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sweating in texas

updated tue 9 jun 98

 

David Hendley on mon 8 jun 98

Sweating, as I define it, is a natural and unavoidable phenomenon
that occurs when a container is filled with a liquid that is cooler
than the ambient air temperature. Warm air can 'hold' more
humidity than cool air, so when the warm air is cooled by the
cool surface of a container, some of the humidity in the air
condenses on the surface of the container.

Sweating is NOT 'leaking, just more slowly'.
Here in East Texas, where last week we enjoyed 100 degree
temperatures with 80% humidity, not only were we sweating,
but any container filled with liquid was sweating. Plastic,
ceramic, metal, and glass containers were all wet on the outside.
This when filled with tap water. Add some ice cubes and rivers started
flowing. Even our 30 thousand gallon town water tank was sweating.

I think the correct term for slow leaking, through cracks in a
glaze and porous clay, is 'seeping'.
I bring this up not to split hairs about terminology, but I can
just picture some folks somewhere who are now worried that
their pottery is defective because it sweats when filled with liquid
on a hot day.

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@sosweb.net
http://www.farmpots.com



At 11:11 AM 6/7/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>------------------
>(clip)
>Does anybody else have problems with their cone 6 pots sweating
>excessively? My pots are all glazed inside, some with shiny glazes, some
>with matte. Most of them sweat when filled with water, some more, some
>less. Some vases have sweat so badly that I can't sell them. These pots
>don't have any cracks in the bottom--they're not leaking, just sweating.
>(snip)
>
>
>A few thoughts here to help out...............
>
>
>Sweating is leaking. Just more slowly.
>
>This is a two part problem...... your glaze and your clay are in cahoots
>against you. Disrupt the partnership. and you solve the problem. Better
>yet .... get rid of both of them.
>

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@sosweb.net
http://www.farmpots.com