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Defect · Glaze firing

Glaze crawling from underfired bisque

Also called: dust crawl

Glaze beads up or pulls away from surfaces that were not fully cleaned of bisque dust.

Appears at
Glaze firing
Severity
Cosmetic
How common
Common

Causes

Most likely

  • ·Bisque surface was dusty, greasy, or had fingerprints when glazed

Prevention

  • ·Wipe bisqueware with a damp sponge before glazing
  • ·Handle bisqueware with clean hands or gloves once cleaned

Can it be fixed?

  • ·Refill affected areas with glaze and refire

Materials involved

Glaze materials whose chemistry sits behind this defect — each links to its reference page.

Questions

Why does glaze crawling from underfired bisque happen?
Most often: Bisque surface was dusty, greasy, or had fingerprints when glazed. Other causes: none listed.
Can glaze crawling from underfired bisque be fixed?
Sometimes. Refill affected areas with glaze and refire.
How do I prevent glaze crawling from underfired bisque?
Wipe bisqueware with a damp sponge before glazing. Handle bisqueware with clean hands or gloves once cleaned.

Further reading. The industrial treatment of this defect in the Ceramicware Defects Handbook on Wikibooks (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Sources. Compiled from Claybench's defect reference — the descriptions, causes and remedies that appear consistently across standard ceramics references and studio practice; no single source. It is the same reference the photo diagnosis tool reasons over. Where the Wikibooks Ceramicware Defects Handbook covers a defect it is linked above.

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