Designing a new studio

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Warren Weiss
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Warren Weiss »

Marty,
Have you been watching the weather in Portland ME? You may need 2 extra open kilns just to keep the room warm.

Warren
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

Warren- It's an anomaly. I'm banking on global warming futures.
But I'll be trading my minivan for a pickup with a plow just in case.
Or maybe one of these toys: http://www.tractorbynet.com/content/wp- ... cpacfp.jpg
carol carson
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by carol carson »

Marty,

Are you moving?
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

Yep- spring or early summer '16.
Anyone want to buy a house with a glass studio downstairs?
carol carson
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by carol carson »

Wow! Barbara retiring? Or are you just looking for more snow? :)
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

More snow.

Retiring is a dirty word, she'll keep busy (ironing, waxing the fl- just kidding!!!!!!!).
Bert Weiss
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Bert Weiss »

Portland Maine is one of the best cities to live near. It has plenty of cultural activities, and few traffic jams. The weather is terrific, except when it isn't. The wealthiest people flock to Maine for summer and fall. This should tell you something. Winter places you a short drive to the mountains for BIG fun. There is no spring. People who have sailed around the planet say that the Maine Coast is one of the great places. The art tradition in Maine is rich and deep.

For 20 years, I wore the badge of being a Maine Artist. Then I fled over the border (a couple of thousand yards from Maine). So now I live free while not yet dead, and get to meet all the presidential candidates in person. I am still hog tied to Maine though. I can't drive from where I live to the other parts of my town without driving through Maine. I can dial 6 towns in Maine from my landline without dialing the area code (there are many numbers in NH, I can only call on my cell phone). Schools, fire and rescue, and sometimes (in emergencies) even police come from Maine, as well as TV and radio.
Bert

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jeanninecc
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by jeanninecc »

As I've been taking classes (with the workbenches mounted on casters) one thing I've found necessary is a step platform. I'm short (5'3") so I really need the extra 4-5 inches of height to be able to work comfortably and safely. A simple one I like best is a 2' x 3' piece of 3/4" plywood mounted on 2' pieces of 4" x 4". They can hang, stack, slide (to some extent). ..just a suggestion, especially if you're going to have classes. I used a platform both at the cutting/work table & doing cold work on the lap grinder.
IMG_0047 Step.jpg
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

You know the amusement park signs "you must be this tall..." ?

I've got several different wood boxes in the shop, not only for the vert-challenged but also for different tasks at the same machine, like if I need to put my weight on a piece at the flat lap or get on top of a piece at the wbs or lathe.
I had designed a clever adjustable height work table but gave it up in favor of the stands.
Bob
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Bob »

Marty,

Congrats on the new studio. We renovated a 750q ft building as a teaching studio and it works very well for up to 7 people.

1) One strong recommendation is to have your kiln room separate from your work/design room. It keeps the heat and off-gas smells away from the students.
2) Have one water feed to all of your cold working tools with a master shut off. People have a habit of leaving the water running and things get messy.
3) If you have a water heater in the studio then install a laundry tub hot/cold taps so that people can have warmish water when working with tools for long periods.
4) Have the sand blaster/compressor outside in a shed... keeps the dust and noise to a minimum
5) Clad your cold working bench with a layer of thick recycled plastic. It keeps the bench and work area relatively clean. It you want to pursue this I will photograph my setup and send images... it is a bit lengthy to explain here.
6) keep the kilns relatively close to the floor. I set my Evenheat kilns on stands on top of cinder blocks and people kept leaning on the sides and the bricks got loosened.
7) use plastic banquet tables in the design area. They are cheap, moveable, can be reconfigured into lots of shapes and are easy to clean.
8) cement floors for easy mopping
9) as much natural light as possible. Use skylights, garage or patio doors.

Love to see the plans

Cheers,

Bob
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

Getting closer to posting plans. The process is daunting- balancing what I NEED with what I can afford, convincing the architect that this is a workshop, not an atelier...
We're about a year out now- site plan review with the town in April, start the driveway right after.

I did find a nice work surface- Sintra, a very cheap expanded polyurethane, comes in 4x8 white sheets and cuts with a matte knife. I've been covering everything with it. Mark up one side then flip it. Recycles too.

Good idea about the master shutoff for water (and air and electricity). There will be warm water to all the machines.
Bert Weiss
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Bert Weiss »

I use indoor/outdoor carpet on my cutting table. I love it. I use a device called a Fluppi to clean the bench. this is the little sweeper used by waiters in tablecloth restaurants to remove crumbs from the table cloth. It does an excellent job with glass chips as well. It costs $5 at CRL.
Bert

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Don Burt
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Don Burt »

Marty wrote:clip
I did find a nice work surface- Sintra, a very cheap expanded polyurethane, comes in 4x8 white sheets and cuts with a matte knife. I've been covering everything with it. Mark up one side then flip it. Recycles too.

clip
I like foam core board. Not for any rational reason. I find excuses to use it. Is Sintra better in some way than Elmer's or other foam core board? Where do you buy Sintra?
Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

Sintra and its ilk is uniform throughout, not laminated like foam core, and much denser. I get mine from Ain Plastics- http://www.tkmna.com/tkmna/about/Locations/index.html
but there are other manufacturers and distributors.

If you have to ship this stuff it's not worth it, use something else.
Kevin Midgley
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Kevin Midgley »

To all who are designing a new studio, I have one further recommendation.
Get those cheap interlocking foam floor tiles !!!!!
Why? I only just installed them and I've dropped small pieces of glass onto the tiles and instead of breaking..... I've had them bounce onto the floor tiles.
I've got a couple of them on top of each other as well as under carpet tiles.
Much easier on the feet and knees as well as that nice glass saving 'bounce'.
I suppose the glass could bounce towards you but who is cutting glass without long pants and shoes on?
rosanna gusler
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by rosanna gusler »

like kevin says.my shop has those around all of my tables. way way way good on feet knees and back. when ever i work out on the pad or at another shop i ake up sore the next day. it really is huge. also they do n ot catch fire if you drop molten glass on them. very chem resistant as well. easy to drag outside and hose off too.
artist, owner of wanchese art studio, marine finisher
Morganica
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Morganica »

If you mean those foam puzzle piece ones like these, from Harbor Freight:
Image
They're fabulous and really nice to work on when you're on a dry floor. In wet areas...I set a couple under my tile saw, they got wet on the concrete floor, and the next time I stepped on one--whoooosh!!!--it took me on a sled ride out the garage door and all the way down my driveway.

Since then I've learned either NOT to use them in my coldworking area unless I can either nail them down with something heavy or make sure they're wedged in wall-to-wall.
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Marty
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by Marty »

I can't find a photo but they're from Home Depot and they're perforated rubber, 3' x 3' interlocking and you have to leave them outside for a couple of weeks to outgas. Great for wet floors.
WaveTreeGlass
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Re: Designing a new studio

Post by WaveTreeGlass »

I agree with previous comments regarding the cushy mats for standing. Getting read to take a class at Bullseye/Bay Area. Love taking classes there but the hard floor gets old by Day 3...

Also recommend ways to store product like frit jars and stringers in such a way that it's easy to put them back. I've tried several ways and am ready to try some new ones over the next few months.

Look forward to coming to be a student too! :wink:
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