My big vase just fell apart in the annealer

I spent all morning on this piece, a big vase with a ton of color work. Got it off the pipe, into the annealer, set the program for a 12 hour cycle, and went to bed feeling good. Woke up this morning to find it in three pieces on the kiln shelf. The base just cracked clean off. I think the problem was I rushed the heating up part before I put it in. The garage was cold last night, maybe 50 degrees, and I didn't let the piece warm near the kiln door long enough. Now I'm just staring at the pieces. It's such a gut punch after all that work. Has anyone else had a piece fail in the annealer from a cold shock like that? How long do you guys let things warm up before going in?

4 comments

4 Comments

barbara_jenkins661mo ago

How long do you warm your pieces in winter? I used to just pop things straight in, thinking the annealer program would handle it. Lost a big platter that way, cracked right across the middle just like your vase. @owens.jenny is right about that cold air, it really does suck the life out of things, glass included. Now I let everything sit by the kiln for a good twenty minutes, no matter how late it is. That loss taught me patience is part of the process too.

richard_young801mo ago

Cold shock in the garage is a real killer, isn't it?

owens.jenny1mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally agree with you @richard_young80. That first blast of air when you open the door just sucks the life right out of you. Makes grabbing anything from the car a real chore.

williamw753d ago

Honestly, how long did it take you to figure that out? I did the exact same thing with a bowl last winter. Walked it straight from the cold garage into the kiln like a complete fool. Cracked so loud I thought the shelf broke too. Now I let everything sit near the annealer for a good 30 minutes minimum. That cold air just gets into every little flaw in the glass.