stoneware cracking/breaking at degrees below zero?

[rebs]

hello!

i don’t know if this is posted under the right topic..  

i am attending a christmas marked to sell my makings, and just recently discovered that it is outside. this isn’t until december, and  the temperature may well be below zero (degrees celsius) at that time. now to my question: is it problematic for my ceramic pieces to be kept outside? i have understood that big differences in temperature isn’t optimal, and they will be going from (warm) inside temperature to possible minus degrees outside and then back inside.. if there is a little risky i don’t think i will take the chance, so are hoping for a 100% certain answer, hehe.  it has mostly been bisqued to cone 05, and glaze fired to cone 6/7.

in advance, thank you all! 

[neilestrick]

Shouldn't be a problem. The temperature change won't be extreme or fast enough to cause a problem, and freezing is only an issue when water is involved. If the clay body isn't sufficiently vitrified and absorbs moisture and then freezes it can crack, or in the case of a planter, if the wet soil freezes and expands it can crack the pot. You won't be in either of those situations at the market so you'll be fine.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I disagree slightly with Neil. If you have not done thorough shock tests on your glaze to bring out any possible delayed crazing, these conditions can do that for you. I have a friend who was transporting work for a Christmas show and left it in their vehicle overnight. They opened their stock boxes to find that all their wares had crazed when they came back up to room temperature. 

As long as you’ve tested for crazing and your clay and glaze combos are compatible, you should be fine though. 

[Chilly]

Test by putting some samples into the freezer overnight and bring back into warm room.