Mold advice needed
Ok so I got this mold that was too big for my craft kiln so I cut it into smaller pieces. After firing it a few times without issues a corner broke off, just assumed it was a stress crack from when I cut it. But now a much larger crack has shown up from the last firing. I hope to be able to fix up the mold to keep using it, but does anybody have tips on how to avoid these cracks? I have a suspicion it might be that the edges of the mold might be too close to the kiln walls, contemplating maybe cutting the paws into individual sets and just laying them on top of kiln post when firing?
Anyways here are some pics of the mold and how I set it when I fire it! Also since this kiln is time and not temp based I do the recommended 5 mins of firing then 3 mins off and repeat to temper the mold, usually just keep doing that till the glass is melted enough so it doesn’t overheat.