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backyard shed studios

updated thu 25 feb 10

 

Steven Lederman on mon 22 feb 10


Hi, All;We're moving into new digs and I've purchased a shed to stick in th=
=3D
e backyard and make into a ceramics studio of sorts. =3DA0There's shelving,=
a=3D
nd some room for other stuff, like a wheel and my two large Skutt kilns.Now=
=3D
, here's where I need the advice. =3DA0You other folks that have a similar =
se=3D
t-up; =3DA0do you keep the kilns inside the shed, or do you have them outsi=
de=3D
or in a separate enclosure? =3DA0I know these things give off traces of ha=
rm=3D
ful gases - should I not run the kilns while I'm working in the shed for pr=
=3D
olonged periods of time?Any advice would be appreciated.

Dannon Rhudy on tue 23 feb 10


Steven said:

.....moving into new digs and I've purchased a shed
......advice. ...... keep the kilns inside the shed, or .......outside....


You can have your kilns inside if there is room, but you
ought not to stay in there while you are firing, bisque or
otherwise. A lot of stuff comes out of the clay, and much
of it is NOT good for your lungs and other parts. Breathing
in fumes is the absolute best way to distribute anything
throughout the body, and ALL smells are particulate (an
important point).

So, if you have an option, it would be more convenient
not to have the kilns where you are trying to work.
Don't know what kind of kiln/kilns you're talking about,
but electric need to be protected from the weather, rain,
etc. I used to keep the class kilns outside, but we had a
huge covered kiln patio, so rain was not an issue and the
weather (Texas) was not either.

My advice would be: if you can house them separately,
good. If not, you can still deal with it, it will merely be
less convenient. Always more than one solution.

regards

Dannon Rhudy

Marcia Selsor on tue 23 feb 10


I think we'd need to know the shed dimensions. If it is 8 x 10 , I'd =3D
say put the kilns somewhere outside in a spearate weather protected =3D
place. Kilns get hot as well as give off fumes. Kilns are suppose to be =3D
18" from combustible walls or materials. Place them with caution.=3D20
Marcia

On Feb 22, 2010, at 11:59 PM, Steven Lederman wrote:

> Hi, All;We're moving into new digs and I've purchased a shed to stick =3D
in the backyard and make into a ceramics studio of sorts. There's =3D
shelving, and some room for other stuff, like a wheel and my two large =3D
Skutt kilns.Now, here's where I need the advice. You other folks that =3D
have a similar set-up; do you keep the kilns inside the shed, or do you =
=3D
have them outside or in a separate enclosure? I know these things give =3D
off traces of harmful gases - should I not run the kilns while I'm =3D
working in the shed for prolonged periods of time?Any advice would be =3D
appreciated.
>=3D20

Marcia Selsor
http://www.marciaselsor.com

William & Susan Schran User on tue 23 feb 10


On 2/23/10 12:59 AM, "Steven Lederman" wrote:

> Hi, All;We're moving into new digs and I've purchased a shed to stick in =
=3D
the
> backyard and make into a ceramics studio of sorts. =3DA0There's shelving,=
and=3D
some
> room for other stuff, like a wheel and my two large Skutt kilns.Now, here=
=3D
's
> where I need the advice. =3DA0You other folks that have a similar set-up;=
=3DA0do=3D
you
> keep the kilns inside the shed, or do you have them outside or in a separ=
=3D
ate
> enclosure? =3DA0I know these things give off traces of harmful gases - sh=
ould=3D
I
> not run the kilns while I'm working in the shed for prolonged periods of
> time?Any advice would be appreciated.

There are so many variables in what you ask, that it's hard to give you a
definitive yes or no.
Will your shed be conditioned? Will you have windows/cross ventilation?

My studio is a one-car garage. It has a window that I can mount my kiln ven=
=3D
t
in. It has garage door & back door that allows me to create cross
ventilation.

Kilns will do better in a conditioned room as they will not be exposed to
corrosive moisture. Programmable kilns will have difficulty working in
temperatures below 32F and above 120F. Putting them in a small enclosed
unconditioned space may have many issues.

Bill

--=3D20
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com

David Woof on tue 23 feb 10


Good advice given but we haven't yet mentioned an exhaust system which shou=
=3D
ld be used whether you are working in the shed while firing or absent durin=
=3D
g that time.=3D20

=3D20

And Steven=3D2C those "traces" are more than traces=3D2C and with time thes=
e pa=3D
rticulates accumulate both in your body and in/on the studio surfaces envir=
=3D
onment.=3D20

=3D20

Last week or there about=3D2C Lili and I posted regarding lead contaminatio=
n =3D
to kiln surfaces etc. I responded that even when we fire with fritted mate=
=3D
rials=3D2C these materials are only safer when handling and during applicat=
io=3D
n. The lead and such toxins are released as volatiles into the atmosphere w=
=3D
hen fired high enough.

=3D20

We all know or have heard of someone(s)who have died or suffer from these e=
=3D
xposures.

=3D20

David Woof

=3D20

________________________________________________________________________
3b. Re: Backyard Shed Studios
Posted by: "Dannon Rhudy" dannon@CCRTC.COM=3D20
Date: Tue Feb 23=3D2C 2010 7:09 am ((PST))
=3D20
Steven said:
=3D20
.....moving into new digs and I've purchased a shed
......advice. ...... keep the kilns inside the shed=3D2C or .......outside.=
..=3D
.
=3D20
=3D20
You can have your kilns inside if there is room=3D2C but you
ought not to stay in there while you are firing=3D2C bisque or
otherwise. A lot of stuff comes out of the clay=3D2C and much
of it is NOT good for your lungs and other parts. Breathing
in fumes is the absolute best way to distribute anything
throughout the body=3D2C and ALL smells are particulate (an
important point).
=3D20
So=3D2C if you have an option=3D2C it would be more convenient
not to have the kilns where you are trying to work.
Don't know what kind of kiln/kilns you're talking about=3D2C
but electric need to be protected from the weather=3D2C rain=3D2C
etc. I used to keep the class kilns outside=3D2C but we had a
huge covered kiln patio=3D2C so rain was not an issue and the
weather (Texas) was not either.
=3D20
My advice would be: if you can house them separately=3D2C
good. If not=3D2C you can still deal with it=3D2C it will merely be
less convenient. Always more than one solution.
=3D20
regards

=3D20



=3D20
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft=3D92s powerful SPAM protection.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/=3D

Snail Scott on wed 24 feb 10


On Feb 22, 2010, at 11:59 PM, Steven Lederman wrote:
> ... do you keep the kilns inside the shed, or do you have them
> outside or in a separate enclosure? I know these things give off
> traces of harmful gases - should I not run the kilns while I'm
> working in the shed for prolonged periods of time?Any advice would
> be appreciated...


The fumes given off by firing are not good, and
remember, they don't vanish when the kiln gets
shut off, so just staying away during a firing may
not be enough for good health. Unless you have
an excellent ventilation system, they will linger in
the air for a long time afterward.

You can have a whole-shed vent (like a box fan
mounted outward in a window above the kilns),
but since that only works if you have make-up
air coming in from the other side of the shed, it
makes it tough to heat and cool the space.
Better (though a bit more expensive) to have an
undermounted vent system attached directly to
the kilns.

You can also build a sort of 'kiln closet' inside the
shed, and just worry about ventilating that.

Putting kilns outside is the alternative I have used
for many years. It's cheap and keeps it away from
my workspace. Note that outdoor kilns, even under
cover, will tend to rust quicker than indoor ones. A
little WD-40 on the hinges and hose clamps between
firings can extend their life, though, and the 'works'
are less affected. (I did have a neighborhood
tomcat claim my outdoor Skutt 1027 as his, though -
it took several years and many firings to 'reclaim' it!)

-Snail