The Bracker Raku Kiln is a lightweight and portable design for firing ceramic pieces in your own backyard. The kiln we make today was designed by Bill Bracker in the early 1970’s utilizing the technology of ceramic fiber. The kiln is made by lining a cage of wire fence material and a metal garbage can lid with one-half inch thick fiber blanket. The fiber is then rigidized with a mixture of sodium silicate and water. The use of the fiber allows the ceramicist to have the insulating qualities of 2-1/2 inches of soft insulating firebrick, yet it is light enough that anyone is able to pick it up. A complete raku set-up would include the kiln, a burner, a propane tank, a pad of soft fire bricks (or an electric kiln lid or base), a posted shelf for inside the kiln, and tongs, along with the user-provided metal tub for water, a metal bucket or can for the raku tongs (which can be very hot after use) and a metal garbage can (with a lid) with reduction material. Setting up involves laying out the pad, posting the shelf on the pad, setting the pieces to be fired on the shelf, placing the kiln over the shelf and pieces, attaching the burner to the tank, placing the burner in front of the kiln’s burner port, and lighting the burner.

Please note – the number one problem we hear about is people having trouble getting their kiln to temperature. This is almost always because the burner is too close to (or even inside) the kiln. Combustion requires oxygen, so allow plenty of space (6-10″) between the burner tip and the burner opening on the kiln