RAKU help!!!

[jkdezigns]

I have a bobcat setup with an oxy concentrator and propane. I have made about 20 beads with raku frit and/or stringer and have only gotten the pretty colors (blue/violet/pink) with one bead. I have no idea what I did right and can't seem to duplicate it. I have been to WC and read every post there and think I have tried it all. Anyone have suggestions? Please...

Jamie

[loco]

If you are using the regular (as apposed to dark) raku. Heat baby heat, cool baby cool Heat it dripping hot you can see the colors doing strange stuff, then cool it. Take a look, don't like the colors? Heat it again then cool and look. I do it over and over again.....

I use a beer can that has been in the freezer for a while to cool it CAUTION: do not stay in one place long or you will burn through the can. Very entertaining but messy.

If you are using the dark raku, make the bead heat it good and touch it to any metal surface. Dark raku will get you purples and blues. Sorry I forgot the numbers of each.

[CorriDawn]

Tips from Shawn T on Raku (did I mention that she is just so amazing and giving???)

How to get the Raku to POP
It work well on reactive colors. I have used Dr. Ivory, Copper green, reg. and red. Opal tellow I love it on. But first time I think you should start off with back.
Why Black you ask? Because You will be able to see all the colors and the reaction very quickly as the bead cools.

Use the largest size frit you have. I find the best reactions with the #2 size and the Chunks I pull into stringers. If anybody needs instructions on how to pull chunks into stringers let me know I have it marked in my favorites and will post the link.

Make a round bead out of the black, Moretti Veterfound doesn't matter.
Heat up the bead and roll it in the #2 size frit. Now you have to put a lot of heat back into the bead. Melt the frit in and then heat it some more, heat it up and let the frit start to swirl,spinning your mandrel so you don't loose the round shape. Then keep swirling while you take it out of the flame, and touch the bead to something brass. (I do not have a brass stump shaper so I use the side of one of my Zoozii presses) Flat the bead on both sides. Let the bead cool and look at the colors if you like the colors and they "came out to play with you" Then bring it back into the back edge of the flame to get rid of the chill marks. If you got mostly orange and tan, then reteat the bead, and try again. When I say the bead needs to be really hot I am saying that it need to be so hot and motlen that it may fall off the mandrel if you don't spin it fast enough, The frit will look almost clear with a darker center.

Most of the ones I did, I first flattened with my BBQ mashers and then touched it to the brass very quickly. I have nevre had to use the ice water some people mentioned to get the colors to work. The colors will come ut by the rapid heating and cooling. You can do it over and over again till you get the look you want.

I have not had that great of luck with the fine frit the #00, but I did get some colors not the whole bead to turn colors.

When useing the stringer. I pulled thin stringer out of the chunks. Made a base bead out of black. then I made beads with dots, some with scroll work, some with lines Etc. I turned down my propane, way down when applying the stringer. It like the oxygen and the cooler flame. Then melted in the stringer, and flattened with my BBQ masher, and touched to the brass. Put the bead in the back of the flame and flashed the chill marks off.

*Note* once the colors come out, do not worry about putting your bead back in the flame, the deep colors will not go away. I have never lost the purples or blues and pinks by reheating the bead.

[jkdezigns]

Thanks ya'll! I will try both methods and see what happens!
jamie