Why does My Pottery Ping
You might ask what the “pinging” sound on pottery is if it has a frequent problem. It’s actually the product of crazing, a flaw in pottery that occurs when newly made pottery is put under tension. However, why does my pottery ping? Why does it still happen even after so much time has passed?
Find out by reading on. We’ll look at the causes of crazing and discuss ways to avoid it.
- What is Pinging?
- Why does My Pottery Ping?
- Can Pinging be done Purposely?
- Ways to Reduce Pottery Pinging Sound
- Winding Up
What is Pinging?
A ping is a loud, high-pitched sound that has melodic undertones. A spoon is quickly tapped against crystal glass, producing a ping. When you ping someone, you communicate with them over a computer or phone, both of which may ping while the message is delivered.
In essence, crazing is a collection of lines and racks that appear over a glass surface and are brought on by strain. This can happen right away or years from now, which is bizarre.
Among its signs are some of the following:
- Unusual “pinging” noises
- weakened ceramics
- It attracts bacteria and germs.
- Nothing can be done with it.
If you do have pottery that becomes crazed, it is better not to use it for food because some of the unglazed portions may contain silica and other pollutants that can seriously damage the pottery.
Why does My Pottery Ping?
A network of lines or cracks in the fired glazed surface is known as glaze crazing or glaze crackle. When glazing is under tension, it occurs. Immediately after removal from the kiln or years later, a crazed pattern can appear. We at Lakeside Pottery are aware of instances when newly formed crazing lines continue to make audible “pinging” noises for many years.
Depending on the clay or glaze batch or a lot, the use of the vessel, its exposure to temperature extremes, etc., certain vessels from the same producer may crack more or less than other vessels.
Because the vessel may be considerably weaker than an increased pot, crazing is typically regarded as a glaze flaw. Additionally, craze lines may contain germs or bacteria. Dinnerware pottery should, therefore, be increased ware.
There are instances where the crazing or crackling look is desired, like in the images on the left (click to enlarge). Glass on the pot was fused and melted to create the look in the top image. Visit Combining Glass with Pottery for more information on firing glass with ceramics.
The effect in the bottom image was created with a Raku setup and a crackle white glaze that quickly cools before entering the reduction/smoke chamber, causing the glaze to crack.
Here are a few of the more typical causes of pinging pots.
Bacterial Bisque
The unsatisfactory union between the bisque-fired clay and the glaze applied on top of it results in the majority of pottery pings.
The glaze cannot fully adhere to the pores of the bisque if the bisque layer underneath it is tainted with oils or another substance. The glaze may then separate from the bisque underneath if this acts as a barrier between the two.
Both the glaze and the type of clay you choose should be carefully considered for your project. If the glaze and the clay body are incompatible, problems will arise right away.
The incorrect use of glazes and clay by potters is one problem with pottery. In theory, any clay should adhere to a glazed surface, but this isn’t always the case. Even glazes that are compatible with the clay below can produce new crazing lines.
Moisture Level
The glaze’s excessive moisture content may be the root of the crazing problem. Moisture can lead to the formation of pockets between the clay body and glaze, which could lead to problems with glaze fall. Before applying commercial glazes with a lot of water, they should be carefully swirled to avoid crazing.
As a general rule, glazes should totally dry before being fired in the kiln. When glazes are placed on pots before they have had time to completely dry, the pores will retain water and lead to cracking.
The kiln was opened too soon
Although it can be challenging, after firing, let your kiln cool down as it should.
The first time you open the kiln too early, a combination of different temperatures may happen and your pieces can shatter as a result. To ensure that the glaze adheres properly, pots and other items in the kiln must fire at a constant rate.
Ceramics Cooled Too Fast
Pinging pots act as alarms, warning that crazing may happen as a result of the heat that is exiting too quickly. You must allow a pot or bowl to heat up gradually before firing it. Crazing can result from exceeding the recommended temperature range for your piece.
For chilling your pot, dish, or another item, the same logic applies. Keep this in mind as you operate your kiln because firing glazes involves the same kind of gradual rise or fall in temperature as firing bisque. The best is slow cooling.
Activity During the Firing Cycle
Ceramics shouldn’t be moved around in the kiln like a fragile cake. A crack may develop even if a table is accidentally pushed up against the kiln. Any movement can cause problems if the glaze is liquified and tries to adhere to the clay body below.
Prolonged Crazing
In reality, pinging or crazing can continue for a very long time after a piece has been fired. This crazing frequently happens when the humidity or temperature varies significantly.
The pinging may continue years after the object has been taken out of the kiln, even if you can’t hear it now. Crazy can happen at any point during the piece’s existence.
You may be surprised to learn that some potters deliberately aim for crazing. These fissures can provide a distinctive pattern that is difficult to imitate. Potters will fuse melted glass to the exterior of the bisque in order to create this crazing look, and then they will glaze over it with a white or clear glaze.
Can Pinging be done Purposely?
You certainly can. Some people genuinely enjoy doing this on purpose for a variety of reasons.
The following are some of the various methods to achieve this effect:
- shattering glass
- Making a pot out of it
- White glazes are used
Rapid cooling is used to cause it to cool down and crack before reduction and smoking.
It makes lovely cracks that can look and be extremely elegant in their own way, which appeals to some individuals. However, the issue with crazing and intentionally causing this won’t improve the situation.
This is because every single pot weakens and starts to fall apart when this occurs.
In light of this, be careful to take the following into account if you do decide to develop it:
- The likelihood of it breaking is higher.
- There is a potential for the fissures to widen.
- The earthenware is much flimsier than most.
- It isn’t used for food or beverages.
By all means, try your hand at doing this with your ceramics. Just be aware that there are numerous drawbacks and a reason this isn’t something you should pursue.
Ways to Reduce Pottery Pinging Sound
Understanding why your glaze failed to properly adhere requires first identifying the cracks in your pottery from the pinging you hear. There are a few actions you can take going forward to avoid crazing.
Here is a list of short activities you can do to stop pinging or crazing:
Verify sure you adhered to the glaze recipe’s directions.
Increase the amount of lead oxide, silica, clay, talc, zinc, alumina, and/or boric oxide, among other ingredients.
- Reduce the feldspar
- Replace high-alkaline frit with borate frit.
- Replace sodium feldspar with lithium feldspar.
- Put a thinner glaze layer over.
- the appropriate cone of fire
- your firing temperature up.
- Shorten the soaking time.
- light-sponge the rim before heating the glaze.
- Make sure the glaze dries fully.
- Slowly cool your pottery.
- Verify the compatibility of the glaze with the type of clay.
Even if you believe you followed all the instructions precisely, pinging may occasionally occur with a piece. The key is to maintain track of everything you did in order to identify who was responsible for the pinging. Even though it may seem tiresome, doing this is one of the only methods to identify the root cause of your pottery’s pinging and take immediate action to fix it.
Conclusion
We hope this blog was helpful as it provides keen information about the pottery ping. We sincerely hope you found this essay on the several benefits of pottery pings useful. Although it can be unexpected, you now know what to expect if your pottery starts to make noise on its own. You’re well on your way to being a better potter with quality pottery making skills because you now know how to avoid pinging in the future.
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