Raku Tips for HotHead Users?

[FourTailsLampwork]

Monarae and I are in the same boat--we have tried everything on our HHs and still only get tans and the whisper of a blue from Raku. Heat until glowy, check; cool on brass tool, check; cool with tool that's stood on an ice-pack, check; turn propane down as far as it will go and work low in the flame, check ..... However, folks can get those lustrous rainbow colours from their HHs. So: HELP!!! Any tips or tutorials on how you make raku really pop in those eyecatching colors *using a HH*?

[sarah_hornik]

Yes! Heat the raku for a while over the highest flame you can get, until when you take it out of the flame the raku all looks BLACK and you think you've destroyed your bead - that means it is working.
At this stage I usually do the whole brass tool thing (but I'm not sure if it's really necessary).
Leave on the surface to get red-orange-green-ish (+blue sometimes) colors (I've noticed that longer annealing time tends to produce better colors this way). Encase in clear (while the raku still looks black) to get some wild blues, pinks and purples.
This works best on a black background, or a dark color in general. Some days it doesn't work at all - don't ask me why. But don't give up, the colors are definitely possible! These were made on my HotHead:

http://static.flickr.com/87/216216388_21c9a2c533.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/260719104_f20c9aad46_o.jpg

http://www.glassbysarah.com/le/rakublack_01.jpg
(encased)

[lldesigns]

Gorgeous beads Sarah! I take back everything I said about not being able to get raku color with a HH. Apparently only I wasn't able to get color... :grin:

[playswithfire104]

I got all kinds of things on my HH out of Raku. Try this: Hold the bead as close to the tip of the flame as you can. Not the outter tip but as close to the hothead itself. I got oil slik type effects and mirror effects. I was not working on bulk fuel only the propane fatboys.

[Chau Nguyen T]

What's raku? I heard people talking about Raku but i'm not sure. Would someone guide me to some answers. Many thanks.

[truegem]

I am getting a black color on my HH, but it appears to be a reduction reaction (the metallic reaction I usually get if I'm accidentally too low in the flame.) If I move my bead back to the proper part of the flame, this blackness goes away. This black isn't what you're talking about, is it? I have never gotten any black reaction other than this. Help!

-Patti

[truegem]

Sorry, Nancy, I didn't see your post...yes, this is what I'm talking about...the mirror type reaction. Did your bead stay that way? Is that what you were going for, or are you saying that you got a colorful reaction from this?

Chau, Raku is a frit, also known as Iris Orange.

-Patti
:smile:

[dragonfly designs 56]

I used raku on every color imaginable, every day for almost a year, and didnt get CRAP! RAKU IS A CURSE, LOL, But dont listen to me, now I have a minor and dont get much with that either! bwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaa! lol.

[playswithfire104]

Sorry, Nancy, I didn't see your post...yes, this is what I'm talking about...the mirror type reaction. Did your bead stay that way? Is that what you were going for, or are you saying that you got a colorful reaction from this?

Chau, Raku is a frit, also known as Iris Orange.

-Patti
:smile:

Yes the mirror effect stayed. And yes it is what I was going after that time.
But you can make it go away if you move your bead further out in the flame.

[truegem]

Ok, I tried what Sarah said and it did not turn black, or even dark, except when I accidentally reduced it. I don't know what the heck I'm doing wrong. It's just not fair! LOL!
But I got some pretty browns/rusts and a teeny bit of a blue-ish purple. Anyone else (HH users) have success?
-Patti

[Vicki B.]

I get mostly bieges, some pinks and lt blues. One thing I wonder about is the difference in the various rakus. When you look at the rods, esp, there are opaque, light rods, medium ones and dark sort of transparent. Wonder if the type of raku makes a difference.

If ever there was a time to experiemnt with cold brass marvering, it would be this week - maybe tomorrow.

[sarah_hornik]

Ok, I tried what Sarah said and it did not turn black, or even dark, except when I accidentally reduced it. I don't know what the heck I'm doing wrong. It's just not fair! LOL!
But I got some pretty browns/rusts and a teeny bit of a blue-ish purple. Anyone else (HH users) have success?
-Patti

It doesn't always work - but don't give up! You have to get the bead REALLY REALLY hot - drippy hot. I've had better luck getting the effect on smaller beads (I think it might be because they absorb more heat, but I'm not sure) and using frit. I had no luck with stringer - but I gave up on that after a couple of times, I might not have tried hard enough.

[LoriBird]

What's raku? I heard people talking about Raku but i'm not sure. Would someone guide me to some answers. Many thanks.


R108 (Reichenbach 108) comes in rod or frit, sometimes called Iris Orange ....
Hope this answers your question.

Lori