The secrets of Raku Revealed

[Dawn >^..^<]

Originally Posted by Eileen

Dawn, I just got to wondering if you ever teach or give demos?

Hi Eileen,

No, I don't teach but I did manage to do a video demo for using Dalai Lama by TAG. Here's the link to my YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOGX2...ature=youtu.be

I hope to do a few with Raku in the near future too!

[Eileen]

That was awesome, Thank You!!!!
I think I put way too much effort into striking, which possibly explains why I get poo with my silver glass so often.
I will eagerly await an future videos you may do. Thank you again. If I didn't have an eye exam in a few hours I'd be out there right now trying with some of my glass (don't have that particular one, but I have some others to try.)

[Dawn >^..^<]

Originally Posted by Eileen

That was awesome, Thank You!!!!
I think I put way too much effort into striking, which possibly explains why I get poo with my silver glass so often.
I will eagerly await an future videos you may do. Thank you again. If I didn't have an eye exam in a few hours I'd be out there right now trying with some of my glass (don't have that particular one, but I have some others to try.)

I'm glad you enjoyed it!
That demo covers how I work with TAG's striking glass. Dalai Lama, Transcendental and Tibet. For Raku you don't need to get it nearly as hot. With Raku you only need to super heat that top, outer layer of the bead.

Make a barrel shaped bead and roll it in your frit. Gently melt in the Raku and get the bead shaped back up again. (Don't pay attention to the color at this point because it should still be pale brown.) Once the bead is shaped and cooled a bit, bring it into the flame and quickly superheat the surface, then marver it back into shape immediately. This should turn the Raku really dark. If you're going to encase it, do it now while it's dark. The heat from the clear will strike the colors for you.

If you don't want to encase the bead you will have to strike it. After it reaches that dark stage, bring it back into the flame just until it gets a dull glow again then take it out of the flame and see how your colors have developed. Just one or two strikings should do the trick.

[Eileen]

I can't wait until the weekend to try again.
I think I've been trying too hard & overcooking it, because I can get a little color, but not the vibrant colors.

sorry it's so big & out of focus

]

[Dawn >^..^<]

Originally Posted by Eileen

I can't wait until the weekend to try again.
I think I've been trying too hard & overcooking it, because I can get a little color, but not the vibrant colors.

sorry it's so big & out of focus

]

Oooo...That looks good! I think it may be the base color you're using that's affecting the Raku colors though. See the little reaction lines right around each dot of Raku? You can see them real good on the edges of the bead near the holes. That's the Raku reacting with the base glass. The Raku colors will stand out more against a dark backdrop. Black (of course) and Dark Transparent Purple are my favorite base colors for Raku. Greens and turquoise can suck the color right out of Raku so I usually avoid those. But as far as how you're working the glass, it looks like you're doing it right!

[Eileen]

I will practice more with the black & purple, thanks for the help, I really really appreciate it.

[caliente]

Thanks for the feedback, Dawn. They are on Effetre black. I'll try heating a bit less, especially on the fire polish next time I'm at the torch. I'll try the dots, too. Might be a bit easier to get the reaction working small to start.

[Reenie]

I agree with renting Dawn for a few sessions or downright kidnapping her!

[Eileen]

She's close enough to me that I'm temped to just show up at her door!
(But I'd never do it in case you're worried now Dawn!)

[Dragonfly Queen]

Dawn, have you tried the 104 version of Iris Orange, RL 6208? If so do you work it pretty much the same as R108

[Dawn >^..^<]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly Queen

Dawn, have you tried the 104 version of Iris Orange, RL 6208? If so do you work it pretty much the same as R108

Hi Inez,

I know some people can get great color from the 104 COE Raku, but I'm not one of them.... I've tried it a few times and my results just come out pale. Maybe it's just the way I'm working it, but I get much better color out of the 96 COE, so I just stick with that.

[Dragonfly Queen]

What.....? I don't believe it!

Just kidding. okay, thank you Dawn.

Anybody else out there have any success with Raku COE 104?

[den hartog]

Hi everybody,

Though I am a member of this forum for several years, I have only posted something 2 or 3 times. I usually find the beads I make not good enough to show. But now I'd like to share my rakubeads with you. After much experimenting with raku, I now finally am a little successful. I am so happy with these beads.
Thanks to all who have given advice in this topic and special thanks to Dawn!
Picture above: black with rakufrit.
Other picture: just raku with a few intens black dots.

Marise

[Dawn >^..^<]

Oooo, very pretty Marise! You got wonderful colors!

[glasser]

Just lovely, keep on sharing!

[JulieV]

Those are lovely! Well done!

[angelique_redhead]

Very nice! Go you! Angelique

[danelady]

These are beautiful beads, you should be quite proud of the
Colors you got!
Lynnie

Originally Posted by den hartog

Hi everybody,

Though I am a member of this forum for several years, I have only posted something 2 or 3 times. I usually find the beads I make not good enough to show. But now I'd like to share my rakubeads with you. After much experimenting with raku, I now finally am a little successful. I am so happy with these beads.
Thanks to all who have given advice in this topic and special thanks to Dawn!
Picture above: black with rakufrit.
Other picture: just raku with a few intens black dots.

Marise

[Locococo]

Marise......beautiful
Isn't that a great feeling to be successful with Raku?

Keep going!

Elke

[bbisker]

The answer may already be in this great thread but if so I can't find it. I was wondering if I can use a twisty made with the 96 version of raku on a base bead that is make with 104 glass. Can I ever encase a bead using 96 raku for decoration with 104 clear? Thanks.

[Dawn >^..^<]

Originally Posted by bbisker

The answer may already be in this great thread but if so I can't find it. I was wondering if I can use a twisty made with the 96 version of raku on a base bead that is make with 104 glass. Can I ever encase a bead using 96 raku for decoration with 104 clear? Thanks.

The answer is yes, and yes.

You can use 96 COE Raku as decoration (frit, stringer work or twisty) on a base of 104 COE.

You can also use a base of 104 COE, decorate with 96 COE and encase with 104 COE.

But if you use a solid 96 COE base and want to encase it, you should use a 96 COE clear for encasing.

[danelady]

Yes but be careful not to use too much of any 96coe on a 104coe bead or
it will crack. I know there's a formula out there for the ratio but I can't
Put my hands on it. I make and sell 96coe Raku Twisties (mixed with intense black 104coe) for other lampworkers to use on their 104coe beads and haven't gotten negative feedback on it at all.
Lynnie

Originally Posted by bbisker

The answer may already be in this great thread but if so I can't find it. I was wondering if I can use a twisty made with the 96 version of raku on a base bead that is make with 104 glass. Can I ever encase a bead using 96 raku for decoration with 104 clear? Thanks.

[den hartog]

@Dawn, glasser, JulieV, Angelique, danelady and Lococo,
Thanks for the nice compliments.
I'm indeed a little proud of the colors.
And now I can't stop playing with Raku.

Marise

[danelady]

Hi Inez and Dawn,

I've had very little luck with the 104 Raku the colors
Muddy and it doesn't translate well at all when
I use it to make Raku Twisties. It's as if after being heated
enough to melt the Twisties properly, the ability/ property
to produce color is gone. I stick to 96 COE
LYNNIE

Originally Posted by Dawn >^..^<

Hi Inez,

I know some people can get great color from the 104 COE Raku, but I'm not one of them.... I've tried it a few times and my results just come out pale. Maybe it's just the way I'm working it, but I get much better color out of the 96 COE, so I just stick with that.

[Locococo]

Same here no luck with Raku 104.

Elke

[Dragonfly Queen]

Originally Posted by danelady

Hi Inez and Dawn,

I've had very little luck with the 104 Raku the colors
Muddy and it doesn't translate well at all when
I use it to make Raku Twisties. It's as if after being heated
enough to melt the Twisties properly, the ability/ property
to produce color is gone. I stick to 96 COE
LYNNIE

Thank you. I can't get anything but mud with either 104 or 96.

I keep trying though.

thank you too Locococo

[danelady]

Inez,
I don't know what your knowledge base is so I'll share
what works for me. I found the best method to draw
color with 96coe Raku is to heat it really hot and
then cool it FAST. After the first cooling DO NOT
overheat the bead, only heat as much as needed
for what effect you are going for between pressing or cooling.

If I'm using presses on a Raku bead I set
the press base on a bowl or tray of ice before
I start torching.

Then when I have my first application of Raku
on the bead, I pull it from the flame and quickly
press it on the press while its sitting on the ice. Work
and repeat until you get the desired effects.

Hope that helps
Lynnie

Originally Posted by Dragonfly Queen

Thank you. I can't get anything but mud with either 104 or 96.

I keep trying though.

thank you too Locococo

[Dragonfly Queen]

Thank you Lynnie.

So I have been playing with the Iris Orange COE 104 (RL 6208 ) and have had some success....not a lot, but some. What can I say, I'm determined or crazy, I keep trying.
Here's what I got. Don't mind the beads, got a new cone mandrel so I was playing. The one on the right has a couple of holes, you can see the inklings of it mid right side, but I actually like the affect. That was the first one. The second one on the left also had a couple of holes, but I kept heating and shaping til the holes filled in, that is what that spot on the front is. I like that too.
And yes I super heated it and shaped and then I super heated and shaped some more. I did one end of the cone and then the other. I didn't let it cool down in between other than the marvering. Anyway here goes.



Still working on trying to figure out the encasing with frit. I finally got some bright blues by using the gravity swirl with COE 96. I'll post those when they come out of the kiln tomorrow.

[Beadbroad10]

Thanks for all the info

[Glasstastic Treasures]

Dawn, thank you so much for all the info. After not being able to make beads for so long I was having a hard enough time just getting them into a good shape. Then yesterday I tried my new 104 raku and it turned brown, it was okay, but not the blue/purples i wanted. So I read most of this thread today and went out to the torch and after making a few rondells for practive I picked up a rod of raku and gave it a try.

Every one that I put on the marver to cool turned out great! I have greens all the way to purples. But the last one that I wanted round and it seems I couldn't get ot to cool fast enough to bring out the colors. It seems to have turned to a soft muted green/blue. Which may still be okay. I'll have to see what the kiln yields tomorrow