Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques: Raku * Saggar * Pit * Barrel (A Lark Ceramics Book) [Hardcover]

James C. Watkins (Author), Paul Andrew Wandless (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Lark Ceramics Book | Publication Date: May 28, 2004

Ceramicists searching for new ways to fire their creations now have a wealth of options. Authors James Watkins and Paul Wandless, along with a group of distinguished artisans, demonstrate in detail how to build low-cost, low-tech, yet high-quality kilns. These clever devices make it possible to produce rich surface effects from alternative reduction firing techniques. In addition to showing the basic procedures for using each kiln, easy-to-follow directions for many fast-fire methods unfold in color photographs: you’ll see how to achieve terra sigillata surfaces with direct chemical application, and how to do traditional crackle-glaze raku and smoke finishes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (May 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579904556
• ISBN-13: 978-1579904555
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Ceramics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars emphasis on firing techniques, not kilns, July 21, 2005

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Book Fan (California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques: Raku * Saggar * Pit * Barrel (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

This is a very worthwhile and contentful book, just not what it seemed from the brief desciption. Hopefully this clarification is helpful to others:

This book's editorial description, along with the title, seem to suggest that its focus is in how to create various homemade ad hoc kilns (for those that don't have ready access to a kiln already). It talks about kiln building, and never uses the word raku.

Basically, however, this is a raku book, with lots of interesting variations. "Barrel" and "pit" kilns (mentioned in the subtitle) turn out to be just more forms of raku, rather than new kinds of homemade kilns. It contains many creative firing ideas with wonderful results, generously shared by a number of contributors. Along the way, of course, they do tell you how to put together firing chambers for these firing techniques. So it does provide some alternative kiln construction guidance with variations, but not the quantity I was expecting. And the firing techniques were an unexpected bonus.

In style, this is a thin "coffee-table book" - lots of great photos, widely set lines of type, artistic white space. But the content is fascinating and invaluable to anyone who wants to do firings that are more interesting than simply closing the door and turning on the heat. Initially, I was disappointed when I saw how the content of the book was padded out with white space, but after I started reading I realized how much great information was in it.

I would like to see much more expanded content (not counting the gallery & appendices, it is 89 pages). However, this does provide plenty of ideas to try for quite some while. I just need to find a different alternnative kiln book for when I'm not doing raku style firings. (The publisher could really help out here, by giving the table of contents, which really does give an accurate idea of the book content).

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, April 12, 2004

By 

R. BOGLE (Huntingtown, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques: Raku * Saggar * Pit * Barrel (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

I just received this book and it is absolutely one of the best Raku books going! It is well laid out with many high quality pictures showing the technique or concept being presented. Covers much more than raku with many other firing techniques. Has a fantastic picture gallery with fine examples of pieces created with the techniques in the book and a glaze recipe section with references back to the pieces the recipes were used on.

A must have for anyone interested in raku or any of the related firing techniques!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alternative Firing Techniques, August 9, 2005

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claydude (Rocklin, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques: Raku * Saggar * Pit * Barrel (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book. As a ceramic sculptor, I appreciate the Raku, Pit, Barrel and Saggar firing methods. It gives one enough of the technical details of the how-to's of each of the firing methods (and how to build a raku kiln, and barrel and pit kilns) to get one started. It also "fires" up one's imagination to expand the contents of the book and to push your work to another level. This book presents beautiful examples of what "Alternative Firing Techniques" can produce.