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Comparing gas to electric kilns is similar to comparing sports cars to sedans. Both will get you where you need to go but the ride is definitely different. Gas kilns are the sports car of kilns. They fire to high temperatures (high powered), cone 10/2350°F and provide the potter the ability to do techniques with glaze that cannot be duplicated in an electric kiln such as reduction. Olympic makes updraft gas kilns (raku and torchbearer kilns) and downdraft gas kilns. Updraft gas kilns introduce the heat at the bottom and exhausts at the top. These kilns do not require a chimney to induce a draft. The downdraft kilns are a more complex system in that their exhaust and intake is at the bottom. These kilns require a chimney or stack to induce enough draft to pull in fresh air for combustion.
Raku is an ancient Japanese technique that has been rediscovered by modern potters who appreciate its unique beauty and metallic luster and colors. 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 take 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.