Storing glazes: indoor only or can you store outdoors(ish) in moderate temperature places (e.g. Bay Area, CA)?

[moonari]

Hello, fellow potters, 

I’ve searched long and wide to find an answer to this question but I can’t seem to verify any actual written information regarding this topic. Basically I have very limited space, a ‘corner studio’ if you will. I have a greenhouse-like shed outdoors that is dry and kept ventilated. It also has shading on the inside ceiling to  limit overheating.

What I’m trying to figure out is if it would be okay to store glaze in a detached shed?  During chilly weather, it stays about 5-8° warmer then exterior temperatures and in warmer days it can go up to ~90° Or even 100° if it’s in the 90s outside. I have mixed small batches of dry glazes purchased at a pottery store (5# bags) but there was no indication of storage temp. I also have a few jars with screw lids of recent ^6 glazes that are fairly new purchase. I figure that most glazes are minerals emulsified with water and such so maybe it should be okay (unless temperatures drop to freezing) but am I wrong to think this way? 

Anyone have experience in this area?  Any tips or advice would be appreciated. 

Thanks!

[LinR]

Are your dry glazes in water tight containers? 

I store my glazes outside but they are about 500 to 2000 gram mixed batches.  I do have to bring them in if it goes below -2C.  Small batches would freeze easier.  That is no problem unless they break their container.  I have had that happen and only found out when they thawed and slowly flowed out of the cracks in the plastic bucket.  Lin

[moonari]

Thanks for replying, LinR!. Right now, I have all my glazes mixed, in water tight containers. I’m still testing different glazes from different sources and so my batches are relatively small. I haven’t moved to a 5gallon bucket (yet) It’s mostly in 1L buckets. It sounds like it shouldn’t be a problem then, as long as I avoid freezing temps (breaking containers due to water expansion.)  

I worry a little about mold or bacteria growing in warmer temps. Not sure if there are tips to manage those situations.

It’s so great to hear from someone’s experience! Thanks!

[PeterH]

8 hours ago, moonari said:

I’ve searched long and wide to find an answer to this question but I can’t seem to verify any actual written information regarding this topic.

You may be interested in (but not concerned about):

Flambé Magic
http://ceramicstoday.glazy.org/articles/flambe_magic.html
John Britt investigates the appearance of mysterious crystals in the glaze slop.

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by PeterH

[Pres]

I really can't heat my garage through the Winter as it just gets too cold for the brick unattached garage, so all of my glazes freeze. In warmer days or when getting set to glaze pottery I make certain everything is thawed then sieve the glazes through the same sieve as when mixing them originally. This brings them back to consistency and ready to glaze. I heat the shop at these times with an electric space heater.

 

best,

Pres

[Callie Beller Diesel]

It sounds like you’re using commercial dry mix, correct?

The only thing to be mindful about storing glazes outdoors in the heat is evaporation. Check your consistency and maybe measure your SG before each glazing session to make sure the consistency is where you want it. This should be done anyways, but life does happen. 

More issues happen with cold. I had an unheated garage studio for a long time. Freezing glazes isn’t the end of the world, but it does make dipping glazes hard pan. You can rescue them, just be prepared for it to take a while, and you’ll absolutely need to re-sieve. As long as the plastic container they’re in is still flexible and there’s room for ice expansion, even those will survive. Continued cold under the freezing mark can make plastics brittle, but I think that’s not going to be an issue for you in San Francisco Bay Area. 

A note about the article that Peter linked: if you have some solubles in your glaze, you might want to be more mindful of the temperature if you aren’t using your glaze for months at a time. You can tell if your glaze has solubles if the water that rises to the top of the bucket is not clear. If the temperature gets to about 15*c (59F) or lower, over the course of a month or so, glazes with either soluble boron and calcium, or lithium can start to form assorted solids. The lithium ones will be flat-ish, and have an octagonal or hexagonal shape. Those can be re-dissolved in hot water and added back into your glaze so you’re not changing any chemistry. Boron/calcium ones will be little round guys. I have yet to find a method of re-dissolving them. If you’ve only got a few of the borocalcium ones, they can be discarded without too much damage, but be sure to use up the full batch before adding any more ingredients to your bucket. If you remove too many, you can affect your glaze’s chemistry. 

[Tfork]

Thank you for this information.  I have been puzzled by the flat octagonal crystals that form in my bucket of Falls Creek Shino Cone 6 glaze, especially if it gets cold.  I will be attempting to dissolve them today! 

[moonari]

This community is amazing. Thank you so much for the tips--it is so great to hear recommendations and to read the article.  Knowing what to keep an eye out for. makes me feel much more comfortable about trying to store a few of my glazes in my shed now--I will also measure the SG of the glazes before doing so to monitor evaporation. I'll try to find out some of the mineral make up as well to These batches of glaze aren't huge but every cent counts! 

After I got my own wheel and kiln I am less in touch with a community studio and miss the sharing of tips, jokes, and the weekly donut,

Thank you, all! 

[Callie Beller Diesel]

@Tforkpeople usually use boiling water, or take some of the glaze water, add the crystals to it and microwave it a bunch. It does take a bit of time from all reports.

@moonariif you check the MSDS sheet for the glaze, it'll give you some vague information, but it should be enough to see if there’s lithium or boron/calcium.