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!

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??

My raku experiments
 

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

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 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.

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

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!

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!

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:

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:

Thank you, thank you!!

I am gonna try immediate. :grin:

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

~Me~

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.

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

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 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.

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

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!

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 :)

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!!

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!

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.

some help for a newbie please
 

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

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

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

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.

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.