Has anyone ever done a Saggar firing (pottery) and how do you generate some bright colors?

Saggar firing is extremely unpredictable, but here are a few additives that can favor bright colors:

Salt You can just throw some rocjk salt in the saggar, or you can get fancier and soak some absorbent materials, like strips of burlap, in a strong brine and let them dry, then wrap these on the pot.

Miracle-Gro Sprinkle it in the saggar, or use sprinkle it on a banana peel and wrap that on the pot.

Copper sulfate (Sold as a swimming pool additive at hardware stores) Again, sprinkle in the saggar or use something to hold it against the pot. Yields reds and (sometimes) greens.

Ferric chloride (Sold as PCB etchant at Radio Shack) spray or brush onto pot before firing (it’s corrosive, so be careful). Favors oranges and pinks.

Steel wool Used sparsely gives some nice reddish browns.

@Harp
Thanks, thought I might get a reply from you:

I know about the causticity of ferric chloride. My instructor will use it, outdoors of course, but I think I am going to avoid putting it on the pots.

My thoughts right now was to wrap some ivy around one and the rest is still undecided.

Does the banana peel do anything to the pot other than hold the miracle-gro?

Thanks

SRM

Seaweed is sometimes wrapped around pots because of its salt content.

@srmorgan Banana peels sometimes yield pinks.

By the way, are you using a white clay body?

@Harp
Yes, white stoneware with white terra sigillata slip, In the bisque firing this past weekend.

I like the banana peel idea,
I have some salt we use with the ice cream maker, large crystals, have to check the mineral content.

Thanks

SRM

Great, the terra sig is a very receptive surface. The ice cream salt will be fine; it’s the sodium that counts.

Send pics!

One more question:

What about Epsom Salts, that is MgSo4. It is a “salt”. Any ideas?

Thanks once and finally again.

SRM

Haven’t used it, but it is commonly used. I would expect an effect similar to NaCl.