The secrets of Raku Revealed - Page 2

Dawn >^..^< · #31 2006-05-01, 8:13pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by one-eared pig

Dawn, i do believe i love you!

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 >^..^< · #32 2006-05-01, 8:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

Woohoo!!!

I just love it when a plan comes together!!!

Dawn >^..^< · #33 2006-05-01, 8:19pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevan

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!!!!

sabrinadesign · #34 2006-05-01, 8:26pm

Wow Dawn!!! Your beads are BEAUTIFUL!!!! And the advice!!! The advice is Awesome!!! I'm headed to my torch right now!!!

Hugs!!!
Bree

debrakinsky · #35 2006-05-01, 9:02pm

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!

Thanks,

--Deb

fyrebeadz* · #36 2006-05-01, 9:03pm

Awesome beads Dawn and thanks for sharing!

Donna

Dawn >^..^< · #37 2006-05-01, 11:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

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 · #38 2006-05-01, 11:27pm

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

Dawn >^..^< · #39 2006-05-01, 11:39pm

[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 · #40 2006-05-01, 11:53pm

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

--Deb

Reenie · #41 2006-05-02, 2:50am

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 · #42 2006-05-02, 8:33am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawn >^..^<

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 >^..^< · #43 2006-05-02, 9:24am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

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 >^..^< · #44 2006-05-02, 9:33am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

--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 · #45 2006-05-02, 10:11am

Thanks for the thread dawn!! Paula

pittypat · #46 2006-05-03, 3:34pm

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 · #47 2006-05-03, 5:02pm

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

Dawn >^..^< · #48 2006-05-03, 6:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · #49 2006-05-04, 1:22am

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 >^..^< · #50 2006-05-04, 8:01am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · #51 2006-05-04, 10:40am

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 · #52 2006-05-04, 11:07am

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 · #53 2006-05-04, 2:43pm

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 >^..^< · #54 2006-05-04, 6:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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

Dawn >^..^< · #55 2006-05-04, 6:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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

crystalflipz · #56 2006-05-04, 6:35pm

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 · #57 2006-05-04, 11:16pm

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:

debrakinsky · #58 2006-05-05, 2:05am

Wow! Your beads are just beautiful

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...

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

--Deb

Beadfairy · #59 2006-05-05, 4:04am

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 >^..^< · #60 2006-05-05, 4:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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!