Still on Hold

By: ornamento.blog
Art, DIY, kilns, problem solving, , , Leave a Comment on Still on Hold

I wrote a few weeks ago about how my basement studio was in a state of upheaval due to the installation of New Gizmo in the back part of the basement.   Since New Gizmo replaced the  boiler and hot water heater,  does not use the chimney for ventilation,   I decided to move my kiln and polymer convection oven to the back basement and install a ventilation system using the chimney.  I already have a ventilation system in the front basement that I installed for soldering but which I found worked beautifully when I was cooking polymer and firing bronze clay.  Read more about that one here.

I still haven’t decided whether to install a downdraft vent for the kiln or to go with a hooded vent that I can use for the kiln and the convection oven.   I already made a plenum cup that fits into the kiln’s rolling stand  right under the kiln, but I have hesitated to drill the small hole in the bottom of the kiln that the downdraft vent would need to function.  If I made a downdraft vent for the kiln,  I would have to be able to detach it from the inline fan and connect separate ductwork to hood to ventilate while the convection oven is operating.      I think I am going to set up hooded vent first and see how it does before I make the final decision.

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Here’s the inline fan I ordered from Amazon.  It’s the same one I have in the front basement.  It’s not too loud, has a variable speed controller, and does not require any special wiring.   I will have to bolt it to a piece of wood to steady it.   I could bolt it from the ceiling, too.    I will need two 4″ to 6″ vent reducer/increasers to connect each side of the fan to the ductwork.  I also ordered them from Amazon.   One will connect to ductwork that hooks into the  4″ chimney opening behind the fan and the other one will connect on the other side of the fan to a longer section of ductwork and the vent hood.

My electrician installed an extra outlet  for the fan and the convection oven.   The Paragon Max 119 kiln runs on 120 volts but does require some additional wiring and a special outlet which Stubewan the electrician also installed.   He also left me some metal tape and ductwork to use.  Thanks, Stu!

I used a wok lid for the vent hood in the front basement.  I will use a stainless steel mixing bowl for the vent hood in the rear basement.

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Bought at a house sale for $5.00.  I will saw out a hole in the top and  attach the ductwork.

At this point, I plan to attach the ductwork and hood to the wood beams in my basement ceiling and raise and lower the hood with a chain.

 

 

I plan to stow the kiln under the stairs and move it out to the middle of the floor for firing.   I was hoping to get it all hooked up this week, but Amazon sent the wrong size reducers.  Back they go and new ones ordered.

Wish me luck!

My Studio Then and Now

By: ornamento.blog
Art, Personal History, Studio set up, Studio Tour, , , Leave a Comment on My Studio Then and Now

Libby Mills ran a series on her blog a few years ago called Studio Snapshot and she was kind enough to feature my workspace in one of her posts.  I thought it would be fun to do a then and now post of my space.

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Then
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Now

A little neater. now, don’t you think?  I have to confess that one of the reasons it’s so orderly is because I am not in the middle of any projects now, because I am recovering from hand surgery and because I have been cleaning.   Our boiler and water heater entered into a mutual suicide pact last week which necessitated replacing them both with this new gizmo.  Which necessitated drilling through the foundation.  Which created lots of dust.

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The New Gizmo

New Gizmo does not need to use the chimney as it is vented out the side of the house, and the workshop is so clean is because I have been steam cleaning the fine layer of dust off of everything.

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Chimney opening

This means I can move my kiln and my polymer oven to the back basement, install a ventilation system  like this one that will blow out the chimney, and gain some space in the front basement.    I do not plan to add anything else to the front basement because I like the idea of having more room to stretch,  something I did not always have. But I will have to have some electrical work done in the back so I can run my kiln, oven, and ventilation system there.  I haven’t done any lamp working for a few years but I have worked with bronze metal clay, porcelain clay, and have done some glass fusing.

 

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Pretty Cluttered

I have donated all but my very favorite beads ( which leaves quite a lot of them) and have installed new lighting in the work space.  And I have gotten rid of a TON of supples, paints, fabric, glues, found objects, old tools, metal and more to good homes.

I replaced all my old furniture with Ikea Helmer cabinets and Linmon table tops  When I like about this is when you want to move supplies, you can simply switch drawers. Everything fits! And everything’s on wheels which makes it doubly convenient.  You can move things around without a lot of fuss.

 

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I still have my old watchmaking bench but I use it for display and to hold supplies

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When your space is as small as mine, something has to go every time you bring something new in.  I snagged this cabinet for $5.00 at a house sale.  I am still deciding what to toss.

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I don’t think I will ever have enough hammers though.

 

Polymer POST

By: ornamento.blog
Art, Polymer Clay, POST, Studio Tour, , , Leave a Comment on Polymer POST

I have published several posts about one of my favorite local art programs, the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST).  But this year is the first time I have ever encountered polymer artists on the tour.   My friends Patty Pickup and Terri Powell (ArtSci designs) joined together in West Philadelphia to showcase their work for this years’ Open Studio Tour West.   They were the only polymer artists on the tour this year, but I am hoping this will change as more people start to recognize polymer as a serious art medium. 

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Patty’s Spruce Hill home was a great place for the display
Patty in her studio

Patty has an incredible, huge studio on the third floor of her home.  To see pictures of Terri’s studio, press here.

Patty’s latest work.  Her color washed-pendants are very popular.

ArtSci designs yummy carved and backfilled bracelets look good enough to eat.  I own a set of these and love wearing them.  If you are interested in purchasing any of Terri’s work, you can contact her through her web site here.    Patty does not have a web site yet, but I’m sure that’s only temporary.

 

 

 

 

In My Workshop Right Now (as of Yesterday)

By: ornamento.blog
Art, Personal History, polymer, pottery, projects, Studio set up, , , Leave a Comment on In My Workshop Right Now (as of Yesterday)

Colored porcelain jewelry elements waiting to be bisque fired.

 

Experimenting with different textures.

 

 

Colored porcelain pinch pots.

 

The cracks can stay

 

I work on fabric or canvas

The polymer side of the table

 

Making fish (taught by Amy Sutryn at May meeting of Philadelphia Area Polymer Clay Guild)

 

One lazy Bluefish

Sleeping in the Workshop

By: ornamento.blog
Art, Boris, work space, workshop, , , 2 Comments on Sleeping in the Workshop

Sometimes Boris comes down to the workshop to “help” me but usually he ends up jumping into his Sleepy Box and napping.  I have two rock tumblers going at present and they don’t seem to bother him.  Nor does the soldering, sawing, hammering, banging and other assorted sounds I make.

I pulled out boxes of metal and polymer scraps and am trying my hand at making metal boxes with lids.  I am also tumbling a summer’s worth of porcelain beads and pendants that I made at The Clay Studio.  I am rooting through my tools and hardware for items to use in the mixed media sculpture class I am taking at Fleisher.  I found some 6 gauge copper wire at a house sale and I am making huge jump rings with it.  I am finishing some old projects little by little and trying a few new things.  I am not the one sleeping in the workshop!