18 Raku

Olympic Raku & Torchbearer gas kilns bisque, high fire (cone 10), reduce, and raku. Olympic updraft gas kilns are constructed from durable firebrick and are equipped with venturi burner systems to ensure even temperature firings.

Olympic Raku gas kilns are specially designed for raku work by retaining heat in the firing chamber when elevated by the turn of a hand winch, allowing easy access, while trapping the heat in the kiln and away from the operator.

Today potters can create the ancient Japanese technique, raku, and its unique beauty, metallic luster, and colors with an Olympic Raku kiln. The raku process involves reducing (starving the oxygen) the glazed raku pottery in combustible materials such as leaves, sawdust, newspaper, etc. When the pieces are ready to be taken out of the kiln, they are placed in galvanized trash containers with combustible materials and covered. Once the pieces are cooled down, they are removed from the containers, washed, and reveal the rich warm effects of raku.

Models come equipped with a burner system which includes an ignition to light multiple burners at one point, maintain the flame on each burner, and re-ignite any burner that may extinguish. The thermocouple safety shut-off will stop the gas flow if the flame is lost entirely.

Olympic Raku and Torchbearer models come with the frame welded to the firing chamber (Rakus) or with the burners welded onto the kiln stand (Torchbearers), peephole plugs, brick for covering the porthole on top of the kiln lid or chamber during reduction, and instruction manual. One-year Limited Kiln warranty for cone 10 models.

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