ok, here is a photo of my second firing - just finished about an hour ago. Tonight I tried things in three stages.
The beads to the left in the photo I took out first - after about 30-40 minutes in the fire (on the kiln shelf). They didn't look too wet but I wanted to see if they would keep from bubbling yet get pretty colors at this point. I laid them on a tin lid until I got about 3 at a time and then poured them into the tin with the news paper. They turned out plain brown.
The one bead in the middle had fallen off the kiln shelf onto the screen and was directly in the flames the whole time. I took it out all by itslef (it was glowing red) and put it straight into the tin of newspapers. I let it smoke until the smoke slowed down alot. I then poured the water into the tin and let it cool. It came out almost perfectly smooth and shiny. Copper, some greens and blues!! The only problem...there were burn marks on the bead from the wire:( If I had sat it on its base directly onto the wire it would have turned out perfect.
The beads to the right were the last I took out. The wood had died down some, they were on the kiln shelf, and I put some of the beads on the tin lid as I took them out of the fire until I had about three and then I put them into the tin with the newspaper. The last few in the group I put into the same tin quickly one right after the other - let them smoke, poured water in the tin once the smoke slowed down. They came out bubbled but pretty with greens and blues.
They all pretty much look like they came from a diving expedition - ya know - like old metal that's been in salt water for ever. I like them but I hope to get better so that it will look like real raku is supposed to look. Now for the rain chain.
