PSA: The difference in my pieces after switching to a new annealing schedule
I was having a lot of issues with stress cracks in my thicker sculptural work, maybe one out of every three pieces. About six months ago, I started using a slower ramp down schedule I found online, adding an extra 50 degrees to the hold and doubling the cool down time. The change was huge. I haven't had a single piece crack in the kiln since I made the switch. Has anyone else tweaked their annealing cycle and seen a big improvement?
Honestly, my friend had the same exact problem with her big paperweight things. She was so frustrated, ready to quit. She found some schedule that added a whole extra hour to the cool down step, like super slow. Tbh, she thought it was overkill, but she tried it. Now her stuff comes out perfect every single time.
That's awesome it worked for you, but just a heads up, adding 50 degrees to the hold temp is actually a pretty big jump. Most schedules I've seen only tweak the time, not the temperature itself.