studio location dilemma (or: there should be a decidated n00b forum here)

[alacrity024]

so i'm getting all my ducks in a row (minus the kiln :rolleyes) to have a studio ready to light up by the end of next week. my main dilemma now involves ventilation. there is an unused room in my apartment with one window that would work well if i hooked up a good vent hood to push air out that window and put my table right under it. however the window aims straight out at our porch, so the porch would more or less be useless, especially while i was working in the studio......

the other option is to set up in the garage underneath the house. dirt floor, bare walls, cold as fuck.. but i think there's a window there too and it's not pointing at anything important.

i can't help but think that setting up practically outdoors is going to severely hamper the working time i have with the glass. i already know how much of a difference ambient temp can make when working with soft glass... now working with boro i imagine the effect will be much more pronounced..... will a space heater help or do i need to rethink this entirely?

[rumplephorskin]

definitely use the garage. if you use the room in your house then youre going to have to open a window in another part of your house to allow for makeup air as well. Your heating bill will go through the roof.

[alacrity024]

heating bill isn't a concern... most of the apartment is unheated, except for my bedroom. obviously i'm not going to put a workbench in there. the garage looks like a good idea however there is another room in the apartment which is heated by a woodstove. i could locate a bench pretty far away from the woodstove (it's a big room) and right in front of another window that doesn't point at anything important.....................



but if i do it in the garage, it's gonna be COLD. will aiming a space heater at the torch area help keep the glass workable for a couple seconds longer?

[alacrity024]

btw, "rumplephorskin" is pretty much the funniest thing ever

[natehussey]

i would say garage for sure. what kind of flooring is in the apt.? are you thinking of covering it with a non-flammable surface? I am sure i am not the only one that ever had a piece pop off a punty and go rolling across the concrete floor.

[alacrity024]

yeah i've dropped glass on concrete before too.. i suppose you're right. the garage will have to suffice. but like i've said before, i'm concerned about ambient temps...

[Merlin]

The glass will stay hot for plenty of time to work and shape it. Your only concern for the cold should be your own comfort and keeping large pieces warm when working one little spot at a time to prevent cracking (put in kiln often)

[somberbear]

yea with a ventelation system ambieant temps are much of a worry, except chilling gusts which is fairly easy to eleminate.

the only reason to heat is for you comfort level really and i personaly recommend a wood stove with its own supply of air or what i use a radiant IR dish type heater they consume less power then most space heaters and heat you as aposted to the air.

just my 2 cents.

[alacrity024]

okay good. i'm not going to be working on anything huge for some time, and i have pretty thick skin. i might point a small space heater at the torch to keep my fingers warm, but i have a feeling that the torch will do that by itself.

oh shit.

we stacked a cord of wood in front of the window i'd be using :rolleyes

well i'll just have to move it..

[rumplephorskin]

youll be glad if you use the garage anyway. its gonna be warm in like 8 weeks anyway and if youre in the same building as a woodstove there is a strong chance that you could end up causing a reverse flow in the chimney when you turn your fan on. Dont worry about freezing your hands. the torch will keep them warm if youre working hard enough. point the heater at your feet and legs.

[alacrity024]

god i love message boards. thanks guys http://images.nasioc.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

[SteppingRazor]

i work in a garage. when it's been 2-3 degrees outside, it sucks. but keeping a heater on your feet and warming you hands near the kiln will keep you going. I don't notice any diffrence in the working times of the glass when its' colder out.
~joe

[alacrity024]

i'm really thinking about doing it inside.

here's the room:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/alacrity024/glass/room1.jpg


taking the picture, i'm standing in a doorway that leads to one flight of stairs straight down and to the outside through a door at the bottom.. so........


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/alacrity024/glass/room2.jpg

:grin:

but would it work? how much fan would i need? there would be no real ducting to speak of.. just a straight shot to the outside........

edit: and yeah, i'd probably put something on the floor..

[burnoutboy]

I am sure i am not the only one that ever had a piece pop off a punty and go rolling across the concrete floor.


Dude, i wish my first shop had been concreated, it's true you never forget the scent of burnt carpet!!

-Pan

[alacrity024]

i'm stuck on ventilation/exhaust....... here's a sensible-looking fan on Grainger that looks about right:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?xi=xi&ItemId=1611760525&ccitem=


however someone pointed me to this:

http://www.air-n-water.com/product/9600.html

which is twice as powerful, half as expensive, and much easier to install than the unit on Grainger......... i don't know if it can stand up to studio use though.. on its lowest setting it's moving 1300 CFM... anyone have any insight?

[rumplephorskin]

where is your makeup air going to come from????? it needs to come from behind you. You want to be working in a wind tunnel and makeup air coming from the side is no good. That window looks a lil low as well. Send a pic of the garage and maybe well have a vote on it LOL

[alacrity024]

the window is low, but sitting in front of it, it should at least clear the tabletop.. if i close that door to the left, there is a door 10 feet behind the window (where i was standing when i took the picture) that leads directly to a staircase which leads directly outdoors.. it should come straight up, through and out.. i don't think fresh air will be an issue.

i'm really wondering about vent fans though. is 1000 cfm overkill? i want to err on the side of caution, and i'm growing pretty attached to running this indoors..

[rumplephorskin]

1000 cfm isnt much. You can get at least 1350 from a gable fan available at home depot for less than $40 and very easy to mount and wire. How many cubic feet is the room??