Cracks in the ClayUpdated a day ago

Working with clay is a skill and part of the process is learning through experiencing. Sometimes, your piece may not turn out exactly how you’d planned it and one way that can happen is your piece cracks either when you make it or while it dries.

There are some common causes and methods for helping avoid these:

Your clay piece is to thin, leading to cracks

• If the clay piece is too thin, it will not be strong and can be prone to cracking when it dries.
• We recommend your clay piece be at least 1/2 inch thick in all places.
• If you are making a larger piece, it should be 3/4 inch or greater

Your clay thickness is uneven and cracks when drying

• If your clay piece has uneven thickness throughout, it can crack when it dries
• When making your clay piece, try to keep pieces the same thickness throughout

Your clay piece dried too fast exposed to direct heat

• Do not use direct heat (e.g. an Oven) to dry your pottery piece
• This leads to the clay drying too fast and contracting, leading to cracking
• Always leave your clay piece to dry at room temperature

To fix cracks in an existing piece

• If cracks appear, you can wet the cracked area slightly and apply a small piece of fresh clay and smooth with a sponge