Traditional raku techniques normally use some type of organic material to affect the visual outcome of the work during the firing process.   Materials such as sawdust, dung, dried leaves, etc. are often used to impregnate the clay body and make it change

in color and effect.  

Smokeless raku is a technique, which eliminates the organic materials, as well as smoke, yet provides similar surface finishes as smoking.  This technique is a great asset for practicing raku in confined locations where smoke would be not be tolerated. The key to smokeless raku is the use of “denatured alcohol”.   This replaces the use of any type of organic material. Important to

this approach, however, is how the post firing

system is set up and operated in order to get

the best result with alcohol usage.