What's the nicest/coolest shop you've ever worked at?

**The Bigles** · 10-11-2005, 02:27 AM

So it seems that any shop I go to I find things that I really like and things that I don't. I'm curious as to who's got the nicest shop you've ever seen.

There are so many factors to think of.

Ventilation
lighting
bench layout/size
temperature control
cleanliness
electrical shit
lounge area amenities
available equipment, tools, supplies, knowledge, etc.
rent/gas prices
location
number or stations
number of workers
number of bitch-asses
noise level
pleasant atmosphere
anything else that makes a shop a great place to be or a shitty place to be

What got me thinking about all of this was cleaning my shop today. I've only been in this new shop of mine since the beginning of the summer. I was at the last one for four years. During those four years that shop went through a number of overhauls and I had a few shops before that too. Each time my shop got better than it was before but it's still a piece of shit. Actually most of the shops I've ever been to have been fairly shitty.

Now the "perfect" shop would take a lot of money. Money that most of us will probably never get. But we all should have something to shoot for. There's gotta be an attainable "final setup" of your shop. Where you've got everything that you need and you've got everything how you want it.

So who's got the closest to "perfect" shop?

ps. If you don't feel you should say whose shop it is at least describe it.

**Brian Newman** · 10-11-2005, 03:01 AM

My rent of $400 Canadian includes hydro. I am happy.

**smutboy420** · 10-11-2005, 06:45 AM

includes hydro

AWESOME! oh your talking about hydro electric. not the other suff right? I kind of like my shop the best because its set up ALMOST how I want it to be set up. Its huge. lots of benches, GOOD HEATING SYSTEM. rent is $2,400 per year. electric included.
We also got a cools hang out place cause its on our best friends dads land and our friends live in a house right besides the shop So we see our friends and there kids every day. Plus Jody is a jamming cook and is always cooking good food.(thats worth the rent in its self)
and behind the shop there is an old house trailer that has been converted in to a large adult honey comb hideout techno/disco fort. with a huge stone fire circle outside.
my shop could use a new paint job. but other then that i like it.
the draw backs are its away from home and is about 40 mins away. That sucks in the winter.
here are some shots of the shop,
http://www.glasspipes.org/Gal12661_S...m_the_shop.asp

**Greymatter Glass** · 10-11-2005, 08:37 AM

From what I hear, Loren Stummp has the "perfect" shop... but Studio Broadway is at the top of my personal list, being the only real studio I've worked in... but it was ok... too many bitch-asses for my tastes tho.

-Doug

**Firekist** · 10-11-2005, 08:46 AM

from what i saw, i liked the ring of fire's setup.. but it's not like i've gotten to work there.. so i'm not too sure about that part. there were also lots of things there that i have no idea about.. like where their tanks are, where their air intake is, and other stuff.. but.. i still like the looks of it/feel of it.

for those that haven't seen it.. a refurbished old warehouse type building with big wood beams wood floor (i think) a long 6-8? person bench with individual fans. separate cold working room, i think the tanks were in a separate room, with all the gas lines routed or hardpiped.. not sure on that one either.
anyway.. this topic's been on my mind as well lately. even though i just moved my shop, i still have nmy eyes on another shop in the future.. "what'll i do different, what'll i keep the same, what do like about my new setup, what do i like about my old setup"

you visit enough damn shops bigles, get a notebook and write down a couple things you like and don't like about each shop you're in.
i don't like the fan noise or current clutter in my shop.. plus it's just too small =) 2 benches won't be enough for long.. but a 4 person is tougher to justify having all the time. =( i wish there was a better place for the kiln.. but .. i honestly have no idea where that could possibly be. i don't like the killn behind people idea, but i don't like the kiln taking up bench space like it does.

anyway.. ring of fire's the closest i've seen to an ideal.

z--seth

**steven p selchow** · 10-11-2005, 09:07 AM

My shop is laid out pretty good, Stereo behind me with bose speakers, tv, dvd,vcr in front of me, kiln on my right, glass rod on my left with 5 caster roller wheels on my chair, I never have to get up. Seth seen my shop and liked the set-up, but its only a one person operation station, thats the drawback for now, eventually I'd like to teach, but I take up all the room myself now.

steve

**jusbag** · 10-11-2005, 09:34 AM

I was just admiring sizeloves set up on glassartists last night.
http://www.glassartists.org/Gal5894_My_Shop.asp

**glasshead** · 10-11-2005, 10:15 AM

Yeah seth from the pics i saw on glassartists.com the Ring of Fire guys setup is sweet. Like you, im not sure as to the specifics of their work area but I do know that their store and apartment is in the same building as the shop. Their living area looks dope with the elevated floor/room (hard to explain) but shit having a store,shop,and living space all in one is as convenient as it gets.

**$$$$$$$** · 10-11-2005, 12:08 PM

hahhah, sizelove's got a little stool for him to stand on, Not quite a big boy are ya steve..

**Racer X** · 10-11-2005, 02:01 PM

Sizelove aint even here cupcake. He got his stool to stand on fo' real though. It's 100% stool and there aint no denying that.

**rumplephorskin** · 10-11-2005, 02:32 PM

As for west coast;I gotta vote for Emmet's shop. for overall usability and comfort it gets a 9. Coming in a close second is Lagarto Glass in West Seattle. Its a mixed media shop where they do furnace work, lampworking, stained glass and also glass casting(very cool)
East coast; I gotta go with Urban Glass in Brooklyn. They've got some really amazing ppl working in there and all different types of glass equipment to play with. Furnace work, casting, slumping and fusing, boro and soft glass lampworking and neon working as well. The drawbacks are that they don't really know how to cater to modern day boro workers who considder having a kiln with doggy doors to be an indespensible item. And it's as expensive as hell to work there. A great place to go just for an afternoon once in a while for some culture; but I wouldnt want to try to make a living there.

**JANKYglass** · 10-11-2005, 06:36 PM

mine

**IrieGuy05** · 10-11-2005, 07:26 PM

Yeah I feel like I got the perfect setup right now. PC and stereo right next to the bench. Large bench with the kiln on one side and the torch in the middle. Fan that moves more air than some multi hundred dollar setups but only cost $35. Its in a large enougth buliding I could add another station, or even 3 more if I cut 2 windows in the other side of the place. I've seen some people run a shop in an small room 2 stations in an upper of a building with a carpet floor and the whole thing just seemed like a fire hazard...(no offense if you guys read this) large industrial spaces are the way to go. I guess a basement or garage would pass if it was spacious enougth and had proper windows for easy venting. I got heat here in the winter that keeps it reasonably warm with the fan on low. Even tho I might be leaving this place soon before it even gets cold enougth to turn it on. Working with lots of other people is interesting, you learn more and have more motivation to get better, in real life competetion. On the other hand I can be somewhat of a loner and feel most comfortable working at home. I like being able to wake up and walk out to the setup, not have to drive 20-30 mins to get there esp. in snow. I don't think I will ever live somewhere I can't blow glass there unless its my only choice..

**Jones Art Glass** · 10-12-2005, 12:48 AM

Ring of Fire in Milwaukee, WI or the Queen City Lampworks team up in Manchester, NH are in a two way tie for nicest studios I've ever worked in....These guys have everything you'd need to make it happen...Great work fellas

**sevin dummerville** · 10-12-2005, 07:46 AM

Thanks Rashan and Seth, we love our shop too, you want it? We are moving out by the end of the year, can't negotiate with our landlord (cock-sucker). Never put a great deal of work in a place you don't own, or at least have it written out very explicitly in your lease protecting you or some kind of ownership (land contract). We'll have lots of equipment and tools for sale soon. Holla!

**Firekist** · 10-12-2005, 08:17 AM

damn devin =/ that's a helluva position to be put in. it's quite a bit more than i'd wanna be resposible for, and i've moved to minnesota as it is.
let us all know in advance what'll be for sale so we can start saving up if need be =)

hope all goes well---z---seth

**skip** · 10-13-2005, 12:22 AM

Devin So sorry to hear about that... Why can't you guys relocate and keep on keeping on?

I understand a lot of the work you guys put into that specific location may not be transferable to a new location ( structural, electrical, plumbing). But damn that just sucks.

Good luck.

**IrieGuy05** · 10-13-2005, 03:34 AM

"I understand a lot of the work you guys put into that specific location may not be transferable to a new location ( structural, electrical, plumbing)."

Bullshit if the landlord was fucking me around I would take every single thing I added to that place with me... seriously fuck the bullshit..

**skip** · 10-13-2005, 03:47 AM

Well what I meant was a lot of stuff can't be broken down and set back up very efficiantly. Like wiring for example. Or hard plumbed O2 and propane line. Shit that has been cut and installed custom measuremnts.

Also All my commercial property lease agreements have had a clause, what you put up stays up. Like window bars or lighting fixture, electrical panels, walls and partitions, and shit like that.

ANyways still sucks to loose a space no doubt.

**rumplephorskin** · 10-13-2005, 04:55 AM

A lot of times it is against the law to take fixtures and upgrades with you when you leave a leased property. it definitely pays to get everything in writing when opening a new space. I foolishly bought the inner workings of a studio one time. Came to find out that the guy I bought the stuff from owed the landlord 10 grand in back rent and that the landlord was either wanting me to pay the debt or to abandon the stuff I had just paid for. Fortunately; I had a receipt for the fixtures I had bought and was under no contractural obligation to them so out of spite I took everything. Even stuff that I knew I would never use. I was nice enough to leave light switches and wall sockets behind but thats about it. Devin; you guys should talk to a lawyer and find out if you can legally sell all your fixtures to a private party for $1 just to make it a legal sale and the buy the stuf back off of them at a later date