I need to set up a home studio and I thought I had read about a book
featuring various artists’ benches. Can anyone tell me how to find
this and/or other resources of studio and bench layout ideas?
thx!
brnda
Hello,
Look on Ganoksin videos ~~ many ideas there, also Tim Mcreight books
have info on studio layout.
Have fun designing
Laura
Hi Brenda,If you wish to see a grand collection of studio and
workbench setups check out the section on Ganoksin called Bench
Exchange. This is where many Ganoksin contributors like myself have
uploaded photos of our workshops and studios.
see;
Peace and good health to all
James Miller FIPG
In late 2006 I put together a survey on the Jewelers bench to which
many Orchidians and others responded. There were a series of
questions asked, and the answers were revealing, and contributed to
my understanding of the jewelers bench and its functions, supporting
my writing of the “The Jeweler’s Bench”, and MJSA/Orchid in Print
book.
When asked “What would you tell someone who had never had a jewelers
bench that is important to know about having and using one?”, the
answers were…
Can anyone tell me how to find this and/or other resources of studio and bench layout ideas?
You could ask people on Orchid how their benches are laid out.
I made some specific choices when I built my shop. One thing I did is
I put things far away so I have to get up and walk around every so
often. My shop is carpeted and I made the floor so there are no
corners (the floor slopes up to the walls at the edges like an ER).
ALL cracks and crevices are sealed with white silicon caulk. I made
a European-type bench with a big piece of leather to catch things and
mine is stiffened in the front with a length of 4mm copper grounding
wire that’s been hardened with a drill & a vise. There’s an eyewash
and chemical shower station and a toilet with a bidet. My mill is
attached to a massive but movable chunk of finished oak that I can
stand on if necessary rather than bolted to the floor. The solder
benches are covered with sheets of backer board (the sheet rock that
goes behind tiled walls) because it withstands heat well. The
“splash board” behind the solder benches are of the same material.
Etc.
Hi Brenda and others
My husband and I planned and built my studio about 5 years ago. At
the time I was delighted with it’s spaciousness. I had counterspace
for all of my tools. But now, oh no. I have gotten a few new items
and seem to have spread my wings way to much. I also need to re-do my
workspace. So ideas on this would be great! Maybe if I would clean up
every day it would help some… I am thinking of a second buffing
machine so I can have 4 different things available to buff with at
all times. Other comments on this? those buffing machines take up
lotsd of counter top space.
Thanks ahead of time,
Jean Menden
I’m in the middle of reorganizing the workshop, so what I’m doing
might be beneficial to you.There are various physical limitations -
where are the electricity sockets, the lights, options for
ventilation, and gas supply (or a safe place to put cylinders). Parts
of the room with none of these will probably cause problems in the
long run, and if you do have to have extension leads or pipes, make
sure they’re not underfoot.The next thing is how much stuff you need
to fit in there - we have all the wallspace filled - CAM, laser,
lathe, benches and cupboards, so it’s mainly been a matter or
rearranging, rather than putting new stuff in (although I’m building
a new bench and hearth). Any equipments should be placed as
rationally as possible - if your soldering area is far from the
bench, will that cause you to constantly stand up and move around?
In a small room, that may seem insignificant, but you might waste
more time than you expect. If possible, have your main work areas
within arms reach, and take advantage of corner spaces if you can -
with a swivelling stool, you can then have everything accessible
without standing.Lastly (or perhaps firstly!) what is comfortable for
you. A bench must be the right height for the task and your body.
Ifyou have a benchpeg and a piercing saw, that wants to be placed
much higher than if you are going to use a pitch bowl and chasing
tools. This might mean different benches, or it might mean
adjustable/different stools. As above, two or three stools might save
time in the longrun, as you don’t want to constantly be changing the
height of the stool.Left-handed and right-handed people need
different layouts (this worked for a while with me and dad, as we
could have the flexshaft and oxy-hydrogen between our benches, but we
eventually decided that it was causing both of us to strain). Do give
this some consideration, as you might find it quicker to access
drawers of tools on one side than the other.I hope this is of some
use to you.
Jamie Hall
http://primitive.ganoksin.com
To start, I would sit down and think about all the equipment and
studio furniture you have or plan to have and draw up a floor plan
to scale. You should draft several options depending upon where you
want windows and doors and ventilation. This will give you a good
starting point but remember, you’ll want to add some sort of space
for future equipment purchases. You’ll never have enough tools.
I put as much of my furniture on wheels–tool chests, work tables,
storage units–as possible. I’ve been rearranging in my studio for
years and wheels make it easy. And lots of vertical storage is
important.
I had my first studio built in 1997 and it seemed spacious at the
time. I didn’t realize buildings can shrink! My personal theory is
that it has something to do with global warming.
My metal torching setup couldn’t coexist with my glass torching
setup and I got tired of swapping out all the stuff. Then there’s all
that tool creep. So last fall I had a second smaller studio built
just for lampworking. Knowing how I work and what equipment I need, I
was able to design a very efficient space-- but that comes with
experience and trial and error. The original studio is now for metal,
enamels and lapidary work which are all sort of related.
Good luck and enjoy planning your studio. Just know that you’ll
always wish you had a little more space. I had a lot of fun just
playing with different layouts and ideas. But watch out for global
warming!
Mary
One thing I have found very helpful in organizing my studio (very
much still a work in progress!) was purchasing Rio’s stack of
drawers - can’t remember what they are called, but it is a
wonderfully built stack of drawers designed to hold an array of
tools. So I have a drawer for saw items, one for files, one for
mandrels, one for soldering extras, etc. It is right behind my back
when I face my bench, so I can just swivel around to open a drawer
and grab the needed tool, then swivel back. That has made a huge
difference!
I know several folks have said NOT to face a window - but I LOVE my
windows! It does mean I can’t hang tools right in front of me lol -
but having the windows is well worth that. I get a lot of my
inspiration from what I see out my windows…
Beth Wicker