am not sure what happened to them lately but they are 96 COE and I have some
Bridget

Hi Briget,
No, actually I haven't ever heard of Pi Glass, but then again, I really need to get out more!....LOL!
I have trouble encasing with larger diameter rods, so if I ever find any 96coe clear in small diameter rods, like 2-3mm, I would surely try it.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing. Dawn!

I do have to say, though....in defense of Raku in it's natural state... I like the khaki it makes! :D

Oh Amber, I totally agree! Raku on white is one of my favorites for my seashells. I try to leave it in it's natural, "unteased" state for the gorgeous hues of browns and russets.

[sassy]

Thanks for this great info. I have 5 fars of raku sitting on a shelf because I could never get it to work well. I think I'll try again.

[Limelight]

Thanks, this has been a great help...I've had to settle for only the tans and browns...Going to try again.

[one-eared pig]

Dawn, i do believe i love you!

8-)

[pittypat]

Dawn, I just wanted you to know that the next morning I made 12 raku beads, and 10 turned out just right!!! Thank you so much for the help...if I can ever figure out how to post a pix, I will show you!! This entire thread, including comments from others helped me a lot...thanks again, pat

[Kevan]

I made some twisites with the intense black. They look pretty neat. I encased it with vetrofond.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn, i do believe i love you!

8-)

Hi Melissa,

I'd be interested to find out how these tips helped if at all. I just read on another one of your posts that you're on a HH. I really don't have any experience on a HotHead, but have heard that it's harder to get the full color range out of raku. All I can say is just give it a try and heat the snot out of it!....LOL!

If that doesn't work, then try just getting the frit on the bead and don't even melt it in all the way, and then encase it real quick. This way you will be trapping the frit under the clear encasing before it has a chance for the colors to fade away.....If that make any sense.....

Let me know how it works out, and good luck! :)

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn, I just wanted you to know that the next morning I made 12 raku beads, and 10 turned out just right!!! Thank you so much for the help...if I can ever figure out how to post a pix, I will show you!! This entire thread, including comments from others helped me a lot...thanks again, pat


Woohoo!!! =D> I just love it when a plan comes together!!!

[Dawn >^..^<]

I made some twisites with the intense black. They look pretty neat. I encased it with vetrofond.

That's great Kevan! Now show us the beadies!!!! :biggrin:

[sabrinadesign]

=D> Wow Dawn!!! Your beads are BEAUTIFUL!!!! And the advice!!! The advice is Awesome!!! I'm headed to my torch right now!!! :D
Hugs!!!
Bree

[debrakinsky]

Wow, I think you've now become the "Queen of Raku!" Sounds exotic, doesn't it? I'm going out on a limb to ask some questions that may be really naive, but I need to ask them for clarification (kind of a newbie) and I love Raku so I just have to ask: Somewhere in the thread you mentioned Raku rod -- can you buy Raku rod or do you have to mix it yourself? When you make stringer, what size Raku are you using? Any help you can give me in clearing this all up would be really great. When I grow up I want to Raku like you! Oooooh sounds like a country song! :grin:

Thanks,

--Deb

[fyrebeadz*]

Awesome beads Dawn and thanks for sharing!

Donna

[Dawn >^..^<]

Wow, I think you've now become the "Queen of Raku!" Sounds exotic, doesn't it? I'm going out on a limb to ask some questions that may be really naive, but I need to ask them for clarification (kind of a newbie) and I love Raku so I just have to ask: Somewhere in the thread you mentioned Raku rod -- can you buy Raku rod or do you have to mix it yourself? When you make stringer, what size Raku are you using? Any help you can give me in clearing this all up would be really great. When I grow up I want to Raku like you! Oooooh sounds like a country song! :grin:

Thanks,

--Deb

Thank you so much, Deb! Well, now I'm just going to have to make myself a raku crown to wear....LOL! Ooooo....wouldn't THAT be pretty!

I buy my raku cane (rods) from Olympic Color Rods, but I think Valerie Cox also offers it for sale on occasion. If you need links to either you can email me.
I usually pull my stringers from the cane because it's much easier, but before I had the cane, I would pull stringers from frit. The easiest way I found to do this was by heating up a bare (not dipped in bead release) mandrel.(I use either the 3/32 or 1/8 inch size for this.) Get the tip red hot and dip into your frit. Any size frit will work, but the larger stuff works faster. Keep heating and dipping until you have a nice sized gather to pull the stringer from.

Hope this helps! And any question is a good question....that's how we all learn....even the Queen of Raku....LOL!

[Kevan]

This is a really bad picture ofthis bead, but here it is with twisties and color.

26057

[Dawn >^..^<]

[QUOTE=Kevan]This is a really bad picture ofthis bead, but here it is with twisties and color.

Wooooo! Yeah Baby! Now that's what I call doin' the twist!
Very Nice colors, Kevan!

[debrakinsky]

Thanks a bunch for your help! I really appreciate the thorough response--it completely cleared things up. I was just missing a couple steps. And I hadn't ever seen any Raku cane (course I've had a somewhat limited list of suppliers until recently). I haven't seen anything at Val's so I'll check out Olympic - thanks!

Loooove the Raku crown idea --- bet you could do it :wink:

--Deb

[Reenie]

Dawn,
Can I ask what kind of raku did you use on picture #3? I love the blues and purple...I've had some wonderful people send me some Raku cuz I never heard of it or used it and i'm not sure what colors they are. They all seem brown to me:-)
Thanks
Irene<------2am and going to try at least one tonite!

[one-eared pig]

Hi Melissa,

I'd be interested to find out how these tips helped if at all. I just read on another one of your posts that you're on a HH. I really don't have any experience on a HotHead, but have heard that it's harder to get the full color range out of raku. All I can say is just give it a try and heat the snot out of it!....LOL!

If that doesn't work, then try just getting the frit on the bead and don't even melt it in all the way, and then encase it real quick. This way you will be trapping the frit under the clear encasing before it has a chance for the colors to fade away.....If that make any sense.....

Let me know how it works out, and good luck! :)

i can't wait, either. unfortunately, i can't get to the torch for the next couple of weekends (man, having a job and a life really is starting to interfere with my glass addiction), but i will be working on this all summer!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn,
Can I ask what kind of raku did you use on picture #3? I love the blues and purple...I've had some wonderful people send me some Raku cuz I never heard of it or used it and i'm not sure what colors they are. They all seem brown to me:-)
Thanks
Irene<------2am and going to try at least one tonite!

Hi Irene,

All raku is the same. It's always brown or shades of brown before you work it in the flame. That's what's so amazing about this glass is that you can get all kinds of color from it just by the way you work it.
The base color of the bead seems to have an effect on the raku as well. For instance, look at the picture of my cone shaped beads. The bead that seem to have the most brown colors on them were made with a base of clear. The ones showing the purples and blues were made on a base of black. I think raku looks great against just about any color, but the black really seems to make the colors pop.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks a bunch for your help! I really appreciate the thorough response--it completely cleared things up. I was just missing a couple steps. And I hadn't ever seen any Raku cane (course I've had a somewhat limited list of suppliers until recently). I haven't seen anything at Val's so I'll check out Olympic - thanks!

Loooove the Raku crown idea --- bet you could do it :wink:

--Deb

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is that when ordering from Olympic, make sure that you order "CANE" and not "ROD". They carry both. What they refer to as "ROD" is this huge rod of glass, looks like 2 inches in diameter or more, and that's what the glass blowers use for the large stuff like vases and such. What us lampworkers use, they call "CANE" and is 5-7mm diamers like the other glass we use. They have a tab at the top of their website for "Lampworking" and that's where you will find the cane. They sell it in 1/4 kilo bundles which is roughly 1/2 pound. The official name for raku is Reichenbach R-108, Iris Orange Opaque. It got it's name "Raku" from Valerie Cox, when she first started selling it and named it "Raku Jitterbug" and the name just stuck.

[PaulaD]

Thanks for the thread dawn!! Paula

[pittypat]

Ok, I order raku cane from Olympic and it came today!! If you live close, you might want to get it yourself...only drawback was shipping was exactly the same as the rods!! But, it is really pretty...and another question, Dawn, or anybody else who wants to jump in...I have at least three maybe four different shades...is that normal??? Going to pull stringer now and try to make the twisty cane...thanks again, pat

[Pat]

Yes, it will be different hues to each rod. makes no difference.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Ok, I order raku cane from Olympic and it came today!! If you live close, you might want to get it yourself...only drawback was shipping was exactly the same as the rods!! But, it is really pretty...and another question, Dawn, or anybody else who wants to jump in...I have at least three maybe four different shades...is that normal??? Going to pull stringer now and try to make the twisty cane...thanks again, pat

Hi Pat,
Yes, the rods all have different hues, but once it's worked in the flame it will all have the same results. I have about 5 pounds of cane and they all look different. I get mine from Olympic too. My only drawback is that it takes over a week to get here because I'm all the way over here in Florida! I live far, far away from glass land....LOL!
Have fun doin' the twist!

[A_Glass_Bash]

Does anyone make this stuff thats more compatible with system 90?? I heard that I needed to be more careful adding raku to it than if I was going up to 104.. Something about you had less issues moving up with a glass than down. But that didn't totally make sense either so maybe someone confused? I can't even remember when and where I heard it recently.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Does anyone make this stuff thats more compatible with system 90?? I heard that I needed to be more careful adding raku to it than if I was going up to 104.. Something about you had less issues moving up with a glass than down. But that didn't totally make sense either so maybe someone confused? I can't even remember when and where I heard it recently.

Hi Arlene,

Is it System 96 that you're referring to? If so, I would think that the Reichenbach Raku would be just as compatible, if not more so. Reichenbach glass has a measured coe of 91 to 94, which is even closer to System 96 than the 104 coe soft glass.

Now if it's Bullseye, with a coe of 90 that you're talking about, I'm pretty sure you can use the raku with that glass too, being careful to use it sparingly. Although I can't say for certain, I think I've seen some beads made with Bullseye that had raku on them. Kalera would be a good person to ask, as I think she uses all three types of glass, and would be familiar with how raku works with each of them.

[Just Nancy]

Not to sound too dumb but Wow. So that's what beautiful looking Raku looks like! I'm not sure I've seen any so pretty. Great beads.

I may try to find some to buy now. Thanks.

[glassbear]

I seem to get the best results when I turn the pressure on my propane tank down to about 3lbs. But that's just what works for me. I made twisties using a blob of Vetrofond black and R108 then pulled into a really tight and small twist. I've got to get my computer fixed so I can post pictures. :(

Cheryl

[crystalflipz]

I've had great results using Raku on Bullseye glass. I use the both the rods and twisties of Bullseye black and Raku and both work. Just have to be careful to keep the twisties made with BE separated from those with COE 104 glass.
Carol

[Dawn >^..^<]

Not to sound too dumb but Wow. So that's what beautiful looking Raku looks like! I'm not sure I've seen any so pretty. Great beads.

I may try to find some to buy now. Thanks.

Awww! Thanks Nancy!
That didn't sound dumb to me at all.... :grin:

[Dawn >^..^<]

I've had great results using Raku on Bullseye glass. I use the both the rods and twisties of Bullseye black and Raku and both work. Just have to be careful to keep the twisties made with BE separated from those with COE 104 glass.
Carol

Thanks Carol! I have a couple rods of that cool color changing Bullseye that I've been wanting to try the raku with.

[crystalflipz]

Dawn,
If you have any of the Cinnabar, try the Raku with that - awesome colors! I was playing around last night and found that Lauscha Black brings out phenomenal reds and blues that I wasn't able to get from either Moretti or Vetofrond. Maybe its due to a higher concentration of metals in the Lauscha? Have you ever done anything with Lauscha glass?
Carol

[Beadfairy]

Hi there :-)

I use the Reichenbach Black for Raku-stringers or twisters. And I encase it with Reichenbach clear, so the beads will never crack because of an incompatibility (hope I wrote this right)
The Reichenbach Crystal Clear is not that nice as Lauscha, but I had once a very good batch of it - it was almost totally clear. It is better to use the thicker rods of clear from them, they don't foam so much as the thinner ones.
These ones I made with a little bit of raku-black stringers:
26512

[debrakinsky]

Wow! Your beads are just beautiful :jawdrop:

Whatever you're doing, you certainly are doing it right! Would seem to make sense to me, but I wonder where the Effetre equasion comes in - wouldn't there still be some incompatibility for those of us using Effetre? Then you figure in the 5% rule .... Makes my brain hurt... #-o

Those beads are so great to look at! Thanks so much for sharing!

--Deb

[Beadfairy]

Hi Deb,

thanks you! I forgot to say that the base bead is also Reichenbach Glass - only the blue aventurine is from moretti.
But I use moretti violett a lot with Reichenbach and it looks great, too. But there you have to watch the 5-10% rule of course. ;-)

Karin

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn,
If you have any of the Cinnabar, try the Raku with that - awesome colors! I was playing around last night and found that Lauscha Black brings out phenomenal reds and blues that I wasn't able to get from either Moretti or Vetofrond. Maybe its due to a higher concentration of metals in the Lauscha? Have you ever done anything with Lauscha glass?
Carol

Ooooooo, thanks for the tips Carol! I have lots of clear and colors in the Lauscha, but still haven't tried any of the black. I'll have to get some and give it a whirl!....or a twirl! :lol:

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi there :-)

I use the Reichenbach Black for Raku-stringers or twisters. And I encase it with Reichenbach clear, so the beads will never crack because of an incompatibility (hope I wrote this right)
The Reichenbach Crystal Clear is not that nice as Lauscha, but I had once a very good batch of it - it was almost totally clear. It is better to use the thicker rods of clear from them, they don't foam so much as the thinner ones.
These ones I made with a little bit of raku-black stringers:

Gorgeous beads, Karin! Now I want to expand my glass collection!
Thanks for sharing the tips and the photo!

[SL Beads]

Hi Dawn. I posted this somewhere else, but I know I am repeating it in this thread. I was revealing my horrible experience with Raku. I heated and heated my bead till I saw the bright white flame and some smoke on top of that. But then, the mandrel melted about 1/4" from the bead and the whole thing came down onto my desk top. Luckily it missed my lap. What a fiasco!! I was using Effetre black with dense black/Raku twisty design. My mandrel was 1/8". So I know I overheated it. It's going to take me a while before I learn the correct color of the flame. Also when you heat it that hot , you lose the shape of the bead and it's not easy to reestablish the nice ends. So I think the lesson for me is to back off a lot with heat. The color of the fallen bead looked just uggggg.... Back to square one for me!! Sachiko

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Dawn. I posted this somewhere else, but I know I am repeating it in this thread. I was revealing my horrible experience with Raku. I heated and heated my bead till I saw the bright white flame and some smoke on top of that. But then, the mandrel melted about 1/4" from the bead and the whole thing came down onto my desk top. Luckily it missed my lap. What a fiasco!! I was using Effetre black with dense black/Raku twisty design. My mandrel was 1/8". So I know I overheated it. It's going to take me a while before I learn the correct color of the flame. Also when you heat it that hot , you lose the shape of the bead and it's not easy to reestablish the nice ends. So I think the lesson for me is to back off a lot with heat. The color of the fallen bead looked just uggggg.... Back to square one for me!! Sachiko

Oh my goodness! I've never heard of melting a mandrel! That was one hot little bead! I'm so glad you didn't get hurt.

Maybe I should rephrase what to look for. When you start heating your bead to melt in the frit or stringer, first you will see the bead glow orange, continue heating just a few seconds longer and the orange glow of the bead starts to turn a bright white orange. You can also see the raku frit or stringer start to spread out on the surface. At that point, take it out of the flame and let it cool just a tad and then gently marver it to chill the surface.

Don't give up on the raku though. Once you see those gorgeous colors, you'll be hooked!

[Mike H]

27394Hi Dawn,

Thanks for posting all the great advice and continued support on this thread!
Your shells on your site are really cool too! I have just recently had some success with raku frit. Keep up the creative vibes...
Here is a Fish just hangin' at our pool....

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for posting all the great advice and continued support on this thread!
Your shells on your site are really cool too! I have just recently had some success with raku frit. Keep up the creative vibes...
Here is a Fish just hangin' at our pool....

Thanks Mike!
That is one very cool fish!

[cherylsart]

Wow Dawn, what a great thread! Thanks so much for all the info. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how giving and helpful lampworkers are compared to a lot of people who work with polymer clay. More often than not, if you ask one of them to tell you a technique, not only will they not do it but some of them have been known to threaten a lawsuit if you do your own version of it! I haven't seen anything like that here. It's so refreshing. I'm looking forward to finding my own style, once I learn to make a decent looking bead at all!!!

Cheryl

[Solana]

Great tips, Dawn! I do about the same thing as you to coax out the colors, however, I do an extra step.

For my Sparkling Raku beads, I use a full rod of raku to make a very small barrel. I then heat the barrell until it's almost white-hot and then gently marver it back into a barrel shape (like you said...the raku is black at this point, which is good). Then, I super heat one side of the barrel until it's white-hot and quickly marver it on a brass tool that's been soaking in water. I repeat the same step for the other side of the barrel, at which point, I start to see some color peeking out of the raku. I then flash the barrel in the flame (which coaxes out some more color) before encasing in clear. Heating the raku barrel on one side and then the other brings out some awesome, colorful striations in the glass that look amazing under the clear.

Here are some pics:

http://www.studiosolana.com/images/co_sparkling_raku.jpg

http://www.studiosolana.com/images/gallery/raku_barrel.jpg

http://www.studiosolana.com/images/gallery/raku_squeeze.jpg

Oh, before I forget....great beads, Dawn! I especially LOVE your raku dot tabs!!!

Karlar

[SL Beads]

Dear Dawn. I have to report this to you to make you very happy. I stopped by my basement studio today to pick up something. While there I decided to empty my kiln from yesterday. I actually put all the junky looking Raku beads in the kiln yesterday, including the one that fell off the mandrel. I almost threw them into the water jar, but for some unknown reason I popped them into the kiln. Lo behold, they all turned out gorgeous! So many different beautiful colors!! I could not believe it. They really were scummy looking yesterday. So thank you for your information and guys, don't give up!! Sachiko

[Dawn >^..^<]

Wow Dawn, what a great thread! Thanks so much for all the info. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how giving and helpful lampworkers are compared to a lot of people who work with polymer clay. More often than not, if you ask one of them to tell you a technique, not only will they not do it but some of them have been known to threaten a lawsuit if you do your own version of it! I haven't seen anything like that here. It's so refreshing. I'm looking forward to finding my own style, once I learn to make a decent looking bead at all!!!

Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl! I firmly believe that what goes around, comes around. I would be nowhere without tutorials from other generous artists, and I'm so glad when I have a chance to give something back!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Oh, before I forget....great beads, Dawn! I especially LOVE your raku dot tabs!!!

Karlar


Thanks Karla! I just adore those beads! The scrollwork really does make them sparkle! I've made a few like that, that went into a set of mixed beads, but to see a whole set of them together.....WOW!

Would you mind if I asked what clear you use to encase your solid raku with? I tried a few beads encased in Lauscha and ran into compatibility problems.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dear Dawn. I have to report this to you to make you very happy. I stopped by my basement studio today to pick up something. While there I decided to empty my kiln from yesterday. I actually put all the junky looking Raku beads in the kiln yesterday, including the one that fell off the mandrel. I almost threw them into the water jar, but for some unknown reason I popped them into the kiln. Lo behold, they all turned out gorgeous! So many different beautiful colors!! I could not believe it. They really were scummy looking yesterday. So thank you for your information and guys, don't give up!! Sachiko

That is just AWESOME news!!! =D> That's why I mentioned in an earlier post, that it was so hard for me to put what looked like almost black beads into the kiln. I just had to learn to trust that they wouldn't look like that when they came out!

[JulieV]

Can you still get those fabulous colors out of Raku if you batch anneal? All I've got is the khaki/tan/browny biege....and I thought that was neat....now I see it wasn't even the beginning of what can REALLY happen....
This thread has been wonderful, btw.

[amberbryant1]

Karla,

Those may be my most favoritest beads in the whole wide world! I must touch them! I could make to St. Loius in about a day. So don't be suprised when some crazed lampworker shows up at your doorstep asking to touch your beads. I'm not "dirty", I just have a thing for glass. I think you might understand. Again, those are unbelievable!!!!!

[Solana]

Would you mind if I asked what clear you use to encase your solid raku with? I tried a few beads encased in Lauscha and ran into compatibility problems.
Hi Dawn! I encase my solid Raku with Kugler clear. I love that stuff!


Karla,

Those may be my most favoritest beads in the whole wide world! I must touch them! I could make to St. Loius in about a day. So don't be suprised when some crazed lampworker shows up at your doorstep asking to touch your beads. I'm not "dirty", I just have a thing for glass. I think you might understand. Again, those are unbelievable!!!!!


Awww....thank you for the wonderful compliment! You can come touch my beads whenever you'd like! ;) In fact, if you're not doing anything next weekend, you should come to our bead retreat in the middle of Missouri! :) There's a thread about it in the Backyard.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Dawn! I encase my solid Raku with Kugler clear. I love that stuff!

Thanks Karla! I'll have to get some!
After those beads cracked, I resorted to just rolling my base bead a few times in raku powder and encasing with the Lauscha. That worked well since it was just a thin layer of raku, and not the whole base of the bead. And it produced *almost* the same effect as the solid raku encased beads.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Can you still get those fabulous colors out of Raku if you batch anneal? All I've got is the khaki/tan/browny biege....and I thought that was neat....now I see it wasn't even the beginning of what can REALLY happen....
This thread has been wonderful, btw.

Hi Julie,
Yes, I think you can get the same effects even when you batch anneal. The reason I say this is because I often make a little "test" bead before I do a whole set. Because I want to see how it looks right away, I just stick it in my bucket full of vermiculite that holds my mandrels so it will cool down quickly. All the colors are there! Of course, I always throw away any beads I haven't annealed, and most of them crack anyway, but this way I can see the color results before I make a whole set.

I don't think the colors would change when you batch anneal them later. I think it would take a lot more heat than what's needed for batch annealing to shift the colors again.

[JulieV]

Thank you so much for the info....and also the tip on pulling stringer from frit...one of the other girls asked. I too wondered how that was done, now I know!

[Megan]

..

[River Selah]

I'm waiting for my first order of raku to arrive, so I should have asked this question BEFORE I ordered it....

Does Raku work with Moretti/Lauscha/Vetrafond, etal? #-o I have no clue.

[crystalflipz]

I've used Raku on Bullseye, Lauscha, Moretti,etc all without any problems. In small amounts its pretty well compatible with anything.
Good luck
Carol

[Laurie L]

Okay I was told by someone and I cant remember who - that you cannot encase Raku successfully without some crackage......yet I see alot of encased raku beads. Sir Watsons are TDF by the way !!!

Is there a clear that works better for encasing or is the cracking thing a farse. ????

[Dawn >^..^<]

I'm waiting for my first order of raku to arrive, so I should have asked this question BEFORE I ordered it....

Does Raku work with Moretti/Lauscha/Vetrafond, etal? #-o I have no clue.

Yes, all the beads I posted pictures of at the very beginning of this thread were Moretti or Vetrofond encased in Lauscha clear. They were all decorated with raku frit or stringer. But if you want to encase a bead made of pure raku, you should use a clear with a compatible coe. As Karla mentioned, she uses Kugler Clear.

[wizzie]

I only seem to be getting blue out of my raku. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

thanks!
wizzie

[Dawn >^..^<]

I only seem to be getting blue out of my raku. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

thanks!
wizzie

Hi Wizzie,
Do you have a picture of your beads that you can post?
Getting blue from your raku is a good thing! But if you want a wider range of colors to show up, maybe you need to vary your techniques. It all depends on what you're looking for. Are you using frit or stringer? Are you encasing with clear? Maybe once you get the "blue" you could spot heat and chill parts of the bead to coax out additional colors. I could probably give you a much better answer if I could see your beads. :grin:

[born2snooze]

Okay, I'm still not getting it. Arrgh! I will try again tomorrow. I'm bumping this thread up so I can find it easy before I torch tomorrow. :waving:

.

[JulieV]

Okay, I'm still not getting it. Arrgh! I will try again tomorrow. I'm bumping this thread up so I can find it easy before I torch tomorrow. :waving:

.
Zip up top to thread tools and you can subscribe to the thread and then you get an email everytime someone posts...very cool!

[Carmen Isaacs]

I am notting getting it right either.....just poop and maybe a fraction of blue coming through. I am ready to throw in the towel.
Help please.
Carmen

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Adeline & Carmen,

Don't give up on the raku just yet! Do either of you have pictures you can post. It will answer a lot of questions I would have to ask you in order to give you some advise on what to do to get better colors.
Are you using frit? What size? Are you using stringer? Are you encasing in clear?

Also, what kind of torch are you on? Because I understand that you may not be able to get the full range of colors if you're on a HotHead.

Show me some pictures and give me some info. I'd love to help if I can!

[Carmen Isaacs]

I managed to get some colours yesterday. I used stringer pulled from a rod and heated and touched with a cold tool, so I am very excited. I am still having trouble with the frit. When I press I seem to get a brown mark on the bead and can't get rid of it no matter what I do.
Thanks for all your help.
Carmen

[Laurie L]

Okay I was told by someone and I cant remember who - that you cannot encase Raku successfully without some crackage......yet I see alot of encased raku beads. Sir Watsons are TDF by the way !!!

Is there a clear that works better for encasing or is the cracking thing a farse. ????


Sorry I have to try again to see who can answer this. I see so many encased raku beads but have been told they will crack over time. Kinda like how people say you cannot encase coral and have the bead succesfully LAST. It will eventually crack - even annealled.

So I was just wondering if this is true...or does it have more to do with the clear glass you use for encasing. Kuglar, vetro, lauscha etc....

Dawn - I just went back to the begining of this thread - forgot how absolutely beautiful you beads are. Man oh man are they pretty, and so perfect. Wowzers !!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Sorry I have to try again to see who can answer this. I see so many encased raku beads but have been told they will crack over time. Kinda like how people say you cannot encase coral and have the bead succesfully LAST. It will eventually crack - even annealled.

So I was just wondering if this is true...or does it have more to do with the clear glass you use for encasing. Kuglar, vetro, lauscha etc....

Dawn - I just went back to the begining of this thread - forgot how absolutely beautiful you beads are. Man oh man are they pretty, and so perfect. Wowzers !!

Hi Laurie,
Thanks so much for the compliments on my beads!
I haven't heard about encased raku cracking eventually, nor have I had it happen to me. If you're encasing "pure" raku, you should use a clear that has a compatible coe. (Karla uses Kugler) All of the beads where I use frit or stringer, and then encase in clear, were encased with either Lauscha or Vetrofond. Also, I always pop them in the kiln while they still have a good glow.
This is just a guess, but maybe the people who have cracking problems are waiting too long, trying to see the colors develope, before putting the bead in the kiln. I wouldn't worry too much about the cracking rumor.

[Laurie L]

Thanks Dawn. I wasnt sure if it was true or not. I took some of my sad attempt at Raku but nicely encased beads over to a friend lampworker to see if I could get some much needed Raku help and she said the beads would eventually crack. I had heard that from others aswell....over on the other site. So I wasnt sure.

Thanks for all you Raku knowledge and secrets....hehe....I need to pull out the Raku again - contemplated giving it all away in the make a wish thread some time back. Glad I didnt.....I have all sizes including powder.

What is the best way to use the powder. I know Kaye - Koregon uses powder a lot. Her beads are amazing arent they.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks Dawn. I wasnt sure if it was true or not. I took some of my sad attempt at Raku but nicely encased beads over to a friend lampworker to see if I could get some much needed Raku help and she said the beads would eventually crack. I had heard that from others aswell....over on the other site. So I wasnt sure.

Thanks for all you Raku knowledge and secrets....hehe....I need to pull out the Raku again - contemplated giving it all away in the make a wish thread some time back. Glad I didnt.....I have all sizes including powder.

What is the best way to use the powder. I know Kaye - Koregon uses powder a lot. Her beads are amazing arent they.

I'm sure that if you use your raku sparingly when you encase them, there should be no problems.

And yes, I adore the way Kaye uses the powder and does the scrollwork on top. Her beads ARE amazing!

Here's one way I used the powder. I wanted to have a "tea stained" looking background for some flowers, so I made a tiny thin barrel of white, rolled it a few times in the raku powder and encased it in clear. Then I put flowers and vines on top. I think it gave them a nice "Country Garden" feel.

20557

[beadlvr]

Thank you so much for the tips, Dawn. I think I am getting the hang of it with encasing but wanted some clarification on something (hope I can do this clearly).

After melting it in, I super heat it to the white/orange glow, then marver it and it is really really dark. Then I reheat it and gently marver it a couple of times. I noticed as I am marvering during this stage it is not as dark, and looking closely I can see some beautiful colors through that darkness.

At this point, if I don't want to encase, if do the final shaping and put it in the kiln, would it come out with those pretty colors or would it still be dark? Should the bead be heated and cooled more to remove some more darkness or would I lose the colors. At this point it is not black but like a dark brown but I can see blues and greens and I think purples shining through.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thank you so much for the tips, Dawn. I think I am getting the hang of it with encasing but wanted some clarification on something (hope I can do this clearly).

After melting it in, I super heat it to the white/orange glow, then marver it and it is really really dark. Then I reheat it and gently marver it a couple of times. I noticed as I am marvering during this stage it is not as dark, and looking closely I can see some beautiful colors through that darkness.

At this point, if I don't want to encase, if do the final shaping and put it in the kiln, would it come out with those pretty colors or would it still be dark? Should the bead be heated and cooled more to remove some more darkness or would I lose the colors. At this point it is not black but like a dark brown but I can see blues and greens and I think purples shining through.

Hi Sherry,

I'm pretty sure I know what you're asking, and I hope this answers your question.

When I'm going to encase a bead I want to do so when the raku is REALLY dark. Like right after the first time I marver it. Because when you apply the clear, it tends to "pale" the colors under it a bit, and I want that raku to be the darkest it can be.

Not encasing the beads is just a little bit more tricky and all depends on what you want the end result to be. I've put the same, dark looking, un-encased bead in the kiln and found that I get awesome reds and purples. The hardest part for me was putting a dark bead in the kiln and just "trusting" that it would be colorful when I pulled it out the next morning. Like you, I felt like I had to "suck" some of the color or darkness back out of the beads before putting them in the kiln. But I found that I get my best colors when I don't try to suck the color back out. That's why it's always such a thrill to pull my raku beads from the kiln in the morning, because I never know exactly how they will look.....but I'm never dissappointed!

Try a few small test beads and stash them in the kiln while the raku is dark. Remember how dark they looked and if they're gorgeous when you take them out of the kiln....DO LOTS MORE just like it!!!....LOL!
I hope this made sense.....:wink:

[beadlvr]

Makes perfect sense :) Thanks Dawn. I know it's going to be hard putting them in the kiln that way as it will feel unfinished, but I will :) Your beads are gorgeous!! Thanks again.

[dragonfly designs 56]

ok, i dont understand what you mean about getting the raku dark, mine is just green, no matter how long i heat it.???? help! did four straight months of raku, nothing, finally gave up.

[amberbryant1]

I have a question that is related to raku, but not how to use it!!!!
I ordered from Valcox and it was shipped. Does anyone know if she ships from the post office or is Ups coming to visit me soon? I am the most impaitient person on earth! She is out of town until Monday or I would ask her!
Thanks to anyone who knows!

[Dawn >^..^<]

I have a question that is related to raku, but not how to use it!!!!
I ordered from Valcox and it was shipped. Does anyone know if she ships from the post office or is Ups coming to visit me soon? I am the most impaitient person on earth! She is out of town until Monday or I would ask her!
Thanks to anyone who knows!

Everything I have received from her has always come by Priority Mail. Usually 2-3 days in transit. I'm the same way about having to wait. I think my mailman and UPS guy are afraid of me cause I always run out to meet them.

[Dawn >^..^<]

ok, i dont understand what you mean about getting the raku dark, mine is just green, no matter how long i heat it.???? help! did four straight months of raku, nothing, finally gave up.

Hi Kelly,
No....don't give up! Do you have a picture of any of your raku beads you can post here? A picture would really help!
It's not "how long" you heat it that's important in bringing the colors out. Not so much as how hot, and then to chill it. Once I melt in the frit and let the bead cool just until it looses it's glow, then I superheat the surface real quick and marver it. It turns the raku black looking, but then as it cools, the colors start to develope. Go back to the very first post and try what I suggested. And do try the "rainbow dots" too. I promise you, once it "clicks", you'll be hooked! :grin:

[A_Glass_Bash]

Ok are there different colors of raku and do they all do different colors?? I have some orange iris raku and it's done nothing like you guys have gotten. I tried super heating and quick cooling without much luck so far.
so A) the colors it is when it cools in the blanket before kilning is the color it's going to stay right? It won't suddenly look neat after annealing it?
B) HH just can't do what needs to be done to get those colors??
C) Will the marver be cool enough (it's not the brass one) to do the "cooling" to get the colors..

I think that covers it all. Sorry if I sound really thick that after reading all this I am asking those questions.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Ok are there different colors of raku and do they all do different colors?? I have some orange iris raku and it's done nothing like you guys have gotten. I tried super heating and quick cooling without much luck so far.
so A) the colors it is when it cools in the blanket before kilning is the color it's going to stay right? It won't suddenly look neat after annealing it?
B) HH just can't do what needs to be done to get those colors??
C) Will the marver be cool enough (it's not the brass one) to do the "cooling" to get the colors..

I think that covers it all. Sorry if I sound really thick that after reading all this I am asking those questions.

Hi Arlene,
Don't apologize for asking questions. That's the way we all learn.

Yes, Raku is the Iris Orange. In rod and frit form it varies in color from light brown to brownish red. But it all produces the same effects in the flame.

I think your main problem is that you're on a HotHead. Not that I have any personal experience with them, but I've heard that you can't get the full range of colors from raku when using a HotHead.

As far as batch annealing goes, the colors will be the same as they were when you cooled them in your fiber blanket. It takes a rapid change from hot to cold to make the colors pop. The temperatures used to anneal will not change the color.

And as far as chilling the beads, I've used a graphite marver, a brass tool, and a little stainless spatula to marver and chill the beads and they all produce the same results.

So I hate to say it, but you may not be able to get those blues and purples using a HotHead. But the raku can make some really nice browns that are very appealing too. Especially in "Fall" colored bead sets.

[Carmen Isaacs]

I am having a problem with my black pitting. I am getting better colours and then suddenly my black starts pitting, it is driving me crazy. What am I doing wrong?
Carmen

[Dawn >^..^<]

I am having a problem with my black pitting. I am getting better colours and then suddenly my black starts pitting, it is driving me crazy. What am I doing wrong?
Carmen

Hi Carmen,
I heard a while back that someone got a batch of black Effetre that was pitting. Do you have another brand of black to try, or maybe some that you know is from a different batch....or maybe a different color all together?
My first guess would be that you're not doing anything wrong, but may have a bad batch (or at least, rod) of glass.
I know if you work raku for way too long, it might pit a little bit, but usually it takes a really long time for that to happen. Maybe you could try some cobalt blue and see if you still get the pitting.

[crystalflipz]

Carmen,
You might want to try the Lauscha black. It's great with Raku because you can cook the snot out of the raku and the black doesn't pit/boil/exhibit any other nasty behaviors.
Carol

[Carmen Isaacs]

Thanks I will give it a try. I keep saying to my friend Lynne Smith that I am going to send her all my raku because it is driving me crazy but yet I still continue to torture myself.

[River Selah]

THANK YOU for this thread! =D> I actually got my Raku to turn awesome colors! I put one of my brass stamps into a plastic dish that contained ice water. (Making sure the water didn't get into the stamp). Then, when the bead was hot hot hot, I placed it onto the stamp, then back into the flame, then back into the stamp and voila! It actually worked.

You all rock. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!

[Volfie]

Where am I in the getting-it-to-turn-colors process when everything just goes gun-metal gray and stays there? Is that beyond toasted or not toasted enough?

It's funny but when I started out, I got nice colors from the raku -- I guess that was beginners luck. Now I can't get it to do anything but either stay kaki beige or that dull metal color (which is not pretty and eats up the whole bead sometimes).

However, I am also wondering if raku frit ages poorly. The container I'm using now is the same container I started using last August and I've wondered if it has absorbed too much moisture or something. Is there anyone who has had success with the same container of raku frit after many, many months?

Giselle

[Dawn >^..^<]

THANK YOU for this thread! =D> I actually got my Raku to turn awesome colors! I put one of my brass stamps into a plastic dish that contained ice water. (Making sure the water didn't get into the stamp). Then, when the bead was hot hot hot, I placed it onto the stamp, then back into the flame, then back into the stamp and voila! It actually worked.

You all rock. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!

Woohoo! That's great!
Before I had my new studio I spent a year in my blazing hot garage (some days around 100 degrees) and actually did the ice trick a few times myself. I actually kept an ice cube on my stamp, and just before I would squeeze the bead, I would move the ice and give a quick wipe with a towel.....LOL! Oh, the things we will try to get those great colors!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Where am I in the getting-it-to-turn-colors process when everything just goes gun-metal gray and stays there? Is that beyond toasted or not toasted enough?

It's funny but when I started out, I got nice colors from the raku -- I guess that was beginners luck. Now I can't get it to do anything but either stay kaki beige or that dull metal color (which is not pretty and eats up the whole bead sometimes).

However, I am also wondering if raku frit ages poorly. The container I'm using now is the same container I started using last August and I've wondered if it has absorbed too much moisture or something. Is there anyone who has had success with the same container of raku frit after many, many months?

Giselle

Hi Giselle,

First I would need to ask if you're using a torch with oxygen & gas mix. If so, the gunmetal grey would indicate that you're using a reducing flame that is too rich in propane. Try working your bead in a more neutral flame by either boosting your oxygen or reducing your propane. Raku is loaded with silver, and will reduce (have the metals brought up to the surface) very easily. This can be very pretty too, but if you want those gorgeous colors to show, use a neutral flame.

Also, I would doubt that your raku has gone bad. Glass is, for the most part, non-porous and I would imagine that it will be as good 20 or 30 years from now as it was when you first purchased it.

Why not try some encased dots to get you going. Make a base bead, and using a stringer of raku, apply your dots but don't melt them in. Once you have all your dots on, heat each dot one at a time and flaten with a metal tool. (You can use an old butter knife) You will notice the dot gets really dark when you chill and flaten it. THAT'S GOOD!!! Now just waft your bead in the flame to keep it warm, but don't melt everything in. Now encase all your little dots with drops of clear. At this point you will see some nice blues and purples, and they will look even nicer when you take them out of your kiln. This will be a good excercize in chilling your raku, and will help you know what to look for.

Good luck, and let us know how you make out!

[elasia]

hi all

i tried posting awhile back but my posts never showed up.[-X

just want to say, don't give up like dawn says.
i'm on a HH and you can get great colors, dark but bright blues, purples, etc.

it's just one of those things i guess,
once you *get it, you'll see. seems a lot have different spells and magic lol.

a lil tip i do sometimes, although it doesn't seem to matter. i get colors with or without it.....
i was worried about the cold water i've read about in the past, so i put my marver on one of those "ice packs", the ones for coolers and such.

[Kevan]

Finally, I have pics of the twistie beads with the intense black.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e36/oobeads/rakuset4.jpg

[Dawn >^..^<]

hi all

i tried posting awhile back but my posts never showed up.[-X

just want to say, don't give up like dawn says.
i'm on a HH and you can get great colors, dark but bright blues, purples, etc.

it's just one of those things i guess,
once you *get it, you'll see. seems a lot have different spells and magic lol.

a lil tip i do sometimes, although it doesn't seem to matter. i get colors with or without it.....
i was worried about the cold water i've read about in the past, so i put my marver on one of those "ice packs", the ones for coolers and such.


Hi Elasia,
Thanks for sharing that information! I'm sure that will be very encouraging news for those on HotHeads.
And thanks for sharing the "ice pack" tip! That's a great idea!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Finally, I have pics of the twistie beads with the intense black.



Oh YUMMY!!! Those are just gorgeous, Kevan! =D>

[Kevan]

Thanks for telling me about the intense black, Dawn. I thought they would crack or something if I made twisties with 104 glass.

[Carolyn M]

I'm also posting a pic of twisties with raku. I always use vetrofond black as a base, I find it stiffer, so you can heat it more without it blobbing off the mandrel.

Thanks everyone for your input

[elasia]

:shock:

now see? some say kronos is the "new raku".
with beads like that i have to disagree lol.

gorgeous!

oh, one thing i forgot to ask last post. one night when i didn't have the raku gods with me, i got this nasty brown...NASTY!
and i was wondering why, i did nothing different? no colors other than that brown. i tried posting a pic but that's when i didn't show up here heh.

probably not an answer for that ;) it seems to depend on so much sometimes.

[Kevan]

When it's that rusty yucky brown KEEP HEATING IT. It does that before it changes colors.

I have heard that a HH won't bring out the colors. Someone here, I forget who it is, uses a HH and her raku stays perfectly beige. It's a nice beige, but it's almost the same as sage green to me.


There is only one kind of raku, from what I understand. Iris orange Reichenbach 108.

[pierces*designs]

There is only one kind of raku, from what I understand. Iris orange Reichenbach 108.

Actually there is another. R-106 (dark Raku) It does some really cool stuff too, but does devit much easier. It is the top stringer on this bead.

27126

[Teena]

HI,
I for one haven't had any luck with the raku! But now I will try again! Thanks for the tips.
:razz:

[playswithfire104]

I love raku. I'm on a HH and get tons of different effects. From purple to a kinda fushia to a metalic oil in a puddle color. Yesterday I actually got a dot that looked like a mirror. Super shiny silver color. I just love this stuff! And don't let anyone say you can't get good results on a HH!

[Leanne]

I have always wondered this... I see twisties all the time and raku with clear dots on it....Can you make a twistie with black moretti and raku and not have compatibility problems with it??? I have reichenbach clear (and isn't it runny!!! you don't even need to really put it in the flame once you get going just the heat of it keeps it going when encasing!!) so if I were to make a bead and then put raku raised flowers on it would I then put moretti clear on top or reichenbach? and could the base bead be made out of moretti?
My main question as above though was can I make a moretti black/ reichenbach raku twistie without problems??

[cherylsart]

Ok, be aware that these have not been annealed. I just made them last night and my stuff gets batch annealed by someone else. 32195321963219732198

Some of this is #1 size and some is #00 size. It's interesting how it does different things on different colors. The one that turned all grey- I'll let you know if it changes after it is annealed.

Cheryl

[squid]

grrrrr...... I am frustrated. After making small test bead after smalltest bead today, I went back and re-read this entire thread. When I marver after superheating, it is not turning black - it merely turns back to pretty much the original color. I see the potential in one or two dots on each bead, but I am not getting any color change. I have not tried encasing, but it seems to me that if it is tan when I encase, it's not going to change under the clear.

I did pull some stringers today and will try the dot thing tomorrow - too annoyed to try tonight!

Sigrid

[Dawn >^..^<]

I have always wondered this... I see twisties all the time and raku with clear dots on it....Can you make a twistie with black moretti and raku and not have compatibility problems with it??? I have reichenbach clear (and isn't it runny!!! you don't even need to really put it in the flame once you get going just the heat of it keeps it going when encasing!!) so if I were to make a bead and then put raku raised flowers on it would I then put moretti clear on top or reichenbach? and could the base bead be made out of moretti?
My main question as above though was can I make a moretti black/ reichenbach raku twistie without problems??

Hi Firefly,

To answer your main question, yes, you can use Moretti Black and raku to make a twistie stringer. I prefer to use Intense Black. The regular black will look purple or blue when you make twistie out of it. Because you're only using little stripes of black, it will not cause a problem.

To address the other questions..... If you use moretti, and raku stringer or frit, you should encase with Moretti, Vetrofond or Lauscha. You want your encasing to match the COE of the base bead, and as long as the raku is used sparingly, there shouldn't be any problems with your bead cracking. Now....on the other hand, if you use a pure raku base bead, you want to encase with your Reichenbach or another compatible glass.

Hope this helps.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Ok, be aware that these have not been annealed. I just made them last night and my stuff gets batch annealed by someone else.
Some of this is #1 size and some is #00 size. It's interesting how it does different things on different colors. The one that turned all grey- I'll let you know if it changes after it is annealed.

Cheryl

Pretty beads Cheryl! Oooooo....that size #00 would make a great sandy shore on a beach bead!

[Dawn >^..^<]

grrrrr...... I am frustrated. After making small test bead after smalltest bead today, I went back and re-read this entire thread. When I marver after superheating, it is not turning black - it merely turns back to pretty much the original color. I see the potential in one or two dots on each bead, but I am not getting any color change. I have not tried encasing, but it seems to me that if it is tan when I encase, it's not going to change under the clear.

I did pull some stringers today and will try the dot thing tomorrow - too annoyed to try tonight!

Sigrid

Hi Sigrid,

You're right...if it's tan before you encase it, it will stay tan. You really want to turn the raku black before you encase to get those great blues and purples.

Are you using an oxygen / propane torch or a hot head?

Look at these beads below and don't pay attention to the silvered ivory side. I made a small black barrel and threaded some raku stringer on one half of the bead. I melted it in, then let the bead cool just until it lost it's glow. Then I stuck it in the flame about an inch and a half away from the face of the torch in a neutral flame and rotated it about 3 or 4 times to get it that super white hot. Then gently marvered it and chilled it back in shape. At this point I could not see the raku at all. It was totally black. Then I encased it. Give this a try and let me know how you make out. I know it can be frustrating until it "clicks" but once it clicks, you'll be hooked!

32903

32904

[amberbryant1]

If I am making stringer from frit, what color should it be when I am finished pulling it? Right now I have a few that are greenish, brown. When I put them on the bead, and do the whole raku dance, will it turn the "right" colors?

[Dawn >^..^<]

If I am making stringer from frit, what color should it be when I am finished pulling it? Right now I have a few that are greenish, brown. When I put them on the bead, and do the whole raku dance, will it turn the "right" colors?

Hi Amber,

When you pull stringer from frit, or from cane for that matter, it will vary in color, but mostly shades of brown. Greenish brown, redish brown, etc. And it doesn't matter what color the stringers are. A light tan stringer is capable of doing the same thing as a reddish brown one once it's applied to the bead. It won't do it's magic until you put it on the bead and make it dance. :smile:
Good luck, have fun, and remember to show us your beads!

[Dawn >^..^<]

I love raku. I'm on a HH and get tons of different effects. From purple to a kinda fushia to a metalic oil in a puddle color. Yesterday I actually got a dot that looked like a mirror. Super shiny silver color. I just love this stuff! And don't let anyone say you can't get good results on a HH!

That's very good news! And since this thread is all about raku, maybe you could post some pictures of your raku beads to help encourage others who are on Hotheads. I would love to see them! :smile:

[amberbryant1]

Thanks Dawn!

I told my husband a while back that I hope you get the Rakooties! I am very envious of your beads and talent! I guess I'll have to send you some Rakootie spray to get rid of them! I haven't said cooties since the 6th grade!!! LOL

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks Dawn!

I told my husband a while back that I hope you get the Rakooties! I am very envious of your beads and talent! I guess I'll have to send you some Rakootie spray to get rid of them! I haven't said cooties since the 6th grade!!! LOL

Well thanks Amber!.....I think....
Although I've never had someone wish the Rakooties on me, I guess that wouldn't be such a bad thing to have! :lol:

[La Bianca]

Thank you, thank you!!

I am gonna try immediate. :grin:

[Rhapsody Fire Beads]

Dawn!! I could look at those beads all day! They are so beautiful!!

~Me~

[squid]

Hi Sigrid,

You're right...if it's tan before you encase it, it will stay tan. You really want to turn the raku black before you encase to get those great blues and purples.

Are you using an oxygen / propane torch or a hot head?

Look at these beads below and don't pay attention to the silvered ivory side. I made a small black barrel and threaded some raku stringer on one half of the bead. I melted it in, then let the bead cool just until it lost it's glow. Then I stuck it in the flame about an inch and a half away from the face of the torch in a neutral flame and rotated it about 3 or 4 times to get it that super white hot. Then gently marvered it and chilled it back in shape. At this point I could not see the raku at all. It was totally black. Then I encased it. Give this a try and let me know how you make out. I know it can be frustrating until it "clicks" but once it clicks, you'll be hooked!

Hi Dawn,

I could just kiss you - or at least buy you a frosty beverage! I went back to the torch this afternoon and tried again based on your suggestions above. My mistake was in not getting the raku hot enough before cooling it. Essentially you have to get it as hot as the center of the sun! I had good success with three crappy test beads in a row and saw the "turning black" that you referred to. The only bead I had trouble with is one on which I wound a stringer. I just could not seem to get that one hot enough. I tried three or four times and think I may have just scorched that one. We'll see.

One more question if I may - is it ok to keep trying to reheat and cool if you don't get it the first/secod/third time?

Thanks so much for your persistent help!

Sigrid

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hi Dawn,

I could just kiss you - or at least buy you a frosty beverage! I went back to the torch this afternoon and tried again based on your suggestions above. My mistake was in not getting the raku hot enough before cooling it. Essentially you have to get it as hot as the center of the sun! I had good success with three crappy test beads in a row and saw the "turning black" that you referred to. The only bead I had trouble with is one on which I wound a stringer. I just could not seem to get that one hot enough. I tried three or four times and think I may have just scorched that one. We'll see.

One more question if I may - is it ok to keep trying to reheat and cool if you don't get it the first/secod/third time?

Thanks so much for your persistent help!

Sigrid

Woohoo! That's great news!!! \\:D/

And yes, I've had to reheat / re-chill a bead before. Just let it cool a bit before the second try. I would think after many tries, it's possible to burn all the color out of it, but a second or third try shouldn't hurt anything.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn!! I could look at those beads all day! They are so beautiful!!

~Me~

Awww!! Thanks so much, Suzy!
I feel the exact same way about your beads!

[cherylsart]

I think we can all agree that you are the Queen of Raku, Dawn! I did have fun experimenting with it but I don't see it becoming an addiction. I do enjoy working with frit though. It's too early yet for me to know what my favorite techniques will be. I'm just making beads, experimenting and allowing my style to make itself known.

Cheryl

[tajones1463]

Thanks a million Dawn. I am having so much fun with the Raku now. I was afraid to use before because I knew I was stretching it to its full potential! \\:D/

But thanks to you. I did it. Check them out in my ebay.

[Dawn >^..^<]

I think we can all agree that you are the Queen of Raku, Dawn! I did have fun experimenting with it but I don't see it becoming an addiction. I do enjoy working with frit though. It's too early yet for me to know what my favorite techniques will be. I'm just making beads, experimenting and allowing my style to make itself known.

Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl!....You crack me up!....The Queen of Raku...LOL!!!
By the way, I love your new avatar! Looks like my Jamaica.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks a million Dawn. I am having so much fun with the Raku now. I was afraid to use before because I knew I was stretching it to its full potential! \\:D/

But thanks to you. I did it. Check them out in my ebay.

Wow Teresa! Those beads are gorgeous!!! =D>
I'm so glad some of the tips here helped, and that was so nice of you to mention me in your auction. Thanks!

[2catsdesigns]

I'm not sure if this has already been posted, but I thought I'd add something here that I've just discovered.. I've been making raku twisties, using black as the base, then swiping raku on either side. When I've used the twisties, I've had a bit of a 'hit and miss' affair with getting the colors to develop.. however, yesterday I thought about what you said Dawn about how it's easier to get raku to do its thing IF you encase it.. so, that's what I did with the twistie.. I encased the whole thing with clear and THEN twisted it. I found yesterday that the beads I made with this encased raku twistie were developing color MUCH easier. Of course, tomorrow I might try again and it may not work LOL.. but, so far I'm really pleased with the results.. thanks for the tip about encasing Dawn!

Cheers,
Sue :)

[texasnana]

I am a very new newbie. When you talk about the raku---is it the same as the reduction frit? I have been trying that but all I get is splotches and black. Not very pretty!!

[Dawn >^..^<]

I'm not sure if this has already been posted, but I thought I'd add something here that I've just discovered.. I've been making raku twisties, using black as the base, then swiping raku on either side. When I've used the twisties, I've had a bit of a 'hit and miss' affair with getting the colors to develop.. however, yesterday I thought about what you said Dawn about how it's easier to get raku to do its thing IF you encase it.. so, that's what I did with the twistie.. I encased the whole thing with clear and THEN twisted it. I found yesterday that the beads I made with this encased raku twistie were developing color MUCH easier. Of course, tomorrow I might try again and it may not work LOL.. but, so far I'm really pleased with the results.. thanks for the tip about encasing Dawn!

Cheers,
Sue :)

Hey Sue, that sounds like a cool idea! I think I may just have to give that a try! Thanks! I especially like the idea because I've avoided using my regular raku twisties on top of certain colors of glass because of unwanted reactions, but if it's encased, that shouldn't be a problem. Ooooo my mind is spinning now!....LOL!

[Dawn >^..^<]

I am a very new newbie. When you talk about the raku---is it the same as the reduction frit? I have been trying that but all I get is splotches and black. Not very pretty!!

Hi Very New Newbie!
Raku is a reduction glass, which means that it has a high metal content. There are lots of other colors of reduction frit / glass, but the one refered to as "Raku" is actually Opaque Iris Orange, made by Reichenbach, and the number for it is R-108. To get the different colors to show up, it needs to be worked in a neutral to oxygen rich flame. Working Raku in a "reduction" flame, which is rich in propane, can cause it to turn dark and have a very silvery shine on the surface.
If you still have no luck, go back to the very first post in this thread and try the tips I gave for the rainbow dots and see how that works out for you. Then, the more you work with it, the better you will get.

[littlecybil]

I have been trying out some raku (r108) frit and then encasing them to try ro get colors but it is not working well. First off I am using a HH torch, I make my bead, roll in frit, lightly melt it in, spot heat it till it's very hot, then rub with an iced ss knife.....my frit is not turning black but silver very metallic. After I encase some stays silver, some goes back to tanish with very faint hints of color. Any suggestions as to where I am going wrong???
Thanks in advance,
Little Cybil
Melissa

[Kaye]

I have been trying out some raku (r10 frit and then encasing them to try ro get colors but it is not working well. First off I am using a HH torch, I make my bead, roll in frit, lightly melt it in, spot heat it till it's very hot, then rub with an iced ss knife.....my frit is not turning black but silver very metallic. After I encase some stays silver, some goes back to tanish with very faint hints of color. Any suggestions as to where I am going wrong???

Thanks in advance,

Little Cybil

Melissa
well I dont melt mine in softly I heat the bejeabers out of it.

I dont encase mine thou...but I get a lot of color just using frit and using high heats.

never softly with raku thou...blare the heat on that baby

[lldesigns]

My raku is turning white!!!??? I'm on a Hot Head. What am I doing wrong?

[Judi_B]

Are you sure you've got R-108? I've seen R-106 (sometimes called "dark raku") turn white when over heated, but not R-108.

[lldesigns]

Yup - that's what it is. Thanks! I'll get some R-108 and see if I can keep from heating the bejeezus out of it.

[Judi_B]

Glad I could help. When you get the R-108 you DO want to heat the bejeezus out of it :lol: That's how you get all the pretty colors!

[lldesigns]

Great! That's easy on a Hot Head!!! :biggrin:

[silkys]

I cant get this Raku to do crap .
Nikki gifted me some raku , and It was Wondermus ! When I ran out .. I bought more .. Now I hate it . It wont do anything for me . just barely faint colors . The raku frit Nikki sent me was tan but had a lot of color variations in it ( before melting ) . I have read and reread this thread and just can not " get it " . Ive about driven myself nutty trying .
Can I beckon the Queen of Raku to let me send you some of what I have and see if its the Frit or me just not holding my mouth right ?
Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee someone . Im in raku frit hell . LOL

[Dawn >^..^<]

I cant get this Raku to do crap .
Nikki gifted me some raku , and It was Wondermus ! When I ran out .. I bought more .. Now I hate it . It wont do anything for me . just barely faint colors . The raku frit Nikki sent me was tan but had a lot of color variations in it ( before melting ) . I have read and reread this thread and just can not " get it " . Ive about driven myself nutty trying .
Can I beckon the Queen of Raku to let me send you some of what I have and see if its the Frit or me just not holding my mouth right ?
Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee someone . Im in raku frit hell . LOL

Hi Janelyn,

Wow, that's really strange because I've never heard of a "bad batch" of raku before. I'll be happy to give it a try and see if I can get it to strike. I got the hang of raku a long time ago and now I'm in Kronos hell so I know what you're feeling right now....LOL!!!

Have you changed anything about your torch set up? What kind of torch are you using? Where did you get the frit? Do you have pictures of the beads that aren't turning out? I know....so many questions. If you still want me to test some for you, PM me and I'll give you my address.

[lldesigns]

40639

Well I finally managed to get some color from my R-108 but I had to repeatedly heat and cool the bead to get it. And I didn't get any of the cool purples, blues, and other colors that I would really like to see. Is this the best I can hope for on a Hot head?

[Coffeebean]

My question is, how do you control your ends when you heat the wazoo out of something. Obviously you lose that nice dimpled end on the bead - do you just fix it later by adding some glass to the ends?

[Dawn >^..^<]

40639

Well I finally managed to get some color from my R-108 but I had to repeatedly heat and cool the bead to get it. And I didn't get any of the cool purples, blues, and other colors that I would really like to see. Is this the best I can hope for on a Hot head?

Hi Laurie,

I really don't have an answer for that one since I've never worked on a hot head. I've heard people say they can't get the really vivid colors from raku on a HH, and then I've heard people say just the opposite. Maybe someone should start another thread on how to work Raku specifically for Hot Head users.
I feel so bad when people follow my advise and then find out later that they are on a Hot Head and it's not working for them. I probably should have noted in my very first post in this thread that I use an oxygen / propane torch. :cry:

[Just Nancy]

I got some raku through a RAGK. (Whoo hoo for that by the way.) I tried it a couple times and got glowing crazed animal eye type beads. (Yuck) Then yesterday I tried it. No clue what I did. Absolutely none, but I got it to look nice. I was so excited.

Something someone posted must have helped. Thanks.

[Dawn >^..^<]

My question is, how do you control your ends when you heat the wazoo out of something. Obviously you lose that nice dimpled end on the bead - do you just fix it later by adding some glass to the ends?

Well. I heat the wazoo out of it but not until it gets drippy. I usually melt in my raku and then let the bead cool until it's lost it's glow. Then I super heat it real quick up close to the torch, about 2 inches away, just until it gets that "white hot look to it" but not to the point where the center starts to get runny. If you're doing round beads and don't want to loose the shape, try blowing on the bead to chill it rather than marvering it or pressing it.

[Coffeebean]

Got it - thanks!

[Carolyn M]

I have better luck with cane than with frit (althought you can get great color from frit, it just takes longer for me.) For these beads I made a filigrana with raku cane and vetro black, base of avocado and some azure and purple accent colours. I didn't heat the beads to white hot, but certainly you need to use a lot of heat - just before you start to lose control is when I stop and press the bead, Another thing I do is blow the bead to cool rather than pressing several times. I never marver.

[rbrones2]

Thanx so much for the tips!

Robyn

[Fire Mistress]

I Know I'm about 6 months late to this thread, but I just found it and it is AWESOME!!!!!!! I love raku, and have managed to coax some light blues out on the edge of the dot or stringer or whatever, but now... Oh My God! Thank you a million times!
Renee

[mangobeads]

\\:D/ \\:D/ I would just like to sat how useful I have found this thread the advise is spot on and I cant thank Dawn enough . I am posting a pic of my first attempt at using Raku stringer and frit. I know I have got a long way to go but I was well pleased when the bead fairy stopped by this morning here in North Devon ! -Thanks Dawn:waving:

[Dawn >^..^<]

I'm so glad you're finding this helpful!
Gorgeous beads Carolyn & Manda!
=D>

[DFS]

Dawn,
I picked up on this thread a while back and want to thank you for all the info. I have been obsessed with raku again for the past couple weeks. I have had some great results with the encasing method and have attempted the unencased version, mostly to keep the size of the bead small. When they go into the kiln, they are amazing. They actually look like the new Kronos glass. But when they come out, they have shifted to more yellow colors, and I mean bright yellow. I am aiming for blues, greens , and purples. Any ideas?

[Dawn >^..^<]

Dawn,
I picked up on this thread a while back and want to thank you for all the info. I have been obsessed with raku again for the past couple weeks. I have had some great results with the encasing method and have attempted the unencased version, mostly to keep the size of the bead small. When they go into the kiln, they are amazing. They actually look like the new Kronos glass. But when they come out, they have shifted to more yellow colors, and I mean bright yellow. I am aiming for blues, greens , and purples. Any ideas?

Those beads are just gorgeous! And yes they do look almost like Kronos (although we're not going to mention the "K" word here because I can't get Kronos to work for me to save my soul!...LOL!)

Well, I'm not quite sure why your colors are shifting after they go into the kiln. Usually they may get a little more pale as they cool, but if it's blue going in, it should be blue coming out.
I can say though, that I find the really small spacer beads I do to be a little more tricky as I don't marver or press them to "chill" the color. Usually if I want blues and greens I get the raku melted in, let the bead cool just until it looses it's glow and the quickly super heat just the surface of the bead. As it cools, the greens and bluse start to appear. Sometimes I even blow on the bead a little after super heating it. Here's a few pictures where the smallest beads, the ones in the center strand, was done this way. On this set I used #0 frit.....
48043


And on these, I threaded the raku on using a stringer and got more colors...
48044

[DFS]

Dawn,
Thanks for the input. What I am getting out does look more like your smaller beads in the first set. I am using stringer pulled from cane. What I did was make the base, decorate with stringer, melt in, super heat, blow to cool, then slowly heat in the upper part of the flame to a slight glow, blow to cool, and repeat the slight glow-cool process to develop more color. I did not let it cool really good after the supper heat, and maybe there is too much heat in the core, and that is what is causing hte further color development. Anyhow, I can see that with lots of beads in a set with lots of different color variation (like your beautiful beads) the contrast compliments rather than distracts. Thanks so much Dawn.

Joyce

[Reenie]

I agree Joyce. I need help. I 'm on a Betta torch. I jut got it. On my hothead I tried your old advice about burning the snot outta it. Sometimes it worked really well. Now on the Betta? I get mostly the tan color. Sometimes you'll see a little line of bluish green here and there. Can you tell me the best way to work the Raku?
When I reduce it I get more metallic or just plain black...burnt ugly looking colors. If I work it high in the flame.....I get the tans. I would love to get the blues and greens. I am trying to make a long cylinder bead to go on a black pen for my boss and since he's a guy I wanted to just add the raku and swirl it for some colored effects.
Any help Dawn????
Thanks,
Irene

[Dawn >^..^<]

I agree Joyce. I need help. I 'm on a Betta torch. I jut got it. On my hothead I tried your old advice about burning the snot outta it. Sometimes it worked really well. Now on the Betta? I get mostly the tan color. Sometimes you'll see a little line of bluish green here and there. Can you tell me the best way to work the Raku?
When I reduce it I get more metallic or just plain black...burnt ugly looking colors. If I work it high in the flame.....I get the tans. I would love to get the blues and greens. I am trying to make a long cylinder bead to go on a black pen for my boss and since he's a guy I wanted to just add the raku and swirl it for some colored effects.
Any help Dawn????
Thanks,
Irene

Hi Irene,

It sounds like your flame is too reducing. Raku likes to be worked in a neutral to oxygen rich flame. Try turning your gas down a bit and working lower in the flame. I've never tried a Beta, but on my Minor, I work my beads about 3 inches from the face of the torch and use a very neutral flame. The idea with Raku is NOT to reduce it. (Unless you're going for that metallic luster which can be pretty cool in some applications.) Raku :love: 's Oxygen!
And yes, Raku makes really good "Man Beads"!

[monarae]

Okay, I give up; I'm gonna post my frustration!

I'm on a hot head using propane. I've heated the snot out of it, I've blown on it, I've used graphite, brass, a butterknife dipped in water, and nothing works. I've tried different bases. I've tried stringer (straight and twisted) and several sizes of frit. I've tried it close to the torch head and far away in the flame.

All I get is tan/green, with the exception of the blue edges when the base is black, or almost nothing at all when the base is light blue.

It's a good think I like it tan/green, but I really want it to be a rainbow! When I tried it on light blue, I got it to be brown, but couldn't get it black, and encased it. When it came out of the kiln the frit had almost disappeared, it became so light.

The closest I got to black was silver, which is too much reduction. What happens if I encase the silver?

Help, before I quit raku!

Mona

[lldesigns]

I couldn't get raku to work on a HH either. I'm having much more luck since I upgraded to a Mini CC. I think it's a heat issue - the HH just doesn't get hot enough.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Okay, I give up; I'm gonna post my frustration!

I'm on a hot head using propane. I've heated the snot out of it, I've blown on it, I've used graphite, brass, a butterknife dipped in water, and nothing works. I've tried different bases. I've tried stringer (straight and twisted) and several sizes of frit. I've tried it close to the torch head and far away in the flame.

All I get is tan/green, with the exception of the blue edges when the base is black, or almost nothing at all when the base is light blue.

It's a good think I like it tan/green, but I really want it to be a rainbow! When I tried it on light blue, I got it to be brown, but couldn't get it black, and encased it. When it came out of the kiln the frit had almost disappeared, it became so light.

The closest I got to black was silver, which is too much reduction. What happens if I encase the silver?

Help, before I quit raku!

Mona

Hi Mona,
I'm so sorry for your frustration. It's exactly what I'm going through with the Kronos right now so I can totally relate!
But before you give up completely......I can't help you with how to do raku on a HotHead because I've never used one. But I have seen pictures of raku beads done on a hot head right here on this forum. Maybe you should start a new thread asking for "HotHead help with Raku" that might get the other HotHead users to give you some tips.

[Carmen Isaacs]

Well Dawn when you find out how to use Kronos please let me know. You helped me with Raku and now I am depending on you to solve the Kronos problem for me.lol Thanks Carmen

[FourTailsLampwork]

I'm with Monarae; tried EVERYTHING with my HH and can't get anything other than the tans and pretty pale blues, and that not consistently.

[monarae]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will start a HH Raku thread.

I can get Kronos to respond because it loves being reduced. I've reduced and then pulled twisties, and I've used stringers and dots. I have to say I'm not terribly impressed with it, but I would love to try Gaia and Double Amber Purple (I love colors!). I do the Kronos differently every time because I get confused about which type of glass needs which treatment so I generally do the following.

Apply the Kronos to the base bead and, whether melted in or not, get your bead really hot, then cover the holes on the HH and bring the bead really close to the torch head. You can see the silver come up to the surface.

Then I take it out and cool it A LOT. Then I turn up my torch and twirl in the dragon breath flame. Then I take it out again and cool it.

Next I use a clear stringer to cover the parts I want to keep the way they are. Finally I reduce again to further change the parts that aren't encased.

The more I reduce the lighter green I get.

Mona

[Carmen Isaacs]

Thanks for the info but I am on a minor and have tried reducing and get nothing.
Carmen

[Beads-on-Toast]

Whic raku should i be using
i have reichenbach cane and sand
Is that right?

[ann_s]

Well, I just saw this thread and I don't know where i've been but I thought I was being so adventurous to put a dot of clear on a dot of raku! I am very happy to see that you can encase it...Dawn, thanks so much for this thread. Raku is my favorite glass and now it will be better.
I have found that when I cover a dot of raku, the colors can be even brighter if the dot is poked. I don't know why but I love the effect.
Thank you...thank you!
ann

[lldesigns]

I had no luck with Raku on my Hot Head and I'm still having no luck with my Mini CC. I tried the super heating and encasing when it looked black and it came out black...no color at all. Everything I've tried has failed. I think Raku just doesn't like me. Sigh.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will start a HH Raku thread.

I can get Kronos to respond because it loves being reduced. I've reduced and then pulled twisties, and I've used stringers and dots. I have to say I'm not terribly impressed with it, but I would love to try Gaia and Double Amber Purple (I love colors!). I do the Kronos differently every time because I get confused about which type of glass needs which treatment so I generally do the following.

Apply the Kronos to the base bead and, whether melted in or not, get your bead really hot, then cover the holes on the HH and bring the bead really close to the torch head. You can see the silver come up to the surface.

Then I take it out and cool it A LOT. Then I turn up my torch and twirl in the dragon breath flame. Then I take it out again and cool it.

Next I use a clear stringer to cover the parts I want to keep the way they are. Finally I reduce again to further change the parts that aren't encased.

The more I reduce the lighter green I get.

Mona


Thanks for the tips on the Kronos, Mona! The next time I feel like I'm in the "zone", I'll refer back to them and give it another try. What really kills me is I can do one really great beads and then everything turns to crap after that. I can spend a whole day making one awful bead right after another, trying to get one to match the very first one. Maybe I should buy a HotHead just for the silvered glass!...LOL!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Whic raku should i be using
i have reichenbach cane and sand
Is that right?

I've used stringer pulled from can and frit in the beads I've shown in this thread.
The real name for Raku is Reichenbach Opaque Iris Orange, #R-108.
"Raku" is a nickname that was started by Val Cox.

[Dawn >^..^<]

I had no luck with Raku on my Hot Head and I'm still having no luck with my Mini CC. I tried the super heating and encasing when it looked black and it came out black...no color at all. Everything I've tried has failed. I think Raku just doesn't like me. Sigh.


If you're encasing it and still getting black, it sounds like you're reducing it. Remember, raku LOVES a very neutral, to oxygen rich flame. To get the vivid colors, don't reduce it at all. Heat it in an oxygen rich flame until you see that white hot glow and chill it to turn it black, then encase it. If you see any metallic deposits on the surface of the raku while you're heating it, there's too much gas and not enough oxygen in your flame. Readjust your flame until you can heat the bead without seeing those little black metallic patches flare up on the surface.
Hope this helps, and don't give up! Now that you have your Mini CC, you're on your way to glorious colors!!! It just may take a little more practice with the new torch until it clicks.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Well, I just saw this thread and I don't know where i've been but I thought I was being so adventurous to put a dot of clear on a dot of raku! I am very happy to see that you can encase it...Dawn, thanks so much for this thread. Raku is my favorite glass and now it will be better.
I have found that when I cover a dot of raku, the colors can be even brighter if the dot is poked. I don't know why but I love the effect.
Thank you...thank you!
ann

Thanks Ann! I hope you found some helpful tips and some fun things to try in this thread.
Raku is my most favorite glass of all. I love threading it, raking it, scrolling it, swirling it, chilling it, encasing it.....well, you get the picture....I better stop before I start to sound like Bubba from the movie Forrest Gump...LOL!!!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Just thought I'd pop another picture in here for the sake of inspiration....

This is solid raku, with just a hint of intense black threading.

49388

[cheeky monkey]

:-({|= and I STILL can't do it.......

[HannahRachel]

I have really good bright blues and purples if I use a base of red-brown moretti and dip my carbon paddle into water between each roll. Oh, yeah, and the bead has to be HOT! I'll post a photo later...

[lldesigns]

Okay, I'm starting to get some color now that I increased the oxygen. Still not getting dark, rich colors and no purple yet. But definitely better than before. I'm actually more excited about my encasing!!! I'm finally getting an even coat of clear all the way around.

49783

The photo looks purple but it's actually blue.

[Raven Wylder]

Ok, I need help too. Here's my pics - I hope someone can help? I'm going to try again this weekend so I hope I can post better pics next week.

All are raku on ivory, top left is just raku on ivory cooked to death, the top right is reduced, bottom is encased. I got some blue off of that but not much.

49945

[DFS]

Laurie,
Those are lovely. I personally am forever after the purples you got in your second one from the right. I never can figure out how I get them...which means I don't always get what I hope for. Your encasing is beautiful.


Joyce

[lldesigns]

Thanks Joyce. I've been messing with Raku for months with no luck until Dawn explained that it prefers an oxidizing flame. Now I'm starting to get some color. Of course after all the messing around I'm out of frit!!! Back to the store...

[Kevan]

Ok, I need help too. Here's my pics - I hope someone can help? I'm going to try again this weekend so I hope I can post better pics next week.

All are raku on ivory, top left is just raku on ivory cooked to death, the top right is reduced, bottom is encased. I got some blue off of that but not much.

49945

If you reduce it it brings out the metallic finish and you don't get the colors. You want to use a neutral or a oxy rich flame, not reduce it.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/konact/rakutwisty3.jpg

[lldesigns]

Kevan those are gorgeous!!! I'm still not getting the full range of colors like that. Do you do multiple heatings and coolings? Do you marver or blow? How close to the flame do you hold the bead? Do you let the glass get runny hot? Do you use so much oxy that it hisses? As you can tell I'm still learning!

[monarae]

Okay, I followed the directions, and got it to turn black before I encased it. I still didn't get any color, but it is a nicely shaped 2" bead.

50578

[Beads-on-Toast]

I keep trying and trying but still no colours oh-hum

[Kym]

I will just tell you what I do.

I find it pops more on black but I am only still learning

I use raku as a stringer, either alone or with black


After I apply it to a base black bead, I heat it in a neutral or oxy rich flame about 1" to 1" and 1/2 from the torch end, to runny hot, almost white hot. (If you watch, you can see the change in the raku when it gets hot enough. It starts to form some lines and flares a bit)

I then chill it on a brass doorstop that I have frozen is a shallow container of water. I keep this in the freezer until I want to use it. perhaps other metal would be OK but I use brass.

I roll it on the chilled brass until it looks black, then bring it back to the flame to warm (especially if I want to press it) and to encase it in clear. I find encasing brings out the colour more.

If you get it hot enough and then chilled enough, I can almost guarantee you will see at least a lot of blue. some green and purple, occasionally maroon,

I use a nortel minor burner on an OGSI-15. You won't see the best colour until it cools in the annealing kiln a bit and when it is completely cool, you should see heaps of colour.

Hope this helps

Kym

[Beads-on-Toast]

when i hold it an inch away from the torch end i see like what appears to be a skin forming and growing. not in depth i mean in width. flat to the surface id this the flare you mention? i always think thats soot!
So i need really cold metal. like freezing?
I thought if i got water onto a bead i thought it might crack!! or do you just apply the raku to the cold brass and not the wetness.
Many thanks for your help i shall have another attempt and post my results.
x

[PaulaD]

I get good color just by using an oxygen rich flame. I don't chill it. The stringers work best for me along with the size #2 frit or stringers that I make from #4 chunk.

Paula

[Beads-on-Toast]

When you say oxy rich, do you mean you use an oxygen bottle or an oxycon?

[sleekbeads]

either one is fine, she just means to turn up your oxy on your torch.

[hulagirl]

Wow....I did it! Finally understand how to work with Raku. Thanks to all the contributors to this thread! Oh, and I can't resist saying: Nice cones, Dawn!

[Dawn >^..^<]

when i hold it an inch away from the torch end i see like what appears to be a skin forming and growing. not in depth i mean in width. flat to the surface id this the flare you mention? i always think thats soot!
So i need really cold metal. like freezing?
I thought if i got water onto a bead i thought it might crack!! or do you just apply the raku to the cold brass and not the wetness.
Many thanks for your help i shall have another attempt and post my results.
x

The skin you see forming is actually the raku reducing. You need more oxygen in your flame and less propane so you don't see that skin form. Sometimes if you accidentally reduce the bead you can let it cool slightly and reheat it in a more oxygen rich flame to get rid of the "skin" or little metallic looking spot.

And when I "chill" my beads I just touch them to anything brass or stainless steel like a bead press or even a butter knife. I don't chill the tool I'm working with, although I've heard of some people doing that. The metal tools is so much cooler than the molten glass that it chills the glass upon contact without having to chill the tool itself.

Good luck! Can't wait to see photos!

[Dawn >^..^<]

Wow....I did it! Finally understand how to work with Raku. Thanks to all the contributors to this thread! Oh, and I can't resist saying: Nice cones, Dawn!


Woohoo!
Pictures!....Pictures!!!!

And it's been a while since anyone complimented me on my cones!...:lol:
Thanks!

[ellyloo]

I'm getting there... grrrr.

I pulled a stringer on clear... dunno if that'll affect things, but here's a TEENSY bit of colour and a bit of Devit from trying too hard.
Forgive the bead poop.

[Dawn >^..^<]

I'm getting there... grrrr.

I pulled a stringer on clear... dunno if that'll affect things, but here's a TEENSY bit of colour and a bit of Devit from trying too hard.
Forgive the bead poop.

Those look great!
Pulling the stringers with a clear rod will dilute the raku a bit though. If you want more vibrant, opaque colors to show up, try pulling stringers by dipping a fat mandrel into the frit. I use a 3/23" or 1/8" mandrel and heat about 1/2 inch of the tip until it glows, then I dip in the frit and melt and dip and melt and so on until I get a nice little gather to pull a stringer from.

[jaccarney]

1st time using raku. i've just started lampworking (this month) so they're nothing special, but they were fun to make and i'm looking forward to making a funky bracelet or necklace outta them, just for the heck of it!

:) jac

54771

[FourTailsLampwork]

DAY-am, woman, I wish some of mine looked that good after five months! I really like the funky things you're doing with the encasing.

[LyndaJ]

How do you apply other details after you've got the Raku color without losing the color? Link to today's gallery to show your beads that PROVE it's possible. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45747&page=2

[Dawn >^..^<]

How do you apply other details after you've got the Raku color without losing the color? Link to today's gallery to show your beads that PROVE it's possible. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45747&page=2


Once you get your colors to show up, don't overheat your bead after that and they will stay.
On this set I put the intense black on the bead and then got the whole thing real hot and pressed it. (The round beads I rolled in a bead mold to chill the color into them.) This turns the whole bead black, which is what you want, and then I fire polish and press (or roll) again, and the colors showed up after the second pressing.

57150


On the next set, I got the colors to come out and play, but made sure that as I was putting on the scrolls, that I didn't get the bead too hot again. Just enough to get my scrollwork anchored on real good.

57151

[LyndaJ]

Thank-you!

[tasminann]

I did it! I did it! I think...

For 2.5 years I have not been able to do raku well. Occasionaly I will get a tiny hint of blue, but mostly just greens and browns.

So, after reading this thread, I decided to try some of the suggestions. And it worked! At least think it worked -- they were nice and bright going into the kiln, which is more than they have ever been.

Anyway, I am on a bobcat w/ 2 concentrators. I've pretty much always used #1 frit. I did have some thick stringer size rods but they didn't do much for me either. Until today.

Oh and I should mention that I press almost all my beads, as that may have a bearing on this.

What I did was first make a raku twistie, with effetre black and r-108 rod. Next, I set my flame to a slightly oxidized neutral. I made a base bead about half the size of my press (i.e. enough glass to half fill the press). Then I applied the raku/black twistie.

I heated to white hot but just short of drippy. I blew on the bead very briefly, then pressed.

I got the most awful brown/black, but according to this thread it's a good thing.

Here's what made the difference for me -- after the initial press I spot encased with clear stringer. Everywhere I put the stringer down the color just popped -- blues, greens, purples even a little yellow. Where I didn't put the clear stringer stayed the blackish color.

When I thought I had enough glass, I pressed the glass then very gently fire-polished. That was it!

Like I said, they were really pretty going into the kiln, but won't know until tomorrow for sure.

Emboldened, I tried once again to use the frit the same way. Didn't get nearly the same colors. Looks like I'll mainly be using rods from now on.

But like I said, I've been majorly raku-challenged for well over 2 years. The secret for me was making a raku twistie and using the clear stringer.

Dawn, thank you thank you thank you for creating this tutorial! I predict there will be raku beads in my future! :)

[Reenie]

I wanna see pics!!!! I'm still having a hard time getting any colors out of it and I'm like Dawn would say "Burning the SNOT outta it"
I'm off to try again!!!
Irene

[tasminann]

Well, when I took the beads out of the kiln I made another discovery -- I need to use lots of clear stringer! I didn't use much, but where I did use it -- wow! Unfortunately the beads are mostly black since I didn't do much encasing, but it certainly gives me hope! Enough hope that I ordered some more r-108 cane so I can make more twisties.

[Emily]

but just short of drippy.

The one time that I've gotten fabulous color, I did not stop short of drippy.

I've decided that drip is it.

(Don't ask me how people actually do patterns with this stuff.)

[Dawn >^..^<]

Well, when I took the beads out of the kiln I made another discovery -- I need to use lots of clear stringer! I didn't use much, but where I did use it -- wow! Unfortunately the beads are mostly black since I didn't do much encasing, but it certainly gives me hope! Enough hope that I ordered some more r-108 cane so I can make more twisties.


Hi Gail,
Woohoooo!! Now that you know how to turn the raku dark or black, that is the first step in developing fabulous colors!!! Now if you're going to encase the bead in clear, you want to encase it right over that black raku. Once you get the clear on, you'll se the colors developing just as you did with your beads.

But.....if you don't want to encase the beads, you start out the same way. Get the raku on the bead, melt in and let the bead lose it's glow, then quickly heat the surface of the bead to that BRIGHT orange and press it (or roll it on a graphite marver or bead mold to chill it. Quickly reintroduce the bead to the flame and the raku will turn black. Then....let the bead loose it's glow again, and heat just to a moderate glow, like if you were flame polishing it, but don't let it get bright orange again. Then press (or marver, or roll) it again and this should lighten up the raku to where you get nice blues, greens and purples. If it still looks dark in some spots, heat to a moderate glow and press again. Once you get the color into your bead the only way to loose it again is if you get it too hot. So after you get the black raku, tease the color back into it by using the flame in small doses. Sometimes I do a low heat and press a few times to tease the color into the bead. Does this make any sense?...:???: :neutral: :grin:

Have fun and don't foget to show us pictures!!!

[Dawn >^..^<]

This is for Irene and Emily....

The idea is to get the raku on and melted in, then let the bead loose it's glow, then quickly heat the surface of the bead to a BRIGHT HOT orange and chill by using your marver or press. You need to get the surface of that bead super hot real quick before the core starts to get hot enough to slump. I do this about an inch or so from the face of my torch in a nice neutral to oxygen rich flame. I'm on a Minor with one concentrator.
Read the post above and maybe some of it will make sense to you. I know how to get the stuff to sing, but have such a hard time putting it into words.

And Irene, I hope you don't mind but I just have to ask....who is that hottie I always see in your avatar?

[monarae]

Hi Gail,
Woohoooo!! Now that you know how to turn the raku dark or black, that is the first step in developing fabulous colors!!! Now if you're going to encase the bead in clear, you want to encase it right over that black raku. Once you get the clear on, you'll se the colors developing just as you did with your beads.

But.....if you don't want to encase the beads, you start out the same way. Get the raku on the bead, melt in and let the bead lose it's glow, then quickly heat the surface of the bead to that BRIGHT orange and press it (or roll it on a graphite marver or bead mold to chill it. Quickly reintroduce the bead to the flame and the raku will turn black. Then....let the bead loose it's glow again, and heat just to a moderate glow, like if you were flame polishing it, but don't let it get bright orange again. Then press (or marver, or roll) it again and this should lighten up the raku to where you get nice blues, greens and purples. If it still looks dark in some spots, heat to a moderate glow and press again. Once you get the color into your bead the only way to loose it again is if you get it too hot. So after you get the black raku, tease the color back into it by using the flame in small doses. Sometimes I do a low heat and press a few times to tease the color into the bead. Does this make any sense?...:???: :neutral: :grin:

Have fun and don't foget to show us pictures!!!

I'm so frustr8ed by this rku. I finlly cn get it to turn blk nd before I enc8ce I do it over nd over uhgin. no colors, just blk!:sad:

[Emily]

This is for Irene and Emily....
(. . .)
And Irene, I hope you don't mind but I just have to ask....who is that hottie I always see in your avatar?

nobody ever asks about the hottie in MY avatar . . . :pout:

[Dawn >^..^<]

nobody ever asks about the hottie in MY avatar . . . :pout:


I'm sorry Emily....:(
And your Hottie really is a HOTTIE!!! :lol:

[Dawn >^..^<]

I'm so frustr8ed by this rku. I finlly cn get it to turn blk nd before I enc8ce I do it over nd over uhgin. no colors, just blk!:sad:


I'm so sorry Monarae. Believe me, I know the frustration! It's what I still go through with the beautiful silvered glass that I can't get to work for me.

What kind of torch set up do you have? Is it possible that the black you're getting is from reducing the bead rather than from heating and chilling?

Please let me know about the torch, and if you can show me some of your beads maybe I can help.

[monarae]

I'm so sorry Monarae. Believe me, I know the frustration! It's what I still go through with the beautiful silvered glass that I can't get to work for me.

What kind of torch set up do you have? Is it possible that the black you're getting is from reducing the bead rather than from heating and chilling?

Please let me know about the torch, and if you can show me some of your beads maybe I can help.

HH propne 1#

positive it's not reduction. no silver, just blck, nd it turns blk immedi8ly fter pplying cold, wet tweezer.

pics by tomorrow.

[Miss Kate]

nobody ever asks about the hottie in MY avatar . . .

Emily, I love the hottie in your avatar.

Miss Kate

[Reenie]

Emily thanks for the chuckle!!!! Who is that hottie in your avatar?
Dawn.....He's a friend of the family
As far as the Raku, I still can't do it.
I'm like Mona. I got it to go black but still can't get much blues and greens and all that.
I really, really think you need to come over and show me!!!!
I just bought a little bit of boro to play with and OMG it's like...why do I keep doing this to myself!
Can't get anything out of that either.
I think I need Mr. Smiley to come over too!
Hey maybe you guys could come down together!!!!
I'll keep pressing on here
Thanks so much for all your paitence and the great tips. I think now it's not the operation but the operator](*,)
Irene

[mnoelker]

Dawn-You are a real sweetheart to share your raku tips with all of us. I have to say your sets lately have been jaw-dropping! Simply stunning. I'm going to have to get the raku out again.


Mary

[cherylsart]

I did the heat and chill thing by accident. The raku turned all metallic looking, and I put it back in the flame and the colors came out. I'm on a hot head so I don't get a lot of color but I do get some blue, yellow and lavender to come up. My friends love them, so I guess it's cool!

[monarae]

here's my ltest uhtempt. I noticed in the picture, if I zoomed in, there seems to be little pink between the blck. Isn't it the blck tht is supposed to chg color?

58371

[Reenie]

Hey check out Dawn's Tuturial in Step by Step Magazine!!!!!
It's wonderfully written and perfect instructions!
Believe it or not...it's NOT Raku!!!!
Congrats to you Dawn!!!!
Irene

[Dawn >^..^<]

Hey check out Dawn's Tuturial in Step by Step Magazine!!!!!
It's wonderfully written and perfect instructions!
Believe it or not...it's NOT Raku!!!!
Congrats to you Dawn!!!!
Irene

Awww....Thanks Irene!
Are you talking about my seashell tutorial in the Flow Magazine?
This post kind of threw me off because I was actually going to do a tutorial for the Step by Step magazine by Lapidary Journal, but then I was asked by The Flow Magazine to do one.

[Reenie]

Oops! Sorry Dawn. I thought you were Dawn C...Can't spell the last name and I don't have the mag in front of me.
Wrong girl...Darn! Oh well You need to do one anyways so here's your push lol
Irene

[Dawn >^..^<]

Oops! Sorry Dawn. I thought you were Dawn C...Can't spell the last name and I don't have the mag in front of me.
Wrong girl...Darn! Oh well You need to do one anyways so here's your push lol
Irene


That's okay Irene. Now you're going to have to check the tutorial that I really did write.......:smile:

Here's a link to my shell tutorial (http://www.theflowmagazine.com/tut5.htm).....and it's not raku!!!
There's two pages to it so make sure to click over and see the second page.
Let me know what you think.

[squid]

Hey Dawn - How much would you charge to come to NC and show me on my torch how to get Raku to work?

:lol:

[Carmen Isaacs]

I want to know how much Dawn would charge to come to South Africa to show me how to get Raku to work??
Carmen

[Dawn >^..^<]

Squid and Carmen, I would have a blast coming to teach you raku, unfortunately I don't travel well.....LOL!
But if you're ever in my neck of the woods, do stop in and we can spend the day rakuing!

[Dawn >^..^<]

here's my ltest uhtempt. I noticed in the picture, if I zoomed in, there seems to be little pink between the blck. Isn't it the blck tht is supposed to chg color?

58371

Hi Monarae,

Well, I think the main problem is your torch. I've never worked on a HotHead myself, so I'm just basing this on what I've heard. I don't think the HotHead gets hot enough to give the vibrant colors that you can get with an oxygen / propane torch.
Now I have seen some nice raku beads made on HotHeads, but the colors seemed to be a bit more pale. I also think you should try using the raku on a black base for more of a contrast.
I have to say that even though you didn't get bright colors on the bead pictured, it really has a nice organic look to it!

[monarae]

Thnks Dwn!

[Carmen Isaacs]

Thanks Dawn, I travel very well so might just do that lol.
Carmen

[squid]

Squid and Carmen, I would have a blast coming to teach you raku, unfortunately I don't travel well.....LOL!
But if you're ever in my neck of the woods, do stop in and we can spend the day rakuing!

<mapquesting distance to Port St Lucie>
;)

[tasminann]

Oh heck Dawn, I didn't realize you were in Port St. Lucie -- I may have to come up and see you one day (I'm in Palm Beach County).

[Dawn >^..^<]

Oh heck Dawn, I didn't realize you were in Port St. Lucie -- I may have to come up and see you one day (I'm in Palm Beach County).

Well, howdy neighbor! :waving:
Come on up!

[mixednut]

Thank you for sharing I am awe stuck by your beauty!

[mixednut]

I LOVE these tips!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!! I will post as soon as I get them going I have enough to figure out it will work though. Oh and Monarae I a work on a HH to so keep trying I know you will love the results. And the rainbow dot how fun is that!

[monarae]

If you get it I'll be soooooo jelous!

[Midnight Skye]

I am new to lampworking and work on a hothead. I just purchased some raku flakes to experiment with. I make a black base bead and using tweezers, placed some of the raku flakes on the hot bead. I melted these in. When I started melting the raku, the flakes reminded me of something rubbery in their appearance and the way I could fold them over as they melted. Is this normal? I have never even seen raku before to know if this is how it should appear. The flakes pretty much stayed a soft sage green color with a little bit of rainbow coloring around edges. I reheated and marver chilled the bead many times (or at least it felt like a lot) before I encased this bead and used my lentil press. The areas where the raku are almost look like little continents on the black bead. Interesting, but I wanted to check to see if I am doing this right or if anyone has any other suggestions. Thanks:)

[mixednut]

I am new to lampworking and work on a hothead. I just purchased some raku flakes to experiment with. I make a black base bead and using tweezers, placed some of the raku flakes on the hot bead. I melted these in. When I started melting the raku, the flakes reminded me of something rubbery in their appearance and the way I could fold them over as they melted. Is this normal? I have never even seen raku before to know if this is how it should appear. The flakes pretty much stayed a soft sage green color with a little bit of rainbow coloring around edges. I reheated and marver chilled the bead many times (or at least it felt like a lot) before I encased this bead and used my lentil press. The areas where the raku are almost look like little continents on the black bead. Interesting, but I wanted to check to see if I am doing this right or if anyone has any other suggestions. Thanks:)

I am still trying to get this too but it sounds like you have a pretty good start, rods by the way are a little easier to work with when you feel good about using them. And I totally know what you mean about the rubbery thing. I think (mind you not sure) that it melts slower (kinda like it might have a lower coe probably has do with the metals in it) and when you are used to your torch and the speed at which your glass melts this kinda messes with you when it melts slower and the feel of the glass (the stiffness?) is different. This is easy to see when you are working with both at the same time. Just my theroy though I hope someone here might explain it better, or correct me with the truth if I am wrong. Hope that helps LOL!

[mixednut]

If you get it I'll be soooooo jelous!
I haven't yet but with Dawn's tips I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

[jrandrup]

I am still trying to get this too but it sounds like you have a pretty good start, rods by the way are a little easier to work with when you feel good about using them. And I totally know what you mean about the rubbery thing. I think (mind you not sure) that it melts slower (kinda like it might have a lower coe probably has do with the metals in it) and when you are used to your torch and the speed at which your glass melts this kinda messes with you when it melts slower and the feel of the glass (the stiffness?) is different. This is easy to see when you are working with both at the same time. Just my theroy though I hope someone here might explain it better, or correct me with the truth if I am wrong. Hope that helps LOL!


Raku (Riechenback R108) is around 96 coe, so it does melt/cool at a different rate than 104 COE glass. You're also right about the metals having an effect on how it feels. What I've noticed about glass in general, regardless of the COE, is that it can melt like butter, or feel rubbery, depending on the materials and their formulas.

[mixednut]

Raku (Riechenback R108) is around 96 coe, so it does melt/cool at a different rate than 104 COE glass. You're also right about the metals having an effect on how it feels. What I've noticed about glass in general, regardless of the COE, is that it can melt like butter, or feel rubbery, depending on the materials and their formulas.

It is so shocking to find out I am actually learning new things!!!!!8-[ #-o Me trying to learn!!! Thanks for letting me know I was guessing and I appriciate your helping!

[Midnight Skye]

Something I did not really think about was the COE factor of the Raku. I am going to assume that I should not be using this Moretti glass and would want to use a glass that has an equal COE factor, especially if encasing. Is this a correct assumption and if it is, is there a Raku that would work with Moretti black? I appreciate your thoughts on this.

[jrandrup]

Cecillia, you're a lot smarter than you think!

Midnight Skye, Raku will work with moretti and other 104 COE glass as long as you don't use too much. If you only use 5% of Raku, you should be fine. The same is true of other 96 COE glass and frits. As far as encasing, some work great, others crack. The best thing is to test it on a small bead first. That way if it cracks, you haven't wasted too much time or material.

Good luck!

[mixednut]

Cecillia, you're a lot smarter than you think!

Midnight Skye, Raku will work with moretti and other 104 COE glass as long as you don't use too much. If you only use 5% of Raku, you should be fine. The same is true of other 96 COE glass and frits. As far as encasing, some work great, others crack. The best thing is to test it on a small bead first. That way if it cracks, you haven't wasted too much time or material.

Good luck!

Thank you and also thanks about the 5 percent thing I didn';t know the ratio!