James Freeman on sat 16 jul 11
On Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 2:54 AM, logan johnson wro=
=3D
te:
> We're in the process of buying a new (to us) house with a building in th=
=3D
e back that's going to be turned into my studio.
> There are some really great wood built in work benches already in that l =
=3D
would hate to tear out. The issue I have is it looks like they've been use=
=3D
d by someone working on cars . There's what looks like years of motor oils=
=3D
& grime soaked into the wood. Not too big of a problem if you're a gear h=
=3D
ead but , not good if you're working with clay or making glazes. So I n=
=3D
eed to put some type of top on these bad boys.
> There's quite a few things we need to do to the house to make it "ours" s=
=3D
o I need to keep it as cheap a fix as I can as well.
Logan...
Congrats on the new digs.
To be a bit of a contrarian (Who, me?) I don't think the oil in the
wood will be a problem even if you do nothing. Oil and clay have a
very strong affinity; the clay will simply absorb any oil that gets on
it, with no ill effects, and the oil and grime will burn out in the
bisque (there may be a trace of iron in the oil, so proceed as
appropriate to your clay body). Having said that, here's what I would
do if I still wished to avoid the oily wood:
1) Replace the bench tops. Pull off and discard the oily top, and
replace it with a layer or two of 3/4" plywood. Not an expensive or
terribly difficult proposition.
2) Encapsulate the oil. Shellac can be applied atop an oily surface,
and the oil will not bleed through (no other finish that I know of
will do this, so no substitutions!). Kilz, the original formula, not
the new water-borne variety, is a pigmented white shellac sold in any
paint store or paint department. It is advertised as a "stain sealer"
for use as a primer. I would paint the top with a couple of coats of
either Kilz or ordinary shellac, then top the bench with whatever one
wished, perhaps a layer of plywood, tempered Masonite, or better yet,
Hardi Backer, or even just putting canvas over the shellacked wood.
Here's another idea: My main studio work table is canvas covered MDO
plywood (a waterproof paper-covered plywood sold to sign companies for
outdoor use). In order to get double duty out of the table and make
it suitable for a glaze station, I purchased a sheet of "bathroom
paneling" from Lowes, and cut it to the same size as my tabletop (They
will cut the panel for you if you wish, at no charge). Bathroom
paneling is simply water-resistant, melamine-coated, tempered
Masonite. Much of it is embossed to look like ceramic tile, but I
used the plain, smooth, white variety. It is very inexpensive, about
$9 per 4x8 sheet, and the scraps make excellent patterns, work boards,
templates, et cetera. In any case, when it is waxing or glazing time,
I lay the sheet of bath paneling atop the work table, thereby giving
me a wipeable (is that even a word?) work surface that protects the
canvas from drips and spills, and protects the ware from clay dust
from the canvas. When not in use, I slip the melamine sheet into an
out of the way corner beside my spray booth.
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"...outsider artists, caught in the bog of their own consciousness,
too preciously idiosyncratic to be taken seriously."
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
David Hendley on sat 16 jul 11
I would simply cover the work benches with the "bathroom
paneling" mentioned by James. Cheap and easy.
UNLESS there is so much grease and oil that it permeates the
room - in that case, I would rip out the oily surfaces and start
over.
In my studio, for clay work, I built a 32" X 96" table, topped
with 3/4" plywood and covered with canvas.
For glazing and general purpose work, I built a 32" X 192"
table, topped with 3/4" plywood and covered with plain white
"bathroom paneling". The edges are covered by metal edging
made for this purpose, which provides a nice clean edge with
a slightly raised bead to keep spills from going onto the floor.
After 20 years of use, some of the shiny white coating has been
worn off, and the brown masionite is showing. This is not real
durable stuff - if you slide heavy things on it, it will scratch.
It is not really "water-proof", but is water resistance and very
easy to clean with wet sponges or cloths.
But, it is so cheap and easy to replace, I still think it is a good
choice.
Sounds like you will have a spacious studio.
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
http://www.thewahooligans.com
----- Original Message -----
Here's another idea: My main studio work table is canvas covered MDO
plywood (a waterproof paper-covered plywood sold to sign companies for
outdoor use). In order to get double duty out of the table and make
it suitable for a glaze station, I purchased a sheet of "bathroom
paneling" from Lowes, and cut it to the same size as my tabletop (They
will cut the panel for you if you wish, at no charge). Bathroom
paneling is simply water-resistant, melamine-coated, tempered
Masonite. Much of it is embossed to look like ceramic tile, but I
used the plain, smooth, white variety. It is very inexpensive, about
$9 per 4x8 sheet, and the scraps make excellent patterns, work boards,
templates, et cetera. In any case, when it is waxing or glazing time,
I lay the sheet of bath paneling atop the work table, thereby giving
me a wipeable (is that even a word?) work surface that protects the
canvas from drips and spills, and protects the ware from clay dust
from the canvas. When not in use, I slip the melamine sheet into an
out of the way corner beside my spray booth.
Dan Parenteau on mon 18 jul 11
I recommend Clyde's suggestion. I used to have canvas covered plaster
slabs and have since switched to 1/4" thick hardiebacker board screwed
right down on to the tabletop. It's semi-absorbent, easy to clean, and
easy to replace. You can purchase a small hook-like blade which is used
to score the board which you can then break along the scoring. It makes
a huge (and dangerous to inhale) mess if you try to cut it with a saw.
A while back someone recommended slate as a tabletop/wedging surface so
when I found a few 1960's era 4'x6', 3/8" thick slate chalkboards being
thrown out I grabbed a few of those. Once I get them cut I'm going to
see how they work.
> From: "C. Tullis"
> Subject: Re: Can't Work Topless
>
> Cover them with 1/4" Hardie Backerboard. It's pretty smooth and is a ceme=
nt
> base reinforced material used for tile underlayment. Totally waterproof.=
Start
> with a construction cement (Liquid Nails), This acts as a shim to make i=
t real solid, and then deck screws. They sell self tapping screws specially=
for this. It is tricky to cut. But..... if you go in topless you may be ab=
le to get the guys at the lumberyard to cut it to size for you.=3D20
>
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