Jody Posted September 15, 2021 Report Share Posted September 15, 2021 Hi, thank you in advanced to anyone that can help with this question. Recently I have set up a studio that I have in my house (pottery wheel and wedging table - not my kiln). I am concerned with the silica dust in my house. in the studio there is a bathroom fan that removes the air in that space every 9 minutes. (150 cubic-feet per minute roughly 1300 cubic feet studio) I keep a window open and get a cross breeze. I also have an IQ air filter which is top of the line for allergy sufferers. There is a separate entrance to the studio as well as a door to the house that I will keep closed . I have in floor heating system. I have put plastic on the vent (not the ceiling fan) that removes the air from the room and circulates through the rest of the house. Is this sufficient enough for air circulation and filtration? - will this be safe for keeping most of the air born particles out of the rest of the house? I also mop and wipe - not sweep and no vacuum .. most everything is in plastic bins with lids. Everything is wipeable. kindly, thank-you for responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted September 15, 2021 Report Share Posted September 15, 2021 Hi Jody! Good questions. How does one measure dust production/generation? This is a question I'll add to the qow pool (one of these days); my best answer at this point is to monitor clean and slick horizontal surfaces for accumulation - several, in key locations. Likely you'll find that most dust is generated by your making/throwing/trimming and wedging activities, given that you're not agitating any dry clay elsewhere - on your clothes, hands, rags, work surfaces, and particularly the floor. Green ware sheds a bit o' dust, so there's that. Dry clay makes dust. If you're glazing in there, that's another potential dust storm. If you keep everything wiped down, and avoid carrying dust on your feet, clothes, hands and hair (!) into the rest o' th' house, you're on it, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 15, 2021 Report Share Posted September 15, 2021 it sounds as though you are doing everything possible, within reason, to keep yourself and house clean of any dust from clay work. will just add one thing, do not use canvas as it attracts clay dust and will hold it until touched or disturbed in any way. plain wood, plywood, anything without varnish is a good surface to work on so the clay does not stick. "within reason" is the important thing to remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jody Posted September 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2021 Thank you for ur response’s. I will be especially vigilant with the drying clay - canvas material isn’t going to be used. I just hope that the bathroom fan removes the dust in the room. I’m unsure if it’s strong enough, I had the studio set up in a different room to begin and started getting pretty bad allergic reaction:( as I said I’ve just started with clay and during my course that I took at the pottery studio I didn’t have any kind of issue.. mind you, I had to wear a a mask while in the shared studio space . - I think I will be also wearing a mask as well… but if it starts to affect me in the rest of the house then i will have a real issue. kindly:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 The thing that was taught to me was that air circulation should be kept to a minimum, because most fans that are readily available to the public and aren’t installed with rapid air changeover in mind (like bathroom fans) still kick up a lot of dust and keep it suspended. I believe there’s some better threads on specific air exchange rates in the equipment section, if you want to have a look in there. From my personal experience of having my studio in the basement, I find that mopping right after high dust creation activities (trimming, glaze day, reclaim day) and maintaining a VERY strict studio shoes policy keeps the dust out of the rest of my house. I work with red clay, so if any of it escapes, it’s pretty obvious. I find more dog hair blown out of the furnace vents, and no clay. I have a pair of shoes that gets put on and taken off at the door, even for a trip across the hall to the bathroom for a bucket of water. No one comes into my studio without a pair of shoes on that gets removed at the door. I have a tiny basement window, and no fan. I also find that if I don’t mop as soon as I ought, I do get a bit of a cough from being in my studio. The coarser particles can cause mild irritation, similar to allergies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jody Posted September 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2021 Thank you, I will also make sure to wear dedicated shoes, and clothing. I appreciate your response’s I have been working in the new room/space and have noticed an improvement:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 18, 2021 Report Share Posted September 18, 2021 jody, remember that there is a variety of clay types available. if one is causing you a problem, changing to something else might be a souluton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.