Clay cracking in my hands, not while it dries

Question

Every guide I find is about cracks appearing as a piece dries. My problem is earlier than that: it cracks while I am still shaping it. I roll a coil and it…

holes_and_water · Accepted Answer

You have. Open a month, folded rather than sealed, next to a radiator: it has lost moisture before you started, so it cracks the moment you ask it to bend. The tell is that it splits at the beginning rather than after a few minutes of handling.

To bring it back: poke several holes into the lump with a pencil, drip a few drops of water into each, wrap it tightly in plastic and seal that in a bag. Leave it overnight so the water spreads evenly, then knead it properly before use.

damp_cloth_over · Answer

Move the table away from the radiator, and in general work somewhere cool and out of draughts and sun. Then change how you take the clay out: only as much as you need, rest wrapped and sealed, and a damp cloth over anything you are not actively touching.

Warm hands in a dry room pull moisture out fast on their own, which is the version where it starts fine and goes crumbly after a few minutes.

slip_for_cracks · Answer

Thin details last, once the main shape is done. Thin edges and points dry first and crack first.

Clay cracking in my hands, not while it dries

5 answers