The Nature of Cracks

Cracks in clay can develop during the wet work, during trimming, drying, bisque firing, glaze firing and mishandling anyqhere along the way during the process. And of course, the type of clay body you're using can make all the difference. E.g. porcelain can still crack even when you do everything correctly. IT's just a characteristic of porcelain. Where as a stoneware clay body can be more forgiving. The nature of the piece and the type of construction is also a major factor. A lot can be said in each of these categories. However, the category I will focus on for this "Toolbox Topic" pertains to the final firing.