Janet Moe on sun 24 feb 08
We are about to wire our new studio. I've read the
archives endlessly but just thought I'd ask if there
were things you loved about your wiring or things you
wish you would have thought of. Interested in tips on
heating hot water, baseboard heaters, lighting, spray
booth, pugmill, outlet height and number. Always enjoy
the lively clayart debate. TIA.
Janet and Richard, on Vancouver Island
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Barb Jensen on mon 25 feb 08
We put a switched outlet for the compressor for our
spray booth. It's much easier to flip a switch than to lean over an
unplug or throw a switch on the compressor while refilling the
cannister of glaze or whatever.
We don't have running water in our studio, but if we did, I would put
in an instant hot water heater like the one we have in our bathroom. It
only heats water when needed, so no need to insulate a tank. We can
take an infinite number of showers right in a row as well as run the
washing machine. Well, we actually almost always wash clothes in cold
water only, but theoretically there is no end to the amount of hot
water. We have a Paloma (brand name) running on propane.
I wish we had thought to place the wall outlets higher, as someone
suggested. Crawling under the work table is kind of disgusting unless
you don't mind spider webs in your everywhere. I plug in power strips
that are easier to reach to overcome that problem.
~Barb Jensen
www.jensenandmarineau.com
barbjensen.blogspot.com
heidi haugen on mon 25 feb 08
i also had the luxury of designing/building my studio. my advice
concerns lighting....i would stay away from florescent overhead
lights and stick with track or regular bulb fixtures. i found that
the florescent lights provided decent all around lighting but they
interfered with any radio reception. i switched to track lighting
last year and really like it...plus, the fixtures were much less
expensive.
something to think about.
good luck.
heidi haugen in west glacier, montana who is happy to be safe after
an interstate car accident yesterday.....i would like to offer an off
topic driving tip to those who live in snowy/icy areas....do NOT use
cruise control when driving on winter roads (for some reason....most
people are aware of this but i was unaware of the danger of this
practice) it can cause an unexpected fish-tail which can lead to
complete loss of control. yikes!
Jennifer Boyer on mon 25 feb 08
Hi,
If you have an electric kiln, it's best to have it wired directly
into the panel rather than using a plug. Also you should have the
electrician put a shut-off in that line so you can cut the power to
your kiln when it's not in use. I learned these lessons the hard
way.....
Jennifer
On Feb 24, 2008, at 9:57 PM, Janet Moe wrote:
> We are about to wire our new studio. I've read the
> archives endlessly but just thought I'd ask if there
> were things you loved about your wiring or things you
> wish you would have thought of. Interested in tips on
> heating hot water, baseboard heaters, lighting, spray
> booth, pugmill, outlet height and number. Always enjoy
> the lively clayart debate. TIA.
>
> Janet and Richard, on Vancouver Island
>
***************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
http://jboyerdesign.com
http://artisanshand.com
***************************
Arnold Howard on mon 25 feb 08
From: "Janet Moe"
> We are about to wire our new studio. I've read the
> archives endlessly but just thought I'd ask if there
> were things you loved about your wiring or things you
> wish you would have thought of.
Make sure the grounding wire is properly installed. A poor
ground could interfere with electronics that you operate in
your studio. For instance, I have heard of a digital kiln
that malfunctioned because the phone line somehow sent a
signal to the grounding wire.
If you will fire an electric kiln, make sure the studio has
sufficient amperage. I know of a kiln that dimmed the lights
every time the relays turned on the elements.
Install an electrical shutoff box near the kiln so that you
can shut off the power to the kiln's circuit without having
to go to the main breaker box.
The breaker box should not be too close to anything that
produces heat. Otherwise the breakers could shut off
prematurely.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
Bonnie Hellman on mon 25 feb 08
Install far more outlets than you think you're going to need, and be sure to
install telephone jacks wherever you might conceivably want a phone.
I also had 2 outlets installed in my ceiling in the center of the room,
which I have used only occasionally, but was glad to have them when I needed
them.
Consider installing the power for your overheat (ceiling) lights in zones,
so you could light only a section of the studio at a time.
If you think you might buy any electric equipment, be sure you have the
right kind of outlets (and the appropriate amperage) in the right places.
Consider putting a circuit breaker box IN the studio.
I chose to install an electrically heated water tank rather than propane
heated like the building heat, because I don't heat the water all the time,
and because it is quick to heat up when I want it. (Mine has a fiber blanket
around it.) At the time, the utility gave a rebate for electric water
heaters, but that did not figure into my motivation in going electric.
It's much cheaper to do all of these when the building is being constructed
than afterwards.
Bonnie
Bonnie D. Hellman
Ouray, Colorado 81427
----- Original Message -----
From: "Arnold Howard"
To:
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: New Studio Wiring
> From: "Janet Moe"
>> We are about to wire our new studio. I've read the
>> archives endlessly but just thought I'd ask if there
>> were things you loved about your wiring or things you
>> wish you would have thought of.
>
> Make sure the grounding wire is properly installed. A poor
> ground could interfere with electronics that you operate in
> your studio. For instance, I have heard of a digital kiln
> that malfunctioned because the phone line somehow sent a
> signal to the grounding wire.
>
> If you will fire an electric kiln, make sure the studio has
> sufficient amperage. I know of a kiln that dimmed the lights
> every time the relays turned on the elements.
>
> Install an electrical shutoff box near the kiln so that you
> can shut off the power to the kiln's circuit without having
> to go to the main breaker box.
>
> The breaker box should not be too close to anything that
> produces heat. Otherwise the breakers could shut off
> prematurely.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Arnold Howard
> Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
> ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
> subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
Cherry Knobloch on mon 25 feb 08
We put outlets in the ceiling. Haven't used them yet, but they're there in
case. On the side of the studio where I decided tables and counters would
be, the outlets are all 4 feet above the floor, so I don't have to crawl
around looking for one. Outlet boxes are cheap, the wiring has to go by
there anyway, so we put in lots of them. Used toggle switches for the
lights because they can be turned on and off with a shoulder or elbow.
Cherry Knobloch
www.Earthechos.com
Chesapeake, Virginia
Jennifer Boyer on tue 26 feb 08
Actually there is an easier way to have multiple phones these days
than wiring a lot of jacks: Phone systems are easily found that have
a base unit and multiple extension phones that just need an electric
outlet. We just have one of these and about 6 phones in the house. I
even have an extension in the studio building. The signals from the
base unit in the house reach it 100 feet away in the studio. We used
to have a lot of problems with our phones when we have a bunch of
separate ones. Our phone connection would sort of crash, and we'd
have to unplug all of them and plug them back in.
Jennifer
On Feb 25, 2008, at 2:21 PM, Bonnie Hellman wrote:
> Install far more outlets than you think you're going to need, and
> be sure to
> install telephone jacks wherever you might conceivably want a phone.
***************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
http://jboyerdesign.com
http://artisanshand.com
***************************
Steve Slatin on tue 26 feb 08
Heidi-hi!
The problem of flourescent RF interference is real, but can be
readily ameliorated. Properly set up with the right equiment,
you'll only hear interference when the lights are switched on.
The fixture has to be properly grounded. The ballast should
be a "low THD" model, preferably a 4-wire ballast, in a metal
cannister. (Sometimes better ballasts are in steel cannisters,
but 'potted' in plastic of some kind.) Some ballasts are just
bare circuit boards. They have the serious RF interference.
Dimming flourescents interfere terribly with AM radio at some
frequencies. I'd avoid them.
Best wishes -- Steve S
heidi haugen wrote:
i also had the luxury of designing/building my studio. my advice
concerns lighting....i would stay away from florescent overhead
lights and stick with track or regular bulb fixtures. i found that
the florescent lights provided decent all around lighting but they
interfered with any radio reception. i switched to track lighting
last year and really like it...plus, the fixtures were much less
expensive.
something to think about.
good luck.
heidi haugen in west glacier, montana who is happy to be safe after
an interstate car accident yesterday.....i would like to offer an off
topic driving tip to those who live in snowy/icy areas....do NOT use
cruise control when driving on winter roads (for some reason....most
people are aware of this but i was unaware of the danger of this
practice) it can cause an unexpected fish-tail which can lead to
complete loss of control. yikes!
______________________________________________________________________________
Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots2@visi.com
---------------------------------
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Bonnie Hellman on tue 26 feb 08
These thoughts are not directly related to wiring, but they do apply to a
new studio.
The newer fluorescent fixtures, the ones that take the skinny bulbs, do not
seem to interfere with radio reception in my studio and they don't buzz. You
can buy bulbs in a variety of colors, to avoid that cold typical fluorescent
glare and have a lot of light for relatively little electric usage.
I also installed my outlets about 3 feet above the floor, not only for
convenience, but because I wanted to be able to wash down my cement floor
with a hose. The water goes down the drains in the floor that go outdoors,
and I didn't want to worry about spraying the outlets.
I also used toggle light switches, easy to turn on and off, and recommend
them. Had I realized I was going to use a compressor, I would have put a
switch at that outlet.
My cement floor has in-floor heating, and there is a lip of cement at the
walls, again for ease of rinsing the floors. Mostly I just dump buckets of
water on the floor, rather than using a hose, but the studio isn't that
large. When the floor is seriously dirty and dusty, out comes the hose.
We put cement board instead of wall board in the electric kiln area as well.
This is the stuff you'd use around your wood burning stove, for a little
extra heat protection. I'd still keep the kiln/s a few feet away from the
walls.
It's now been almost 10 years since we built my studio, so it's hard to
remember all the things we did. Since I earn my living as a CPA-tax
preparer, I'm smack in the middle of keeping my head in tax returns. I
was pleased to hear from someone who attended my presentation at last year's
NCECA breakout session, and look forward to working with her.
Bonnie
Bonnie D. Hellman
Ouray, Colorado 81427
----- Original Message -----
From: "heidi haugen"
To:
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 8:42 PM
Subject: new studio wiring
>i also had the luxury of designing/building my studio. my advice
> concerns lighting....i would stay away from florescent overhead
> lights and stick with track or regular bulb fixtures. i found that
> the florescent lights provided decent all around lighting but they
> interfered with any radio reception. i switched to track lighting
> last year and really like it...plus, the fixtures were much less
> expensive.
> something to think about.
>
> good luck.
> heidi haugen in west glacier, montana who is happy to be safe after
> an interstate car accident yesterday.....i would like to offer an off
> topic driving tip to those who live in snowy/icy areas....do NOT use
> cruise control when driving on winter roads (for some reason....most
> people are aware of this but i was unaware of the danger of this
> practice) it can cause an unexpected fish-tail which can lead to
> complete loss of control. yikes!
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
> subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
gayle bair on wed 27 feb 08
These extension phones are great unless you happen to drop one
of them in a bucket of glaze! I even had it wrapped in plastic but
there were
a couple tears in it.... it was dead.
The other downside is grabbing a phone in one room and taking it into
another.
We have to do a search for phones on a regular basis.
Then there is the issue of kids not replacing them in the cradles...
at that point the search becomes a real challenge!
Gayle Bair
Tucson AZ
Bainbridge Island WA
gayle@claybair.com
www.claybair.com
On Feb 26, 2008, at 5:34 AM, Jennifer Boyer wrote:
> Actually there is an easier way to have multiple phones these days
> than wiring a lot of jacks: Phone systems are easily found that have
> a base unit and multiple extension phones that just need an electric
> outlet. We just have one of these and about 6 phones in the house. I
> even have an extension in the studio building. The signals from the
> base unit in the house reach it 100 feet away in the studio. We used
> to have a lot of problems with our phones when we have a bunch of
> separate ones. Our phone connection would sort of crash, and we'd
> have to unplug all of them and plug them back in.
> Jennifer
Janet Moe on mon 3 mar 08
Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. The
studio is now wired.
We had it done professionally, putting in a separate
100 amp service to the studio. It would have taken us
days to make decisions, figure it all out and get it
done. A crew of 3 came and did it all in one day. Some
of the things we did: We put in lots of outlets. Most
of them are a foot off of the floor but we added some
in above table height and put two in the ceiling. We
put in 4 outside outlets on their own circuit, a
separate outlet for the compressor and shop vac, and
separate circuits for each area, also a 220 plug for
when (not if) we get that pugmill. The electric bisque
kiln is hardwired in with a shutoff switch right by
it. Thanks to those who suggested the shutoff switch
as I had forgotten.
We chose to put in a 110V 10 liter (2 U.S. Gallons)
electric water heater. I don't anticipate needing
gallons of hot water, but I do like to have it for
washing hands,etc. This will mount easily either under
or above the sink, plugs into a regular outlet and has
an on/off switch.
For heating we put in 4 baseboard heaters on 2
thermostats as well as a wood stove.
We also decided on the new T8 fluorescent lights for
overhead and have each quadrant on it's own switch.
They are not supposed to buzz or flicker. Hopefully it
won't interfere with radio reception but I'm hoping to
continue to get our music off the internet so it's not
a problem.
As for phones I choose to rely on the answering
machine in the house rather than keep a phone in the
studio. If I do want to receive a call I can either
take out the cordless phone or the cell phone.
Now on to insulation and drywall. This isn't a first
studio for either of us but it will certainly be the
nicest.
Thanks from Janet and Richard, on VancouverIsland
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