• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

PotteryAndCraft.com

Your guide to the art world

  • Pottery Wheels
  • Clay
  • Kilns
  • Play Doh

7 Reasons Your Pottery is Pinging (Fully Explained)

by Josh Matthews | Last Updated: April 13, 2022

Affiliate Disclaimer: As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. When you buy items that we mention on our site, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. This helps us keep the lights on and provide pottery education for free!

7 Reasons My Pottery is PingingWe’ve all heard the sound pottery makes when it hits the floor, but did you know pottery can “ping” as well?

It’s true! In fact, pinging pottery is more common than you’d think, though it’s not necessarily a good thing.

If you’re looking to learn more about pinging, also called “crazing,” you’ve come to the right place.

Crazing is a term used to describe the physical effects of pinging, which is really a misalignment between the bisque clay piece and the glaze applied over it.

The small spider cracks that network across a glazed piece are called crazing, which occurs because there is tension between the bisque body and the glaze itself.

Pinging pottery is not a good sign, especially if you meant for the pieces to be food safe.

In this article, we’ll point out the common causes of pinging in pottery, as well as what you can do to fix it. In some cases, repair of these tiny cracks is not possible, but there are changes you can make to help your next pottery piece avoid pinging.

Let’s get started. Here are 7 reasons why your pottery

Why is My Pottery Pinging?

There are many reasons for pinging pots, but here are a few common ones.

Contaminated Bisque

Most pottery pings are caused by the unhappy marriage between the bisque-fired clay and the glaze over the top of it.

pottery design

If the bisque beneath the glaze is contaminated with oils or some other type of substance, the glaze is not able to fully adhere to the pores of the bisque. This can create a barrier between the two, which leads to the glaze separating from the bisque beneath.

Improper Amount of Glaze

When you hear a pottery ping, it’s not the sound of the clay body, but rather the glaze instead. Applying too thick of a layer of glaze on the clay body can actually cause moisture to be trapped within the layer between the clay body and the glaze. This is the root cause of those tiny cracks.

Because pinging is a glaze defect, different glazes may react differently. When the glaze shrinks more than the clay body, typically during temperature extremes, tension occurs and must be released. These small cracks are the sign of a much larger problem with your glaze.

Glaze and Clay Body Combination

pottery glazing

Choosing the type of clay you use is important for your project, but so is the glaze. If the glaze and the clay body are not compatible, then you’ll have issues from the very beginning.

One common pottery issue is that potters use the wrong combination of glazes and clay. In theory, a glazed surface should adhere to any clay, but that’s not always the case. Newly developed crazing lines can occur even on glazes that are compatible with the clay beneath.

Moisture Content

If the amount of moisture in your glaze is too high, this could cause the crazing to occur. Moisture can cause pockets to form between the clay body and glaze, which could cause glaze fall issues. Commercial glazes with lots of water should be stirred thoroughly before they’re applied to prevent crazing.

As a general rule, you should also let glazes dry completely before throwing them in the kiln. If pots are not allowed to fully dry with glazes applied to them, then the pores will hold water and cause cracking.

Kiln Opened Too Early

It can be hard to wait for the kiln to cool down, but after firing, let your kiln cool down as it should.

glazed bowls

The first time you open the kiln too early, a mixture of various temperatures can occur, which could cause your pieces to crack. Pots and pieces within the kiln need to fire at a consistent rate in order to allow the glaze to adhere correctly.

Pottery Cooled Too Quickly

Pinging pots are like alarms, signaling that crazing might occur because of the heat that’s quickly escaping. When you fire a pot or a bowl, you need to let the piece heat up slowly. Going too far out of range of the temperature of your piece can cause crazing.

The same can be said for cooling your pot, bowl, or another piece. Glazing requires as much of a gentle increase or decrease in temperature as bisque firing, so keep this in mind as you operate your kiln. A slow cool is best.

Movement During Firing Cycle

cups in table

Ceramics, like a delicate cake, shouldn’t be jostled when they’re in the kiln. Even bumping a table against the kiln can cause a crack to occur. If the glaze is in a liquified state and attempting to adhere to the clay body beneath, any movement can create issues.

Delayed Crazing

Crazing, or pinging, can actually occur for years and years after a piece has been fired. This crazing typically occurs when temperatures change drastically, or the humidity varies greatly.

Even if you don’t hear the pinging after the piece has been removed from the kiln, it might still ping years down the road. Crazing can occur at any time in the piece’s life.

Did you know that some potters actually set out to achieve crazing? These cracks can create a unique pattern that is not easily replicated. In order to achieve this crazing effect, potters will fuse melted glass to the outside of the bisque, then glaze over it with a white or clear glaze.

However, this creates a significantly weaker piece overall, since the crazing is still a response to thermal expansion and/or rapid cooling. Each crack can harbor bacteria, so typically pieces with intentional crazing are not functional ware. They can technically be a functional piece for anything else besides food.

How to Prevent Pottery From Pinging

diagnosing pottery

Diagnosing the cracks in your pottery from the pinging you hear is the first step in understanding why your glaze didn’t adhere correctly. Moving forward, there are a few things you can do to prevent crazing in the future.

Here’s a quick reference list of the actions you can take to prevent pinging/crazing:

  • Check that you followed the glaze recipe instructions
  • Increase one or more of the following elements: lead oxide, silica, clay, talc, zinc, alumina, and/or boric oxide
  • Decrease feldspar
  • Substitute borate frit for high-alkaline frit
  • Substitute lithium feldspar for sodium feldspar
  • Apply a thin(ner) layer of glaze
  • Fire at the proper cone
  • Increase your firing temperature
  • Reduce the soaking period
  • Lightly sponge the rim before glaze firing
  • Ensure the glaze dries out completely before firing
  • Cool your ceramics slowly
  • Check to see if the glaze and the clay type are compatible

In some cases, even if you think you did everything right, a piece may still experience pinging. The important thing is to keep a log of what all you’ve done in order to narrow down the culprit behind the pinging. Doing so might seem tedious, but it’s one of the only ways to truly figure out why your pottery is pinging and addressing that issue head-on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does pinging pottery mean?

If your pottery pings, it means the glaze and the clay beneath it did not adhere properly during the firing cycle. There are many reasons why this might happen, most of which we discussed above.

Why does fired pottery ping?

cracks in pottery

Fired pottery pings because the glaze over the top of the bisque fired clay is shrinking too much compared to the bisque itself. Really, it’s a glaze defect. The tension there is released by the pinging, which can actually lead to microscopic cracks in the glaze.

What causes crackling in pottery?

Crackling in pottery is caused by a few different things. It could be that the moisture content of the glaze is too high, which creates a separation between the glaze and the bisque base underneath. Crackling also occurs when the temperature changes drastically.

Can you buy crackle glaze?

pottery project

Yes, it’s possible to purchase crackle glaze in order to achieve the cracking effect. Glaze crackle is a really cool concept, but you should note that using this type of glaze will make your piece incompatible with food or drink.

Spinning Pots lists a glaze crackle recipe as well as other information on glaze crackles. You can also search Spinning Pots’ website for how to make crackle pottery.

How do you tell if glaze crackle cracks have occurred?

One easy way to detect spider cracks is to leave coffee sitting in the piece overnight. In the morning, when you go to pour the coffee out, any cracks that are there will be highlighted by the dark liquid. To ensure proper food safety, don’t use any pots or bowls that have crazing.

You can also use dyes such as India Ink. Lakeside Pottery details how to remove crazing stains from pottery. There are many pictures of crazing on the Lakeside Pottery website as well.

Is a fired glazed surface vessel food safe if it has crazing?

No, cracks are not food safe. In fact, even the smallest cracks can house a multitude of bacteria, so it’s best not to use or continue using food-safe vessels that have crazing.

Wrap Up

We hope you’ve found this article on the many reasons why pottery pings are useful. Hearing your pottery making noise on its own can be startling, but now you know what to expect if it does happen. You also now know how to prevent pinging in the future, so you’re well on your way to becoming a better potter.

Table of Contents

  • Why is My Pottery Pinging?
    • Improper Amount of Glaze
    • Glaze and Clay Body Combination
    • Moisture Content
    • Kiln Opened Too Early
    • Pottery Cooled Too Quickly
    • Movement During Firing Cycle
  • Delayed Crazing
  • How to Prevent Pottery From Pinging
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • What does pinging pottery mean?
    • Why does fired pottery ping?
    • What causes crackling in pottery?
    • Can you buy crackle glaze?
    • How do you tell if glaze crackle cracks have occurred?
    • Is a fired glazed surface vessel food safe if it has crazing?
  • Wrap Up

You May Also Like

Best Glue for Pottery and Ceramic Repair
Best Glue for Pottery and Ceramic Repair
Best Toaster Ovens For Polymer Clay
Best Toaster Ovens For Polymer Clay
6 Best Paints for Clay Pots
Best Paint for Clay Pots
Best Clay For Handbuilding
Best Clay For Handbuilding
7 Best Pasta Machines for Polymer Clay
Best Pasta Machines for Polymer Clay
5 Best Polymer Clays for Earrings and Jewelry
Best Polymer Clays for Earrings and Jewelry
How to Bake Airdry Clay
How to Bake Air Dry Clay (7 Easy Steps)
How To Paint Air Dry Clay
How To Paint Air Dry Clay (5 Easy Steps)
10 Tips To Keep Air-Dry Clay from Cracking
10 Tips To Keep Air Dry Clay from Cracking
How To Color Air Dry Clay
How To Color Air Dry Clay (4 Different Ways)
How To Store Air Dry Clay After Opening
How To Store Air Dry Clay After Opening (3 Key Tips)
7 Ways to Make Air Dry Clay Dry Faster
7 Ways to Make Air Dry Clay Dry Faster
How to Use Air Dry Clay
How to Use Air Dry Clay – 15 Tips You Must Know
How to Seal Air Dry Clay
How to Seal Air Dry Clay (3 Simple Methods)
How Long Does Air Dry Clay Take to Dry
How Long Does Air Dry Clay Take to Dry? (Fully Explained)
Best Clay to Make an Ashtray
Best Clay to Make an Ashtray (Top 5 Options)
What Does Air Dry Clay Stick To
What Does Air Dry Clay Stick To? (Complete List)
Best Clay for Stop Motion Animation
Best Clay for Stop Motion Animation
Terracotta vs Ceramic Pots
Terracotta vs Ceramic Pots (Differences Fully Explained)
Terracotta vs Clay Pots
Terracotta vs Clay Pots (Differences Fully Explained)
5 Reasons Why Clay Smells Bad
5 Reasons Why Clay Smells Bad (Clay Odor Explained)
11 Reasons Clay Cracks When Drying
11 Reasons Clay Cracks When Drying (And How to Fix It)
7 Things To Do When Clay is Too Wet
7 Things To Do When Clay is Too Wet
Best Wax Resist for Pottery & Ceramics
Best Wax Resist for Pottery & Ceramics
51 Amazing Things to Make Out of Clay (Fun Project Ideas)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

PotteryAndCraft.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and Amazon Logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or it’s affiliates.

PotteryAndCraft.com editors select and review products independently. As a participant in the BLICK Art Materials Affiliate Program, we earn affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases.

Disclaimer

While great care has been taken in compiling the information, it may contain errors or inaccuracies, and/or some of the information may have become outdated. Always double check all food packaging before buying and consuming. The owners of PotteryAndCraft.com cannot be held liable for any loss, injury or damage caused by your reliance on information obtained from this site.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclosure

Copyright © 2022 · PotteryAndCraft.com