I did it - and I love it! - Lampwork studio set up questions

I have my studio in my laundry room in the house as well, and it's fine as long as you have adequate ventilation. Mine had a ceiling vent as well, and we took the vent off, attached an air duct to a range hood from Home Depot and attached that to the ceiling (chains) a few feet above my torch. This pumps the air right out. Just crack the window so you have air flow in and you will have really good ventilation. Also, make sure you have some fireproof flooring of some sort. We just bought the backer board from Home Depot and put it down right over the carpet. It's been working very well. You can also put this on your table top, if you don't have a steel table to work on. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and first aid kit around, and if you're using a propane torch, make sure your tank is outside, and that you have a carbon monoxide detector inside your studio. I drilled a hole in my wall (well, okay, I had my carpenter friend do it) to pump the propane inside - make sure the hole is sealed once the hose is in. If you're using a hothead, that's not an issue, and ventilation is not as big a deal as well, but you should have something pumping air out and bringing air back in. Feel free to ask any more questions! Check out Jim Kervin's book "More Than You Ever Needed To Know About Glass Beadmaking" - this covers a lot on studio set up and all you need to know about glass. Good luck and have lots of fun!

thanks Kandice - excellent suggestion about the range hood! And I was thinking about if I could drill a hole and run my propane in from outside - why not, hubby drilled a hole to the outside when he was trying to run the cable from the upstairs to the kitchen and didn't measure properly ;-) But that would mean I have to go out side and turn it on and off... in the rain. hmnn... well - hmnn... what if the propane was in the garage which is right next to the laundry room? a hole throught that wall and it's all indoors, yet propane is not technically in the house? What about the oxygen - is that safe inside or should that be out in the garage or outside too? I'm going to go reserve that book from the library right now.... thanks :)

Pam

Ummm - I know several lampworkers who have their propane in the garage....I guess it depends on your garage. :) I had my hubby build me a frame box to hold both tanks outside when I used oxygen tanks (I now use a concentrator - saves lots of money), but I think it's okay to have oxy in the house, as long as it is held upright and cannot get knocked over. Lots of people do have their oxy tanks inside though. I searched google for lampwork studio and got lots of links to others' set ups with pics...

Also - if you plan to use silver or frit or powders of any kind, make sure you wear a respirator and make sure that your work area is closed off from the rest of the house. That stuff can be toxic. More on this at WetCanvas and ISGB as well.

Woo hoo!!!!

The kiln I have ordered is this one:

Can't offer any info on setting up - for now I'm using a Hot head.

Kathy (who's responding to post in backward order) K

ceiling...tile

Ok, an oxygen concentrator... will have to look into that. Hubby did not like the idea of oxygen tanks in the house either. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know. Will check the link and search wet canvas again. Thanks for answering my questions :)

This is where I got my concentrator - it's about $300 including shipping and will last for a really long time. Extremely easy to use, and you never have to pay again for oxygen.

Check wetcanvas for lots of info on concentrators - also Paulette, the owner of the site above, frequently posts info on wetcanvas and is very good about answering technical questions.

Question - can you only use this kiln for batch annealing? How would you put one bead in at a time - wouldn't it mess up what was going on inside to open the door each time?

Secondary question - how does batch annealing work? What do you do with the beads between the time you finish them and putting them in the kiln?

Thanks! Kar>

But that would mean I have to go out side and turn it on and off... in the rain. hmnn... well - hmnn... what if the propane was in the garage which is right next to the laundry room? a hole throught that wall and it's all indoors, yet propane is not technically in the house

NO!!!!! OUTSIDE! it it is any "enclosed" space and there is a leak - then there is a high danger of explosion. if the tank is outdoors - and it leaks -- the atmosphere will dilute and carry it all away in less than explosive concentration. Yes -- rain or snow - go out and turn them off - may be a bit of a pain - but worth the safety (I use quick disconnect flashback arrestor combinations -- so you can just go out push/pull and you are done. If the weather is bad - I put the ends of the hose in a plastic bag and wrap them up. in the summer I just drape them over a bench hanging downward). Same for oxygen -- people don't think of it - but oxygen is highly dangerous in "concentration" -- put it outside. I once had an ENTIRE tank leak out in one day-- the day after I got a tank. Not from my valves -- but the tank itself went bad, it developed a leak along the weld where the valve was inserted to the tank! If that had leaked in my workroom - the environment would have been oxygen saturated-- and a highly dangerous situation. Since it leaked outdoors

-- it was all gone -- no problem. Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Being the worrier that I am, you REALLY need to have the propane tank outside (meaning not in an enclosed area.) Here is one possible scenario of having it in the garage: Something happens, you don't realize it but the tank vents (releases the gas into the room). You (or someone else) walk in flip the light switch or open the garage door, you get a spark and kaboom!! Now, here is also a scenario that actually happened to me:

I keep my propane outside, but wheel it into the garage while I am working. One day I did this, did the usual start-up procedure, then was called upstairs for a phone call. No problem, I would be right back, or so I thought. I got distracted. When I walked out of my office (about as far away as you can get from the garage and be in the house) I smelled propane. First I thought it was our heater, but then the realization dawned. I yelled for my son to get out of the house and (some might say stupidly) ran down to the garage. I could hardly breathe. I released the garage door opener and opened the door manually to air out the gas. This could have been REALLY bad. Imagine if the tank was stored in the garage and it happened in the middle of the night!

Please be safe.

Mary Ann

PS-- having an OXYGEN TANK OR A PROPANE TANK INSIDE YOUR HOUSE is a VIOLATION OF FIRE CODE in most states - and any any municipality that as adopted the "standard fire code."

It will also invalidate your household fire insurance....

Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

The kiln I have ordered is this one:

It's a lot like my old enamelling kiln that I use for an annealer (with some minor modifications)... please note -- un- protected Kiln elements - and wire mandrels do not mix. ZAP!

Ok - I will admit I am doing the same - just be very, very careful. Best bet is to kill the power before you insert mandrell - then turn power back on.... However- if you are using a power ramp program for the annealing cycle - that will mess it up. These appear to be well recessed - just do what I do - be VERY CAREFUL.... LOL

Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Thank you, you would think the instructor would have gone over this kind of thing with us.... as I sat there the whole weekend with two very large tanks directly in front of my workstation.

That kiln is the one we used in our PMC class.

Tina

Thanks again Kandice :) I'm jealous - I doubt I'll have 30 spare hours a week to do anything until my kid gets into school at least... but the safety issues are important to me regardless - plus not having to lug a big tank around sounds great.

Pam

concentrator

Ok, I hear you - outside it will go :)

Thanks Kathy, that kiln looks like the ones I'm looking at - but bigger :)

I should just get some clay and try firing it with a torch, hu? But the book I have says it's only good for little things... that a kiln is more reliable and firing it right will make the piece stronger. Can't wait to hear about your PMC class!

Pam

yes, these are my questions too - well the first ones anyway. From what I'm reading, I think these front door opening kilns don't loose as much heat when you open the door, and they heat up very quickly as well, so maybe it's not an issue when you add a bead/mandrel. And if you add the fiber flap - well does that really hold enough heat in??? And if so, do you anneal with the kiln door open??? I would love to hear about this from someone who uses a similar kiln for annealing.

the way I understand the batch annealing - you use either a fiber blanket or bucket of vermiculite to cool the beads - then remove them from the mandrels, put them in the kiln (cold) and heat it up to annealing temp, soak them, then ramp down.

Pam

Hi Pam

I can't agree enough with Cheryl and Kandice and MaryAnn - OUTSIDE! I'm a second gen full time lampworker - so I've been around all these issues/equipment for a very very long time (more years than I'd care to admit!)

A great deal of technical info re: the equipment, materials, joys (AND dangers) of the art are covered in Jim Kervin's book & will give you a great deal of explanation. The boards are a fabulous reference too (ISGB and WC) but be ever mindful that 'common practice' is not necessarly safe/acceptable practice - kind of the 'if everyone jumped off a bridge would you?' question. Don't rely on 'common practice'.

Read, research, hire professionals & NEVER cut corners in saftey (not that you would, just an overall injuction/plea for all new lampworkers)! It's so very easy to be lulled into a sense of ease - but these are serious materials and equipment, not to be taken lightly. As Cheryl points out, there are also codes, home insurance etc to be considered. It's not a 'fun' part of the art or setting up a studio but it's oh-so-important.....

IHTH Faith

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.compuppies (Dr. Sooz) :

]Imagine if the garage door opener had sparked........a cop I know says propane ]problems can blow up half a city block.

that was my first thought, too.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)