Traditional raku or Japanese raku is a low-fired glazed pottery by a direct process that involved putting the pots into and removing them from a red-hot kiln. The potter Chojiro is credited with being the first to produce raku ware in 1580. The term raku is translated as “enjoyment” or “ease.” From The Potters Dictionary of Materials and Techniques, by Frank and Janet Hamer. See raku (Western).
Machine that forces plastic clay through a die to produce extruded clay shapes. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Chemical phenomenon where two materials in combination melt at lower temperature than either material by itself.
The science of comfortable and effective utility, determining how well a functional object or device works with the human body. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
MgSO4—water soluble, rarely used as magnesium source in glazes. Most often used as flocculant for slips and glazes. Often added to porcelain and porcelaineous stoneware bodies (1/2 of 1% of dry materials weight) to counteract deflocculating alkalinity released by kaolins or fluxes. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Al2O3×2SiO2×2H2O—pure white kaolin, less plastic than Tile-6 kaolin, frequently used in glazes. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Al2O3×2SiO2—used in place of regular kaolin to adjust raw fit (reduce glaze drying-shrinkage) in glazes and engobes. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
A kiln in which the firing platform is stationary, but the body of the kiln rolls out of the way horizontally on tracks. Often equipped with two firing platforms to be fired alternately. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Primary air drawn into an atmospheric burner, or mechanically injected into a power burner. Source: Clay: A Studio Handbook
Colored slips formulated to have low drying shrinkage, allowing application to bone-dry or bisque-fired surface before glazing.