Reducing drying cracks

Even thickness, sound joins and similar moisture throughout the piece are fundamental. A thin rim drying beside a thick base creates stress.

Procedure

1. Even thickness, sound joins and similar moisture throughout the piece are fundamental. A thin rim drying beside a thick base creates stress.
2. Cover work and slow the fastest-drying areas. Rotate pieces and manage the support so the base does not stay wet much longer.
3. When a problem repeats, record geometry, mass, drying time, conditions and clay batch. Changing many variables at once hides the cause.

What to record in CeramikaTo

• Work or sample code and date.
• Material, batch, cone, schedule and position.
• Observation separated from hypothesis.

Common mistakes

• Changing several variables at once without a control sample.
• Missing batch, cone or kiln-position information.
• Treating an estimate as a guarantee.