My old teacher was right about letting a piece cool in the kiln for a full 24 hours

I used to pull my stuff after about 12 hours to save time, thinking it was fine. My instructor, Frank, always said '24 hours minimum, no shortcuts'. I rushed a custom vase order last month and pulled it early. It developed a crack right down the side after two days on a client's shelf. That was a $300 piece and a lot of work down the drain. Has anyone else had a piece fail from cooling it too fast, even if it felt cool to the touch?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_scott1226d ago

Ouch, that crack after two days on the shelf is the worst kind of surprise. Frank's "no shortcuts" rule really hits home now. Was the crack a clean line or more of a spiderweb? I'm wondering if the clay body type makes a difference in how it fails from a fast cool down.

victor_ward18d ago

Honestly, it's like a law of the universe. You see it everywhere, not just clay. Rush the drying on a wood project, the joint fails. Skip the prep on a wall, the paint peels. The failure never happens in the moment, it's always that delayed "gotcha" when you thought you got away with it. The crack is just the universe sending the bill.

jana_ellis9526d ago

Yeah, that "no shortcuts" rule is a tough teacher. I once pulled a mug early and it sounded like popcorn when it cooled.