Raku Killer Whale Vase

13. Carefully re-center it on the wheel and hold it in place using small wads of clay (figure C).

14. Using a trim tool, carefully trim off the excess clay. Smooth the trimmed surface (figure D).

15. Let dry for about 3 to 4 days.

16. Bisque fire: When the pot is completely dry, place in an electric or gas kiln and very slowly raise the temperature of the kiln until it reaches 1860-degrees Fahrenheit, about 12 hours. Let cool for 24 hours.

18. Place the bisque-fired pot on a banding wheel and draw a circle on the bottom of the pot with a pencil. Place a piece of blue painter's tape to that line to indicate where the glaze will stop (figure F).

19. Draw the killer whale images onto the base using the stencil and a pencil (figure G).

20. Paint on the white spots of the whale with white glaze and a small paintbrush.

21. Fill in the killer whale images with liquid wax resist where it should remain black (figure H).

22. Mask off the top and inside of the vase with blue tape and newspaper.

24. Paint white raku glaze on the inside of the vase with a medium size paintbrush.

25. Put the vase in a small gas kiln. Gas kiln should be outdoors and fire it to 1900-degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour.

26. Set a metal trashcan and lid near the kiln and put about four cups of sawdust and one sheet of newspaper in the metal trashcan.

28. Wait about 30 seconds, open the can, throw in a half sheet of newspaper and quickly replace the lid.

30. When cool, remove the raku vase (figure K) and scrub with steel wool to clean off ashes.

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