My bad anneal habit was ruining my vases until I fixed it.
I USED to take my vases out of the kiln as soon as they were cool to touch. Big mistake! They would develop hairline cracks within days. Now I wait for the full cycle, even if it takes hours. The difference in strength is HUGE. No more wasted work!
Ever waited for something that seemed done but wasn't? Like pulling bread out because it looks brown, only to find dough inside. Or when your computer says it's finished updating, but it's still doing stuff in the background for ten more minutes. That's probably what's happening with metal that's just cool to the touch. It feels ready, but it's still doing its own thing inside.