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help - still cracking!!!!!!!

updated thu 4 jun 98

 

muddpie on tue 2 jun 98

I want to thank all of you who submitted suggestions to me on my
cracking frames, but..........MY FRAMES ARE STILL CRACKING IN
TWO!!!!! (I end up with 2 L shaped pieces)

I have rounded the inside corners, I went to 1/4" thickness and am
drying them on wire racks for more consistant / even
drying........they made it through the bisque fire..........BUT
NOT THE ^6 FIRE!!!!!!

Are my borders too wide?? they are 3" on most of the 5" x 7"
frames.....the ones with borders that were 1" wide did make it
through the glaze fire.......But???????

Do I not have enough sand and grog in my claybody??

any other suggestions????

any and all help has been very much appriciated!!!! You guys are
the best!!!!

JuliE in Michigan were I am very lucky to still have
power......after 110 mph winds......
(the "E" was an accident once by someone I work with, and then it
just kinda stuck........habit now.)

douglas gray on wed 3 jun 98

I have been away from clayart for a few days so I don't know if I am repeating
what has already been said...but, if you have made all those changes and are
still getting cracking in the firing try this...

Sprinkle some sand on your shelves before you place your frames down. The sand
acts like ball-bearings and allows the clay to roll across the surface of the
self as it shrinks. If your frames are getting snagged on the shelf as they
shrink they could be cracking from stress.

You might also want to check your firing cycle to see that you are heating and
cooling at an even rate. You don't want any rapid increases or decreases in
temperature.

Hope this helps,

doug


In message muddpie writes:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I want to thank all of you who submitted suggestions to me on my
> cracking frames, but..........MY FRAMES ARE STILL CRACKING IN
> TWO!!!!! (I end up with 2 L shaped pieces)
>
> I have rounded the inside corners, I went to 1/4" thickness and am
> drying them on wire racks for more consistant / even
> drying........they made it through the bisque fire..........BUT
> NOT THE ^6 FIRE!!!!!!
>
> Are my borders too wide?? they are 3" on most of the 5" x 7"
> frames.....the ones with borders that were 1" wide did make it
> through the glaze fire.......But???????
>
> Do I not have enough sand and grog in my claybody??
>
> any other suggestions????
>
> any and all help has been very much appriciated!!!! You guys are
> the best!!!!
>
> JuliE in Michigan were I am very lucky to still have
> power......after 110 mph winds......
> (the "E" was an accident once by someone I work with, and then it


============================================================================ =)
Douglas E. Gray, Assistant Professor of Art
P.O. Box 100547
Department of Fine Arts and Mass Communication
Francis Marion University
Florence, South Carolina 29501-0547

dgray@fmarion.edu
843/661-1535