Raku Ceramics: All you need is a Barrel, and Fire.

We finally build our raku kiln! We got a barrel off of Facebook marketplace, and a few other goodies from Amazon to put this kiln together. It did take some time, but it's well worth it for being able to fire in our backyard! Let us know what you think in the comments, and subscribe to see more awesome stuff! Raku glaze video coming up soon!
Always be careful when handling torches, high-heat ceramics, and propane gas. If you are unsure about your setup, consult an expert.
Ceramic Fiber Insulation: amzn.to/3JQa4Zm
Pyrometric Cones: amzn.to/3OaVQEP
Rust Stopper: amzn.to/3PUd0HV
Nichrome Heat Resistant Wire: amzn.to/3pP9h3O
Tongs for kiln grabbing (Raku tongs are more expensive, these work just great for what we're doing): amzn.to/43mwJmS
Horse hair: amzn.to/46ObpcI
Propane Torch: amzn.to/3NNaeBH
Thermocouple (we haven't tried this, but it's on our wishlist. If you happen to try it out, let us know what you think of it in the comments!): amzn.to/3NNaeBH
Infrared Thermometer: amzn.to/3qoh3Su
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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:12 - Kiln Build
6:10 - Firing
10:18 - Results

[@danconnolly980]

To avoid breakage due to direct burner contact, use fire 4 brick, laid on edge, under your shelf. Place the first two in a "V" pattern, about 1 1/2" apart in front were they face the burner hole. This allows a portion of the heat to travel strait across, a portion to travel sideways. The other two at 10 and 2 o'clock, parallel to the kiln wall. Then flame on!

[@BrevaCreative]

Thanks for the tip, I will have to try that!!

[@danconnolly980]

@@BrevaCreative Have fun!

[@BrevaCreative]

@@danconnolly980 oh we will! 😁

[@wiremumason8944]

HI, dont know if its mentioned here but you can use your fiber cutoffs to form an insulated 'button' to clamp your firewool securely without costing out for heat resistant wires. Simply bind some into a ball or rod, tie with any wire but wrap the whole lot to form a button them pull against wall to seal off from inner atmosphere and fix in place with another outside tie off system.

[@BrevaCreative]

That's a great idea!

[@scottschaefer6366]

Awesome!

[@brown80204]

I'll have to try and make one. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@BrevaCreative]

Go for it! ❤️

[@neDurres]

I love the final product! You are inspiring me! Maybe I'll try it here!

[@BrevaCreative]

Awesome!!!

[@LaudenElizabeth]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing

[@BrevaCreative]

Thank you! 💚

[@kencoxdesign]

Just made a kiln out of a drum from a retired clothes dryer. This is my second kiln and I used 2" insulation this time, as well as some brush-on rigidizer to keep it from escaping into the air (or me) later. I had to make a bottom out of a piece of 1/16" steel sheet, and I also added some legs out of angle steel and some handles for carrying. My first kiln was a "lift off" style made from 1" insulation and wire fencing that worked well but is now proving too small. I was able to get it up to 2000F with a weed burner / BBQ propane tank. Top loaders seem more convenient for keeping the remaining pieces warm as they're taken out one at a time. With the lift-off kiln it was a mad scramble to get the pieces processed.

[@BrevaCreative]

That's so cool! With this one it is still a scurry to get everything in the burn buckets but the top load does buy more time! I like the idea of legs and handles this one is tough to move.

[@ermanevcil]

ah such a great video !

[@BrevaCreative]

Thank you!!!💚

[@pashaveres4629]

Nice work! Have participated in very many raku firings. We used to use this horsehair method - but with the addition of a ferric chloride spray (DO NOT BREATHE!). Takes a while to figure out, temp-wise, like the hair, but makes very nice effects. If you're sporting, you can make the ferric chloride from many different iron sources (steel wool, cast iron frying pan, etc.) which just adds to the fun. Then you're a short step from making Prussian blue pigment... Anyway. Keep up the good work! Aloha

[@BrevaCreative]

Haha the spray idea is interesting, I've seen sagar firing that turn out beautifully. I'll have to google about the Prussian blue (beautiful color), regrettably I didn't pay much attention in chemistry. 😀

[@pashaveres4629]

@@BrevaCreative Haven't done the sugar before. Am wondering about dissolving it in water and using a spray bottle?? Try different concentrations. And different finenesses of sprays. Maybe a mouthful spurted from your lips? Or flung from your fingers, or from a brush? Makes me wanna try! 😆

[@BrevaCreative]

@@pashaveres4629 haha, yeah, sounds interesting! I will have to try that sometime 😄

[@spacekobra3379]

Looks safe. Sign me up.

[@BrevaCreative]

Lol, it really is quite safe if you take the proper precautions (dousing the surrounding area with water, heat proof gloves, safety glasses, check for propane leaks, keeping the kiln away from overhangs or other flammible objects, regularly checking on it, etc.) Thanks for watching! 💚

[@danielefound]

I love this video. A thousand thanks. How long can cooking take? For how many hours?

[@BrevaCreative]

It takes me 45-90 minutes depending on what temp I'm aiming for and how fast I ramp up. If I'm doing a glaze fire for example I'm aiming for 1850⁰ish it took about 75 minutes last time I fired.

[@danielefound]

@@BrevaCreative Thanks

[@morwennalake5520]

Great video. How much ceramic fibre did you need for this project?

[@BrevaCreative]

The double layer used a little less than 20' of the 24" x 1" roll, linked in the description. So I have a bit over 5' leftover.

[@emmanuelmunoz6997]

"because gravity" I died

[@BrevaCreative]

🤣

[@dezibarr8051]

I anxiously awaited the famous line and 😂😂 also, makes sense haha

[@L34Z]

Do you use a flashback arrestor with your torch?

[@BrevaCreative]

Not sure if there's one on that torch or not, good call. I know they're most important on acetylene torches, and less of a concern on propane, but it'd still be a good idea to grab one 👍

[@kemonoyama2084]

not really raku but great video and pottery. I loved the horse hair effects.

[@BrevaCreative]

Haha thanks, yeah it's using a raku kiln, but not using the reduction process here. We have another true raku video that we tried after this one, check it out! Definitely more to come as well. Thanks for watching! 💚

[@MelDaleArt]

Did you use a ridigizer spray? I just purchased some fire blanket for my raku kiln and i was told by the supplier that its nit needed as its Super wool low bio persistent

[@BrevaCreative]

I did not use a rigidizer, it's held up fine for me with just the buttons but it's possible material from different brands or suppliers would behave differently

[@bunnykins1450]

Well done. A lot of hassle though

[@BrevaCreative]

Yeah, worth it if you're willing to spend the time and you like the look of raku 😄

[@clayideatv352]

Wow very important sharing thanks 🥰 but pls could you tell me what it name the white aroud it. I really want to make it because my country don't have kiln sell 😌

[@BrevaCreative]

The white stuff is ceramic fiber insulation. Check the insulation link in the description for specifics on it even if you don't have amazon, that will help you figure out what type of Insulation I got.

[@clayideatv352]

@@BrevaCreative 🥰🥰 Thanks

[@gazzo12345]

Had these pots been bisque fired first?

[@BrevaCreative]

No , this is essentially straight out of a quick raku bisque that the horse hair is applied.

[@gazzo12345]

@@BrevaCreative Thanks for your response, could you tell me how long the firing took to bisque?

[@BrevaCreative]

@@gazzo12345 it took about an hour but will depend on your torch, insulation, weather, etc. I just kept an eye on the pyrometric cones and waited for them to start deforming. A promoter could also be installed to help gauge doneness

[@kencoxdesign]

​@@BrevaCreative Wow... I'd never tried doing a combined bisque/raku. I don't have an electric kiln, so I'm using my gas raku kiln to do a ~3 hour bisque, then a separate ~1 hour raku firing with commercial glaze. I'm also using locally dug clay and there's been a lot of trial and error with time, temperature, tempering additives (sand, grog, kyanite) getting things not to crack. My early experiments were with a wood-fired kiln made of some patio paving bricks and I did manage one reduction firing where I dumped saw dust down the chimney at the end and then buried the kiln in dirt until it cooled. Got a perfect black finish from the reduction without using any glaze, so now you've got me thinking about how I might do something like that again.

[@BrevaCreative]

@@kencoxdesign that is essentially what i am doing, I didn't show much of the prep and bisque in the video but the glaze was applied to bisqueware. I have found that if the bisque ran a bit low I can still glaze and fire and it works out but there are still two firings

[@burkhardkutschenreuter8134]

Thx, but how you are sure it‘s hot enough? Thx!

[@BrevaCreative]

Good question! For this first firing, we didn't have a temperature gauge, so it was kind of a guess and check method. Not ideal. We also gauged it based on the color the heat was emitting what the temp was. However it's much more accurate to get either a high temp Infrared laser or a Thermocouple setup. We opted for a Infrared laser for our next firing and we're really happy with it. I added a link to the one we got in the description. Happy firing! 💚

[@burkhardkutschenreuter8134]

Thx!!! 👌

[@burkhardkutschenreuter8134]

Just one thing: Where I do find the link to the infrared Laser? Thx again!!! Burkhard

[@BrevaCreative]

@@burkhardkutschenreuter8134 I just added it to the video description below the video. It's the last Amazon link in the list! 🙂

[@burkhardkutschenreuter8134]

Thxxxx! 👍🏻

[@PotentialTechniques]

i would imagine that these would not be useable for putting food in due to it really only being the equivalent of biscuit fired tempeture and your colours only being added after firing so they would not be reslient , only decorative, but it looks nice the end result

[@BrevaCreative]

That's correct, you can't create pottery that holds water or food with raku firing. These are all decorative. Thanks for watching!

[@mikegriffiths2477]

If you were to burnish your pots you might well get a better finish

[@BrevaCreative]

I'm experiment with burnishing now, haven't gotten the pieces to the kiln yet but seems like it's a big improvement. also looking into terra siggelatta, that's suposed to make it nice and smooth as well but seems like a hassle to make 😅

[@maestasify]

Raku is not food safe.

[@BrevaCreative]

Didn't say it was.

[@blackbeard7623]

So why wear a mask if you're not going to use the filter?! Without it, it's basically a funnel directing hazards into your respiratory system.

[@BrevaCreative]

Because I completely forgot to... 🤦‍♀️

[@xerfes]

Thank you for doing the videos! I also forget things sometimes...@@BrevaCreative

[@sheephollow]

But, it's not safe for food....

[@BrevaCreative]

True raku is not food safe but you can make lots of decorative stuff, get to know clay and see if you like it enough to drop a couple grand on a standard kiln 😀

[@maxpolaris99]

horse hair must stink

[@BrevaCreative]

Can't say it's pleasant! 😅

[@dejangaletic7884]

Buy a kiln 😂

[@BrevaCreative]

We actually made our own kiln in a later video 👍

[@RCHyperRacing]

Some people don’t have the luxury of making an open fire to do Raku firing. Buy a kiln.

[@BrevaCreative]

And some people, like us, don't have a 240v outlet that we can plug a kiln into.