How we make our Raku Resist pots
Raku resist is the name we give to a process which gives a most unusual and attractive effect.
Pots are thrown using stoneware clay containing very fine grog. They are then carefully turned at leather hard stage to get as smooth a finish as possible.
The smooth leather-hard pots are brushed with two or three flowing coats of white slip and as soon as these are also leather-hard the pot is returned to the wheel and centred. The flat side of a stainless steel metal kidney is held lightly against the pot as it is revolving and moved over the pot until a very smooth, marble like sheen is obtained.
The satin smooth pots are then allowed to dry slowly and are fired in an electric kiln to a temperature of 1000 degrees celsius.
The fired pots are then thickly coated with two or three layers of a slip consisting of three parts of flint to two parts of ball clay by volume.
The layer of slip is allowed to thoroughly dry before a very thin layer of our base raku glaze is applied.
The slipped and glazed pots are then fired using our usual raku firing technique.
While the pots are in the combustion chamber the eggshell-like coating of slip and glaze cracks, allowing the carbon from the burning sawdust to penetrate to the clay along the lines of the cracks. On immersing in cold water the sudden clange of temperature causes this coating to separate from the pot, leaving grey and black tracery permanently burned into the clay, contrasting with the satiny white of the clay where it has remained protected. After washing carefully in warm soapy water to remove the last traces of slip and glaze the pot is dried and then finished with a beeswax polish.