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In This Issue
* While the Smoke Clears – Labor Day & Hard Drive Crash
* Copper and Crackle
* Piepenburg Patina - Which Recipe is Correct?
* When in Japan...
* Wet Blanket or just call the Fire Department
* Raku Links
* Workshops - Arizona
* Pottery Business Available - Utah
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* While the Smoke Clears *

Hello All,

I hope you enjoyed the Labor Day Holiday (at least all my
US subscribers).  This definitely marked the end of summer
in my neck of the woods.  The weather almost immediately
turned cool and windy which makes it much nicer to Raku.

One of the reasons this newsletter is a little later than
usual is I had a hard drive crash.  Well not so much a
crash as a slow death.  I started getting "blue screens" in
Windows that mentioned errors accessing memory or disk
addresses.  Not good.  I quickly start migrating files to
CD before I had a complete failure.  In the mean time I
also started searching for the best deal on another laptop,
I figured the hard drive was just the first thing to go
wrong.  I have two young boys which has lead to my old
laptop being dropped a couple of times while running.  Need
I say any more?

Well I did find a new machine at a good price and set about
the two or three-day task of installing software and
restoring backed up files.  Thankfully I'm almost back to
normal now (or at least my PC is)

So here's a reminder for you all.

Back up your files!

I was lucky.  If my hard drive had died quickly instead of
its slow death I would have been in a world of hurt.

As always, I look forward to your feedback, suggestions,
questions, and article ideas at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

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"I must thank you for all the great recipes. I was a bit
stuck for new recipes.  I'll be here for thirty years
trying all these out." - Simon D.  http://www.rakuglazes.com
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* Copper and Crackle

Diane writes:
"How do you get nice metallic and white crackle on the same
piece? We find that the metallic colors are best if the
piece goes into the reduction can as fast as possible but
that the white crackle doesn't crackle unless it sits
outside for a couple of minutes before reduction.
Any ideas? We use fairly common recipes for tin can, copper
sand, Piepenburg patina etc."
 
This is a good question and some tips for this combination
were covered in the following Just Raku issues:
http://www.garyrferguson.com/issues/jr15.htm
http://www.garyrferguson.com/issues/jr16.htm

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"Our class fired again last night, and the instructor
followed your tips and voila. Boy do we have copper. Its
great knowing we can do it, and I really appreciate your
help. Thanks again!"-Shannon P. http://www.rakusecrets.com
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* Piepenburg Patina – Which Recipe is correct?

A reader had found two conflicting recipes for Piepenburg
Patina:  One recipe from the book, Raku by Tim Andrews
http://www.garyrferguson.com/andrews was the following:

Gerstley Borate 4 cups
Bone Ash   2 cups
Nepheline Syenite 3 cups
Copper Carbonate 1 cups

Versus the formula on my website and my Raku Glazes book
http://www.rakuglazes.com of:

Gerstley Borate 4 cups
Bone Ash   3 cups
Nepheline Syenite 2 cups
Copper Carbonate 1 cups

Well I did some checking and even found the recipe in
Robert Piepenburg's book Raku Pottery
http://www.garyrferguson.com/piepenburg and the recipe in
Piepenburg's book matches the second recipe, so it appears
the recipe in Tim Andrew's book has the quantity backward
for the Bone Ash and Nepheline.

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After reading Sue's book I discovered dozens of tips,
techniques, and methods of creating Raku beads and jewelry
that I never would have thought of.  The hundreds of color
photos are not only instructional but inspiring as well. 
There is a new idea to try on almost every page. This book
is a gold mine!" http://www.rakubeadjewelry.com
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* When in Japan...

A reader had the following to share:

This last July my wife and I went to Japan for our
vacation. I wanted to meet in person Mr. Raku Kichizaemon
XV. He was busy getting ready for his up coming show in the
fall, so we toured the Raku museum instead. I was very 
impressed and it was interesting to note that on certain
days (1st Saturday & Sunday in the month) you can actually
touch the pots in their display cases that are national
treasures.

Another museum in Kyoto worth the visit is the Kawai
Kanjiro's home where you will meet his eldest daughter who
is the curator.

I recommend that if anyone is going to visit Japan in the
near future, please take time to visit these wonderful
museums of original Raku pottery. You will get to see the
newest modern creations of Raku ware.

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Discover the secrets to creating Hypnotic Auctions that get
more bids and higher final prices. If you sell on eBay or
want to, then join the fr.ee newsletter at:
http://www.hypnoticauctions.com
~-~-~

* Wet Blanket or just call the fire department

After the smoke reduction techniques discussed in the last
issue http://www.garyrferguson.com/issues/jr41.htm I had a
few more ideas suggested.

Several readers mentioned the use of wet towels or sheets
over the lidded can. I had known the technique of using wet
paper or towels in the lid of the reduction can that would
help seal the lid. But with this technique the lid is put
on the reduction chamber normally and then wet blankets or
sheets are placed over the closed reduction chamber.  The
wet blankets act as a huge smoke filter. You will want to
make sure your blankets are really really wet so they don't
catch on fire.

Another reader suggested:
"Just tell them you're a BBQ or meat smoking fanatic. You
can also just tell them you're a Raku artist and you have
everything under control: lots of water, fire extinguisher,
buckets of sand and you have the fire department on speed
dial on your cell if needed.  My neighbors are a nosy lot,
always trying to peer over my fence to see where the smell
is coming from. One joker threatened to call the fire
marshal on me. I told then to go ahead since he is standing
right next to me pulling a pot from the kiln. I got the
firehouse to come and inspect my works and they got really
interested and wanted to learn the Raku process, so I
invited them over when they had time off to come and play
in the fire with me."

An addition thought would be to invite the "nosy" neighbor
over as well and have them fire a pot to take home.  I'll
bet they won't complain any longer either.
 
~-~-~
"It's all your fault! I was up all night reading "Raku
Secrets". I have been Rakuing for about ten years, and
still so much to learn. Your Raku Secrets gave me a lot of
new insight. Thanks so much". - Elaine S.
http://www.rakusecrets.com
~-~-~

* Click Away *
 
Art-to-Art Palette Magazine
http://www.arttoartpalette.com/PaletteOnline.html

Raku Glazes http://www.rakuglazes.com
Raku Secrets http://www.rakusecrets.com
Raku Beads http://www.rakubeadjewelry.com
Got Raku? http://www.cafepress.com/gotraku
Just Raku Archive http://www.JustRaku.com
Just Raku Blog http://justraku.blogspot.com
Just Raku Logowear http://www.cafepress.com/justraku

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Books, Music, Videos and that's just the start. Amazon
sells more than books! Help support this newsletter by
using this link: http://www.garyrferguson.com/amazon
~-~-~

* Workshops and Seminars

SEP 30-OCT 1, 2006 – Northern Arizona
ALTERNATIVES FIRING WORKSHOP AT SEDONA ARTS CENTER
Instructor: Barbara Kobler - Two Days, Full Participation
$105. Limited to 10 people. Techniques Included: Fire 8-12
pots using various tin foil saggars with sulphates,
nitrates, carbonates and combustibles. Ferric chloride
sprayed on hot colored glazes, Layered Raku. Kosai fuming.
Maybe one Naku pot if time permits. See
http://www.sedonaartscenter.com/index.htm
And click on summer 2006 Community Workshops to see the
class description. For technical details contact her at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
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Raku: A Practical Approach by Steven Branfman
The "nuts and bolts" how-to book of Raku
Order 30% off at: http://www.garyrferguson.com/branfman
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* Home/Business for sale

Move in and start Rakuing the Same Day!
We are getting out of the business and want to sell our
home, studio, and equipment to another potter. This
includes: a 6,200 sq. home with 2 bedrooms, dream master
bedroom, and three bath. Also there is a 1,200 sq. ft.
covered firing area, kiln room and two studios on 2 acres
of land. Equipment includes: a potter's wheel, a Peter
Pugger, large digital Paragon kiln, and 5 Raku kilns. There
is a great local art market including 35 galleries within a
50-mile radius and several local art fairs. Our home has a
75-mile view of Zion National Park. Property taxes are only
$1,200 a year. Asking price $625,000. Contact Janet
Prentice at Zion Canyon Raku. Toll free number is
866-301-8649 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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If you are interested in making a little extra money for
taking on-line surveys, click on the link below. Go to
http://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=1424287 and click on 'Join'.

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JUST RAKU (C) Copyright 2002-2006 Gary R. Ferguson