AaronRotchadl

Hey all- My partner and I are in the process of converting a 2 car garage(24' x 25') with an extra 7' x 12' room off of it. We plan to collaborate some, but we each need our own zone as we each have our own different practices. I'm wondering what fun/functional/budget friendly hacks and ideas folks have come up with to make the most of a small(ish) space? Or things that you wish you'd done sooner? So far we've ground the concrete smooth and painted it so we can mop it easily, and filled an expansion joint in the concrete with some techy epoxy so we don't dump our work trying to roll a cart over it. We plan to make the extra room a glaze mixing/material storage zone and a homemade spraybooth. We have two skutt 1027 kilns and a small test kiln, slab roller table, extruder, and 2 electric wheels, and we both do a lot of stationary decorating, so we'd like to each have a dedicated "work bench" of sorts where we have easy access to all of our underglazes, washes, brushes, etc. We want to install recessed lighting before blowing insulation in the attic, but are unsure of how to space them. We will still use swing arm lamps at the wheel and at our work benches. Some things we're interested in are: Kiln shelf/furniture storage Budget vent hood for glaze mixing Budget glaze material storage(currently using plastic ikea "recycling" bins that can be stacked but they don't stack well when heavy and there are small gaps at the hinged lid where other materials could contaminate. Compact clay trap ideas? any DIY solution better than the commercial products? We have lots of tools and a welder, so we're trying to custom build much of our equipment to fit our space and needs in the right way. We're open to any and all ideas big or small so please brag about the cool innovations you've incorporated into your studio. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the replies everyone! I feel like I'm always seeking out answers on this forum that have probably been answered many times over.. and I really appreciate you regulars on here who are always giving your time and knowledge to help those of us with less experience. There's a lot of room for tragic error in Equipment Use and Repair and we're all so much better off with y'alls input.

My partner and I have an old Alpine gas kiln model HF-24 that was given to us when we took over a lease. We're wanting to get rid of it within two months and was looking for some input. Like I said it was given to us, so we're not hellbent on making any money off of it. It was allegedly operational til right before it was delivered. It's been under a tarp, but also been rained on a little bit. When it was delivered, one of the two red electric controllers(?) on the right side got knocked and is crushed beyond fixable(I think). The screen that plugs in(temperature reading I think?) reads "oooo" on the top line when plugged in. We haven't gotten the burner fans to work though. Anyways- Based on what I've read about these kilns I don't think I want to sink any time or money into it. I'm wondering a few things: 1- Anyone have any idea what it would take to get it running if it's just the crushed box that's bad? 2- If it was just the crushed box that needs replaced, how far would someone be willing to drive to even just take it away for free? 3- If we scrapped it- what useful parts could we save from it? I'm mostly wondering about the powered burners? the fans spin freely so I imagine they're fine, but how much would I need to spend on everything to make them run(variable speed controller and whatever else) to power a smaller ~12 cubic foot gas kiln with natural gas? 4- Are there any actual "bricks" that are salvageable from this? I know this is far from a complete picture but I appreciate any input! See some photos below and please let me know if you need more information! Thanks!