My most recent saggar bonfire was two weeks ago on the 16th November… we needed to clean up the underbrush from the property for the summer season, and whenever that happens I don’t pass up the opportunity to put some small works into the fire.
I am very happy with the outcomes, and will be making jewellery with the finished beads once I return from Italy. I am also happy with the little experimental teabowls I fired, and will definitely be doing more of those little gems.
The photo gallery below shows images of the process and step by step descriptions of the process. Click on the image for a larger view.
ENJOY!!
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- The ingredients – yes including the champagne!
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- Saggars are old coffee tins with holes punched through the base and lids. Fist a layer of sawdust…
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- Then a bowl with sawdust, mixed with copper, salt and iron oxide..
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- Another layer of sawdust, a sprinkle of beads, more copper, iron oxide and salt…
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- More beads, more copper, iron oxide and salt…
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- Saggars ready for the bonfire…
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- Bonfire is lit… saggars are nestled into the middle
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- Flames are catching on…
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- More flames…
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- The established bonfire…
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- Sparks floating through the air…
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- The smouldering embers when stoking has finished…
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- The next afternoon, and the tins are still too hot to touch…
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- When opened the fuel inside is carbonised and ashy…
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- The results before being cleaned…
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- A detail of the beads that had copper wire wrapped around them…
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- The finished result… cleaned and polished…
What a wonderful way to fire!
Posted by High River Arts | November 26, 2012, 2:50 amThanks, yes it sure is 😉
Posted by Dawn Whitehand | November 26, 2012, 8:09 pmThank you so much for the detail and pictures of your process, especially for a small saggar for jewellry. A Canadian fanHelen Lyons Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2012 15:59:42 +0000 To: helenlyons_48@msn.com
Posted by Helen Lyons | November 26, 2012, 9:33 amHi Helen… it is a great method for small works and great fun!
Posted by Dawn Whitehand | November 26, 2012, 8:09 pmThanks for stopping by my blog. A fascinating account you have just given us. Rlte
Posted by rlte | December 3, 2012, 10:22 amfascinating to see the process – that magical transformation is something I always find so remarkable. thanks for sharing this!
Posted by sydney | December 6, 2012, 4:43 amyes it certainly is an exciting process!
Posted by Dawn Whitehand | December 7, 2012, 9:28 amHave you tired any glass in the cans..?
Posted by rakuglass | November 18, 2018, 12:18 amHi there, no haven’t tried. Not sure if the heat would be high enough to melt the glass, and if it did, the pots 7 glass are exposed directly to the fuel, so the melted glass would pick up the combustibles – would probably be a muddy mess…. 🙂
Posted by Dawn Whitehand | November 18, 2018, 2:12 pm