[Clayart] durable outdoor planters

[Lis]

Testing a piece in the freezer doesn't show what happens if the same 
piece sits outside absorbing tiny amounts of water over long periods of 
time. It's a good test for crazing, but not for outdoor durability.

I teach my students the Three Rules of Pottery: 1. Test  2. I told you 
to test.  3. I said, TEST, you idiot.

Lis

On 2022-05-12 9:29 a.m., W Seidl wrote:
> Phyllis:
> Aside and apart from all the advice you are being offered, my 
> suggestion is to make a small version of what you choose as a planter. 
> Say, 3 inches by 3 inches.  Glaze and fire as you normally would the 
> larger piece.  Then take it and put it in the freezer for a couple 
> days.  Take it out, let it thaw for a day, do it again.  A few 
> freeze/thaw cycles will tell you everything you need to know, and you 
> can "adjust" from there.
>
> Another thought.  If the inside bottom of your planter is flat (even 
> with drainage/weep holes) you might consider slightly sloping that 
> interior bottom toward the drain, to allow collected water to drain 
> more efficiently.  I've burst jars that had only a quarter inch of 
> water in the bottom when it froze. Surprising, but it happens. Water 
> is powerful.
>
> Like one of us on the list was fond of saying: "...test, test, test...".
>
> Best,
>
> Wayne in Maine
>
> On 5/11/2022 12:31 PM, Phyllis Canupp wrote:
>>   I have made several planters over the course of my pottery passion. 
>> Some
>> of them hold up to the winter (occasional freezing temperatures), and 
>> some
>> don't. I would love to be able to pinpoint what I am doing both right 
>> and
>> wrong because I would like to make some larger sized planters. But of
>> course I want them to be able to withstand the occasional freezing
>> temperatures that we get in Virginia. Does anyone have any 
>> suggestions or
>> tips for making these pots? I do both handbuilding and throwing but I 
>> will
>> probably make these planters from extruded coils. As always, thank 
>> you in
>> advance for your help.
>> Phyllis Canupp
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