My Studio: A WIP - Page 3

BlueBetween · #61 2007-03-21, 5:48pm

I'm sure that's why too - I'm glad he was smart enough to think of it - though I don't remember having a problem with my kiln in my last studio and there was nothing special with the wiring there.
And my spelling is always off

Solana · #62 2007-03-21, 5:56pm

It looks like you have the same circuit breaker box I have! My dad ran four 20 amp circuits to my shed. One for the kiln, one for the heater/AC, and the rest for whatever I want!

Don't stress out about your new shed! It'll come together soon! Just enjoy watching your new home be built!

We started on mine in October, and I'm just to the mudding and taping stage of the drywall!!! I'm at the mercy of other peoples' schedules though. Whenever my dad and/or mom is free. I do what I can on my own...which is why my goal is May! LOL!

BlueBetween · #63 2007-03-22, 10:19am

Thanks Karla - I think it's just that they said they would build it in two days... and here it is a month and half later - I thought I'd be melting glass by now! LOL, Impatient IS my middle name.

Today I think I'll (try to) cut a hole in my washtub/hood. And maybe start insulating the walls.

Crazy Woman · #64 2007-03-22, 5:04pm

Looking good! We put most of our outlets up higher like I see some of yours because most of the thingys that use them are placed on cabinets. DH is so smart sometimes

Today I got my jewelry/silversmithing area so I can at least walk into the room

Progress is always slow, but totally worth it.

Thanks for sharing progress as it goes along.... hang in there... you will love it when it is done!!!!

BlueBetween · #65 2007-03-23, 11:39am

thanks Leslie - isn't it good to have a smart DH! I'm looking forward to getting all this "stuff" out of the house and into the studio - it will be nice to have it out.

The door will get fixed this weekend, we will dig the ditch for the electric line if it's not rainy out, and maybe get started insulating and sheetrocking. All depending on life of course

I've been working on my washtub vent hood. Here's a picture of it so far:

If you want to see how I put it together (not that interesting or complicated, really, it's here on my site under today's date, March 23rd: http://www.bluebetween.com/studio.htm)

BlueBetween · #66 2007-03-25, 4:35pm

Inside construction began today. Hubby and I built my workbench - the base of it - which will eventually be covered with my stainless steel top. I insulated part of it (extra thick insulation that will hopefully keep the fan noise out of the studio), and he worked on making the support beams "prettier" for me. I'm loving it already

swanseafarm · #67 2007-03-25, 5:03pm

Pam...you are so clever!

Gotta love your hubby....what a guy!

AvenueBeads · #68 2007-03-25, 5:37pm

Its looking great! Love watching the progress.

~Joe~

Vicki B. · #69 2007-03-26, 7:32am

Really am enjoying your progress. One of these days........

BlueBetween · #70 2007-03-30, 9:04pm

Thanks Bonnie - yes what a guy! He took the day off today from work to help me

Thanks Vicki & Joe!

So, not too much happened all week, but today we made some big progress. I finished insulating and Frank finished the support/cross beam things in the roof and then prepped the ceiling for sheetrocking. Not a very interesting BUT then we got into some good stuff. At the last minute as we were about to cut the holes in the wall for the return-air vents, I got a bright idea. Frank isn't calling it that, but I am. He's more along the lines of "pain in the butt idea", if you get my drift.

Anyway, my idea was this: instead of having the make up air come from the wall behind me while I torch, blowing cool damp air past my head on the way back out of the vent hood, why not have it right under the vent hood itself and duct it under the studio so that it's clean air coming in? Why not? Well, other than the pain-in-the-butt factor, and the more-money factor and the more-work factor... it sounds like a great idea. And so off to Home Debit I went and got all the materials needed. And Frank started cutting holes and putting it together. It's too dark to get a good photo, so I'll share a boring insulated wall one instead. I'm really excited, (when it ever gets done...) it's going to be so GREAT!

BlueBetween · #71 2007-03-31, 5:02pm

Things are coming together! Frank has been working hard all day on this and it's almost done. After I built some of the components (cut duct, pieced things together and taped up), I mostly stood around handing things to the poor guy on his back under the studio. Here is how it's looking on the inside so far - these two ducts are the make up air ducts. The hood/fan will be centered between them. Under the studio, they run about 10 feet and have mesh to keep the rodents out.

anne071974 · #72 2007-03-31, 6:21pm

This is looking brilliant! I've been drooling over every photo you're posting lol

Great idea with the make up air ducts! Glad you mentioned the screening for the little beasties too, wouldn't be fun to be at the torch and see a little face staring at you lmao

BlueBetween · #73 2007-03-31, 7:12pm

That would be wild, hu? LOL. It will also have little louvered vent covers when it's all finished.

Here's a photo looking under. Doesn't it look like a rocket ship? Ready to blast off...

e. mort · #74 2007-03-31, 9:38pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueBetween

Things are coming together! Frank has been working hard all day on this and it's almost done. After I built some of the components (cut duct, pieced things together and taped up), I mostly stood around handing things to the poor guy on his back under the studio. Here is how it's looking on the inside so far - these two ducts are the make up air ducts. The hood/fan will be centered between them. Under the studio, they run about 10 feet and have mesh to keep the rodents out.

I may be wrong, but I would bring those ducts under the table so that the make up air came up on either side of your torch, that way it would carry it away from your face. You could put little grills in your table top to keep stuff from falling into them.

BlueBetween · #75 2007-03-31, 9:44pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by e. mort

I may be wrong, but I would bring those ducts under the table so that the make up air came up on either side of your torch, that way it would carry it away from your face. You could put little grills in your table top to keep stuff from falling into them.

Thanks Eric - I *hope* you are wrong - I've found mention of doing this in some of the old safety threads so I think it will be ok. I decided against putting them through the benchtop because I have a huge super-thick stainless top and I didn't want to cut holes in it.

BlueBetween · #76 2007-04-01, 3:04pm

Attached the brackets to my hood - I added the galvanized bars to give it a little more support since I can only get one hole of the hangers to fit... It should work because it's not too heavy, crossing fingers.

Eric, I've got a call into a friend who is in HVAC, because now you have me nervous. Though I still think it *should* work. In one of the safety threads Dale tells someone not to put it on the side of their bench as it will make their flame blow funny... rather to put it behind the flame and under the hood. And in a thread I started, Mike's been offering some good advice and hasn't said it wouldn't work yet... SO... again, crossing fingers.

Anyway, here's my hood so far:

e. mort · #77 2007-04-03, 1:42pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueBetween

Attached the brackets to my hood - I added the galvanized bars to give it a little more support since I can only get one hole of the hangers to fit... It should work because it's not too heavy, crossing fingers.

Eric, I've got a call into a friend who is in HVAC, because now you have me nervous. Though I still think it *should* work. In one of the safety threads Dale tells someone not to put it on the side of their bench as it will make their flame blow funny... rather to put it behind the flame and under the hood. And in a thread I started, Mike's been offering some good advice and hasn't said it wouldn't work yet... SO... again, crossing fingers.

Anyway, here's my hood so far:

Well Mike has done a lot of research on this stuff, so I will defer to him and Dale on this subject. Your idea to use the washtub for the hood is really creative....and probably a lot more reasonable priced that one made to order. If I could do it again, I would do my hood different.

BlueBetween · #78 2007-04-03, 2:44pm

Well, my HVAC guy seems to think it will work fine too... but I think the true test will be when we turn it all on. Sure hope it works right!

I didn't like my first hood either - I had a dual fan kitchen hood last time and it was LOUD. This time around the fan is going outside my studio and I hope the loudest thing in there will be my oxycon. I'd like to hear my radio without having to blast it. Still crossing fingers this all works the way I want it to...

BlueBetween · #79 2007-04-08, 6:29pm

Sheetrock going up!

Solana · #80 2007-04-08, 6:41pm

Woo hoo! Isn't it exciting to see how much it starts to look like a house once the sheetrock is installed!? Can't wait to see more pictures!

LAG · #81 2007-04-08, 7:12pm

I hate taping and mud work. Sure hope you hired it out! But have to admit when we got an estimate, we figured we could buy a lot of extras by doing all the sheetrock, taping and mud work ourselves....

BlueBetween · #82 2007-04-08, 8:05pm

It really is Karla - I can picture how it's all going to look now!

Kay, I wish we were hiring this part out. We are going to try to do it ourselves - calling it good practice for the master bathroom walls that will be going up soon too.

Solana · #83 2007-04-08, 8:10pm

Do it yourselves!

I did and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Unfortunately, I ran into a little snafu of my corner bead separating from the walls (they were glued down) and cracking the dried mud (it was extremely hot that day and the adhesive alone couldn't hold the bead in place), but it's nothing a few nails and a new coat of spackle can't fix.

BlueBetween · #84 2007-04-08, 8:15pm

thanks for the vote of confidence Karla

Hubby thinks he's going to pick up all the supplies tomorrow and that I'll have the ceiling done before the week is out. I'll be surprised if that happens, but who knows! The ceiling is a real pain with the hip roof and skylights and beams - it's like a crazy quilt up there. But it will be good when it's done.

Solana · #85 2007-04-09, 7:47pm

Can't wait to see your work!

I'm sure you'll do a great job!

Cat · #86 2007-04-09, 10:08pm

Wow - The washtub "vent hood" is a brilliant idea!!

Litsayn · #87 2007-04-10, 7:25am

Your space is going to be so wonderful!!!! Congrats and thanks for sharing your progress!

Crazy Woman · #88 2007-04-10, 8:32am

Looking good!

We did the first 60 sheets

of drywall and then hired out the other 40 plus mudding, taping and texturizing. For us, it was worth the $$'s because we were spending waaaay too much time and wanted to get it done! Whole garage/studio is 25' x 40' and I think we would still be mudding the drywall instead of working in the studio!

BlueBetween · #89 2007-04-10, 8:45am

Oh my, Leslie - that's a LOT of sheetrock! I don't blame you for hiring out at all - I think that was SMART. We've only gone through 8 sheets for the ceiling and one and a half walls so far. And one wall is mostly all doors so that's good.

Thanks Litsayn - I can't wait! After the walls and ceiling (and picking paint colors) I've got floors (I'm going to do them myself - tile) and then we should be just about ready to go (aside from hanging the vent hood and fan - still have to do that.)

Thanks Cat! LOL, I thought it was pretty clever at the time, I sure hope it works!

Karla, thanks - I would think it would be ok, after all the guys who did our last house (big remodel) all seemed stoned while they were doing it... so how hard can it be? At least it's a pretty small space.

BlueBetween · #90 2007-04-11, 12:42pm

I've decided on my colors for the studio (interior walls/floor) - it all revolves around this necklace. Beach sand floors, seafoamy walls... silver bench top, lights, etc... not sure what color to paint the ceiling though, maybe a lighter shade of seafoamy blue.