Paula Coleman on thu 8 aug 96
Does anyone know where I might obtain saggars to be used for containing pots
during a cone 6 glaze firing. I am working with crystalline glazes and have
been told that the use of saggars may help my crystal growth. I am located
in southeastern PA. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
CaroleER@aol.com on sun 24 nov 96
I know I should know the answer to this - but I don't. When you put a saggar
in the kiln, should you have a vent hole in the top?
Carole Rishel
Bastrop, TX
CaroleER@aol.com
Claudia O Driscoll on tue 26 nov 96
I don't...and get good results.
claudia
>>> 11/24/96 08:16am >>>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I know I should know the answer to this - but I don't. When you put a
saggar in the kiln, should you have a vent hole in the top?
Carole Rishel
Bastrop, TX
CaroleER@aol.com
claudia smith on wed 12 feb 97
I am looking for something ready-made to use as a saggar. Has anyone used a
malaysian pickle pot or anything similar. Intend to use charcoalas fuel
around the saggar. Thanks
WHampton@aol.com on fri 14 feb 97
Some people I know use regular terra cotta garden pots. I have heard they
work well but have yet to try it.
Good luck
Wendy from Bainbridge island WA
Janet Kaiser on wed 3 nov 99
------------------
After being away three days, I have 170-odd Clay Art messages to read... So
please excuse me if this repeats what someone has already said...
A saggar is a clay box in which pottery is fired to protect the ware from =
flame
and ash. The box is made of well consolidated refractory clay with up to =
50=25
graded grog. It can be coiled, or slab built round a drum, or formed on the
wheel using soft clay and a rib, or by a combination of thumping and =
throwing.
Industrial saggars may also be jolleyed or slip-cast.
Wall thickness averages 3/4 inch (20 mm). Saggars may be oval, circular, =
oblong
or square but always with rounded corners. The industrial norm is a 17 x 23 =
inch
/ 420 x 575 mm oval but they come in all sizes and thickness of wall. For =
some
purposes they have holes in the sides. With the introduction of cleaner =
fuels
(gas and electric), smaller kilns and =22continuous=22 firing for =
manufacturing,
saggars went out of fashion and became almost impossible to buy (in the UK).
SAGGAR CLAY:
It is a refractory mixture of clay (usually fireclay) and grog (=3D 50=25 or=
more).
The grog from broken, used saggars is recommended, but the dust should be
removed. As well as fireclay, the addition of some vitrifiable clay will set=
up
a liquid phase which will help the growth of mullite crystals. Silliminite =
is a
useful addition. Up to a point saggars will get stronger with firing.
I believe Michael Cardew discussed the problems involved in making saggars =
in
Pioneer Pottery.
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art: Home of The International Potters' Path
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales, UK
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox=40the-coa.org.uk
If you experience difficulties accessing our web site,
please e-mail me=21 Thank you=21
Naomi Rieder on wed 25 feb 04
I'm planning on converting a old electric kiln to a propane fired one for
sawdust firing, as an alternative, or in addition to, pit firing. Is it
possible to do without a saggar? Could I place the sawdust, etc. on a
shelf, above the burner/s, then set another shelf above that, allowing for
air space, and place the pots on that one. And, perhaps, a 3rd shelf, with
pots, above that? And perhaps, sawdust on each shelf, too. I'm trying to
figure out how to have as much room for the pots and to approach a pit
atmosphere, wthout the thermal shock problem.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
Naomi R
L. P. Skeen on wed 25 feb 04
Naomi you don't need the propane burners. The sawdust is the fuel, just put
some newspaper in there to get it going. There are no burners in a pit
firing, just the wood fuel. If you want to use the propane burners,
methinks you'll prolly need some sort of saggar to keep the sawdust near the
pots and make the smoke marks.
L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Naomi Rieder"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 4:38 PM
Subject: saggars
> I'm planning on converting a old electric kiln to a propane fired one for
sawdust firing, as an alternative, or in addition to, pit firing. Is it
possible to do without a saggar?
Hank Murrow on sun 27 may 07
On May 27, 2007, at 1:07 PM, Roxanne Hunnicutt wrote:
> For saggars, what is important? Should the clay be open with grog?
> Or what?
> Obviously the shape would match the object within, but are there
> accepted
> ways to close the things? Like lids? How long will they last?
Dear Roxanne;
Saggars need to be made of fireclay and grog. When they break, do not
discard them, because the saggar parts can be ground up for more
grog. As a saggar is fired, mullite develops in the body, and adding
mullite grog reinforces the body against temperature and shock. Of
course, you can jumpstart the process by adding mullite grog from the
get go, but do not throw away anything that has been fired. Grind it
up to make grog.
Cheers, Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
Roxanne Hunnicutt on sun 27 may 07
>
> Saggar Firing
For saggars, what is important? Should the clay be open with grog? Or what?
Obviously the shape would match the object within, but are there accepted
ways to close the things? Like lids? How long will they last?
Roxanne in OR
Ron Roy on mon 28 may 07
RE refired clay - when there is no KNaO to control the cristobalite it will
build up along with the mullite. If ground up and used for grog it can
seriously affect glaze fit.
It is not hard to find out if there is cristobalite in clay - a dilatometer
will show you - as will cracking casseroles.
RR
>> For saggars, what is important? Should the clay be open with grog?
>> Or what?
>> Obviously the shape would match the object within, but are there
>> accepted
>> ways to close the things? Like lids? How long will they last?
>
>Dear Roxanne;
>
>Saggars need to be made of fireclay and grog. When they break, do not
>discard them, because the saggar parts can be ground up for more
>grog. As a saggar is fired, mullite develops in the body, and adding
>mullite grog reinforces the body against temperature and shock. Of
>course, you can jumpstart the process by adding mullite grog from the
>get go, but do not throw away anything that has been fired. Grind it
>up to make grog.
>
>Cheers, Hank
>www.murrow.biz/hank
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
sacredclay on mon 28 may 07
-Hi, Hank! Your post intrigues me. I'm assuming, if memory serves me
right, that saggar is fired to maturity and when grinding them up,
you mean use a ball mill or something that can crush it? A
pulverizer? It's an excellent suggestion. What about bisqued pieces
that were deemed no good? Can they still be grounded up asn used as
grog? To me, it's another source of recycling.Or must it all be
fireclay only? Kathryn in NC where the South is facing a borderline
drought for lack of rain. > Dear Roxanne;
>
> Saggars need to be made of fireclay and grog. When they break, do
not
> discard them, because the saggar parts can be ground up for more
> grog. As a saggar is fired, mullite develops in the body, and adding
> mullite grog reinforces the body against temperature and shock. Of
> course, you can jumpstart the process by adding mullite grog from
the
> get go, but do not throw away anything that has been fired. Grind it
> up to make grog.
>
> Cheers, Hank
> www.murrow.biz/hank
>
>
Hank Murrow on mon 28 may 07
On May 28, 2007, at 9:55 AM, sacredclay wrote:
> -Hi, Hank! Your post intrigues me. I'm assuming, if memory serves me
> right, that saggar is fired to maturity and when grinding them up,
> you mean use a ball mill or something that can crush it? A
> pulverizer? It's an excellent suggestion.
Yes, the idea is to keep anything that has been through the fire a
few times, because mullite has grown in such pieces. I use a rock
crusher that I use for getting 'wild' rocks down to around 10 mesh.
Then I grind things finer in the Ball Mill, however, 10 mesh works
out great for saggars.
> What about bisqued pieces
> that were deemed no good? Can they still be grounded up asn used as
> grog?
Of course, and with the added benefit that the grog is the same fired
color as the body.
> To me, it's another source of recycling.Or must it all be
> fireclay only? Kathryn in NC where the South is facing a borderline
> drought for lack of rain.
Better than buying new! And some folks add a small amount of feldspar
to the saggar mix to speed the vitrification. Check out Harry Davis'
book, "The Potter's Alternative", for much more on saggars including
handy tips on making them.
Cheers, Hank.
www.murrow.biz/hank
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