eoteceramics Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I am fortunate to be getting a brand new studio, lucky me! its 32ft x 16ft and will be an empty shell. Im looking for peoples recomendations for setting up an ideal studio setup, ie where to put things, dry /wet area. Ill be holding workshops in it during the summer as well as making my own work. Im looking also for the best way to incorporate a drying area. Thanks so much Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I used the architectural program I used to build my house. I already had work tables, slab roller and kilns I had to place in the plans. Your drying area will depend on the humidity levels where you live. My old studio was in a basement that was so humid I had to carry the work outside so it would completely dry. In my current studio I have some plastic utility room cabinets, they are vented and have adjustable shelves. I did have to get old refrigerator racks to put on each shelf to put the pots on. Are you using electric or gas firing? I located where my kiln room went first and then the sink area. This is going to be quite the adventure for you and fun. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhPotter Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 You may have already thought of this. If you do not have access to an architectural program, you can measure each of your pieces of equipment. Get a piece of 1/4" = 1' graph paper and draw the outline of your building. Draw and cutout your equipment models. Now try and place them within the boundaries of your drawn out building. Remember to leave enough space between pieces of equipment for movement, at least 30". Very helpful to be able to move things around before you "go live" in the studio. Good Luck with new studio! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 A few thoughts about your spaces: Kiln room, ventilated; glazing area, separated, table heights so that glazes on dollies may be stored underneath along with large bulk containers, storage for smaller oxide etc containers above waist height; drying area shelving on outside of kiln wall works, or near windows so that you can get ventilation if needed; Wet area, a plastic sheet enclosed shelving unit works well-easy to make with slotted two by 8's where ware boards can slide right into rack, can be attached to floor and ceiling, or to walls; Handbuilding area: Tables with varied heights for different sizes, adjustable stools, Tool rack storage for ease of inventory, boxes/drawers for stamps etc, Oiled wood tops easy to clean, less dust than canvas/cloth, storage rack for ware boards; Wheel area: storage rack for bats, tool bucket/tool storage area, close proximity to wet racks, Just some thoughts, best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eoteceramics Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Wow thanks dh Potter, Denice & Pres, some brilliant suggestions that I simply wouldn't have thought of. Denice, I have an electric front loader and its always damp here in the west coast of Ireland, so much so my kiln is starting to rust in my current studio. Oiled tops, brilliant Ive always used canvas but yes so dusty! Thanks so much this has really helped, as always Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 No such thing as too many shelves, or too many outlets. I’ve seen lots of studios with inefficient shelving, like utility shelving with 12 or 18 inches of height between shelves. Very few things in a pottery studio are that tall. Shelves in a pottery studio should be 6 or 8 inches apart, along with a limited number of shelves for taller things. You can really maximize your drying space with this in mind. I also love that my drying shelves are on wheels. I can move this unit around to wherever is the most convenient place as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Potter Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I have become a huge fan of the Members Mark Steel racks we have at our local Sams club. They can be set up with or without wheels, adjustable shelf heights, Sturdy enough to stand on, we use them for drying racks with plastic wraps and for everything else. Wheels are lockable so you can move them if needed but they stay put pretty well when locked. You can even split them so that they are either about 7 feet tall or 2 racks about 3 1/2 feet each. And I believe they are stainless so should not rust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhPotter Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 My ware racks and work tables are home made. They have wheels that lock. The shelf supports are 6 inches apart. The shelf is a 3/4 inch plywood cut to 12 inches wide. The rack is 4 feet wide x 2 feet deep x 7 feet tall. I used leftover house wrap to cover the rack to slow the drying. The wrap closes on the side using self sticking magnets that come in a roll. The tables are covered with a 1/2 inch plywood then cement board. Extremely durable and holds no dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 what a wonderful future you will have working out exactly what you want and then actually using it! congratulations, and happy thoughts to you. there was a post a few years ago that asked what your studio was like. many people responded with photos. you might be able to find that info if you search. looking at youtube videos just to see what the potter's studio is like is very helpful. a recent post showing one of our late potters, tom roberts, included a large view of his space with many horizontal surfaces available for work. i have 2 studios, one very large and a small one here in florida where i spend the winter. i am actually allergic to cold and react the same way other people do to more "normal" allergens. and oil is very expensive and i come down here so i do not have to heat the big house. anyway, each studio has some unusual features that you might find worth copying in your space. if you click on my avatar and go to my profile page, look at albums for photos of the ideas i use. i am retired so i cannot afford to buy the fancy pottery supply items that many people have. everything is used, from a thrift shop or made by me. just think of what you will be doing at each step and lay out the floor plan so you walk in a single direction from clay arrival to finished work leaving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Most of the outlets in my studio are installed at the normal household height, which is near the floor. I have one outlet that was installed more recently, and I asked the electrician to install it at table height. If I was starting from scratch, I would have all of the outlets installed at this height. Or I would first decide where my work tables will be located, and have outlets installed right above them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Any electric outlets in a studio should be GFCI, or controlled by a GFCI breaker. Best to be safe than possibly . . . fried or frizzed! best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 23, 2018 Report Share Posted February 23, 2018 I think an important thing to do would be to think about your work flow, and how any given piece moves through your studio before it's finished. Think about a work triangle, similar to the way you would want an efficient kitchen set up. I agree about putting as many things as you can on wheels, with the addendum that I would have a look at how smooth the floor surface is, and make sure the wheels or castors you get roll smoothly enough that ware carts won't rattle too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 23, 2018 Report Share Posted February 23, 2018 A working potter thinks about work flow-clay coming into studio pots leaving on the other side. do a search on Amin page`as we have covered this more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted February 23, 2018 Report Share Posted February 23, 2018 I had my GFCI outlets installed above work tables, I probably should have more put in so don't skimp on them. The electrician argued with me that I didn't need as many as I wanted. What kind of settling system for your clay are you working with. It sounds like you don't need much of a drying cabinet with your high humidity, some metal shelves with a sheet of plastic hung over it or nothing at all. Maybe someone from a real humid area can suggest something. I built a small room for my kilns and I made sure it had a window in it, I have a vent fan in the ceiling that pulls the hot air outside and my kilns are set up with Skutt vent system. My husband covered the two walls closest to the kilns with concrete board that you use as under tile. I can work in the studio while the kiln if firing and not smell any fumes, towards the end of the firing it gets really warm in there so I like to open the door and set up a fan to blow some of the hot air out the window. I am looking for a good window fan that sets in the window. Make sure you have a lot of lighting, I had outlets put in my ceiling so I could hang work shop type florescent lights and plug them in. My studio is 13'x24', I have seven outlets in the ceiling and ten double bulb florescent lights that are 4 feet long. One in the kiln room, one over the sink area and the others laid out in a grid pattern on the ceiling. My ceiling is 12 feet high so I have the fixtures that hang down about 12 inches. Some people don't like florescent light but there is a choice of colors the light bulbs come in now, I used the soft white bulbs. My husbands workshop that is about the same size as your new studio has twenty of the same lights, he doesn't care what color the lights are he is working on cars. I hope this sends you in the right direction. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 23, 2018 Report Share Posted February 23, 2018 In reference to the kiln location, I built a studio that was similar in size as a companion to the garage being the kiln/glazing area and when we added a 2nd kiln for bisque so that we could move loads through quicker we added it to the studio in an end spot that was planned when I built the studio. The building was built finished out like a house and as such was really tight. When that kiln was fired the room (with 4 windows and french double doors open still bathed the room in heat. This meant anything drying or being handbuilt had to be moved or covered really well. Got to be kind of a pain. If I had it to do over again I would add a small kiln shed next to the studio with a deck connecting so there would be no stairs. I put a 6' deck that ran the length of the studio so it served as a great drying/hanging out area in the spring/summer. By putting a kiln shed on one end it would have eliminated the issue and given us back that end area. A room works but takes space away and the kiln building can be really rough and unfinished. Had these plans in the works but sold the house, back to a garagio and very jealous of your new studio Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eoteceramics Posted February 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2018 I just logged back in to find all this amazing information, thanks to all of you Ill take my time sifting through all the info. The digger came yesterday to clear the site and apart from unearthing a power cable its all gone smoothly. Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted February 24, 2018 Report Share Posted February 24, 2018 I like to organize by flow process...clay arrival and storage, making area, drying area, glaze area with chemical storage , kiln room with ventilation, For versatility, I like carts, tables, some shelving, equipment like pug mill, mixer on wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 26, 2018 Report Share Posted February 26, 2018 Locking wheels on a lot of those carts Marcia talks about are really helpful once something is moved into place. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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