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garage studio

updated tue 21 sep 04

 

Alisa Rosseter on fri 17 sep 04


Hi everyone,
I'm new to this list, but have been lurking for a bit. I'm looking at
turning in my garage into my studio. Couple questions though. I had an
electrician come out today and he will be doing all the wiring. But I
have 2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside next to the
garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
need a vent? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Alisa

Kathi LeSueur on fri 17 sep 04


artworksstudio@EARTHLINK.NET wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>I'm new to this list, but have been lurking for a bit. I'm looking at
>turning in my garage into my studio. Couple questions though. I had an
>electrician come out today and he will be doing all the wiring. But I
>have 2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside next to the
>garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
>could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
>need a vent?
>
Definitely outside. In a building like this it will be protected from
the elements. You, in turn, will be protected from fumes. I would still
use a vent so that fumes are removed. Long term exposure to fumes, even
when limited to the time you run in and check the kiln, can cause health
problems.

Kathi

Cindi Anderson on fri 17 sep 04


Hi Alisa
If your kiln is outside then you don't need a vent. (The kiln may get more
corrosion from the weather if it is more humid outside than in.) But there
are a lot of reasons to have a vent anyway. 1. You don't have to mess with
removing peep hole plugs at the beginning of the firing cycle and putting
them back in later. 2. You get less glaze defects (more oxygen to the
glazes, more airflow to remove organics from the bisque), and 3) Colors
don't seem to bleed onto each other as much. I have always fired with a
vent, and for these reasons always would whether I needed one for safety or
not.

Cindi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alisa Rosseter"
To:
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:42 AM
Subject: garage studio


> Hi everyone,
> I'm new to this list, but have been lurking for a bit. I'm looking at
> turning in my garage into my studio. Couple questions though. I had an
> electrician come out today and he will be doing all the wiring. But I
> have 2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside next to the
> garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
> could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
> need a vent? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Alisa

william schran on sat 18 sep 04


Alisa wrote:>2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside
next to the
garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
need a vent? <

Locating the kiln outside would allow more space inside for the
studio. Locating in a space that would be dry is very important. If
unsure of this, then do inside installation.
Do vent the kiln whether inside or outside. Besides removing nasty
fumes from the enclosure or room, the vent can help maintain an even
firing and a clean oxidizing atmosphere in the kiln.
Bill

Cynthia Bracker on sat 18 sep 04


Generally speaking, electricity and water don't make a very good
combination, so if "outside" in any way involves water, such as rain,
(or even heavy humidity) put the kiln inside. If you're talking about a
weather-tight attached structure, you'll probably be ok. If it's just
water-tight, you'll probably be ok if you live in the desert. Even
humidity can corrode the wiring over time. As for the vent, YES you
need one. It's not just for health purposes. If you're going to be
paying $1500.00ish for a kiln, spend the extra $300 on a vent. (If you
need a rationalization consider that most suppliers will sell a kiln at
around 20% off. $300 is 20% of your $1500 kiln, so it's like buying the
kiln and getting the vent free!) A vent is SOOOO important to your
pots. The only reason (IMHO) not to buy a vent when buying a kiln is if
you're buying a replacement kiln and your vent is still in good
condition. All that said, when if it comes to a vote, I'd put the kiln
inside. Keep your outside space available for mixing or spraying
glazes. Or consider pulling your wheel out there on a nice day to throw
with a breeze and the sound of the birds. It's amazing what a change of
scenery (both visual and aural) can do for your work! Having the kiln
inside also comes in handy in the winter when it's cold. It's nice to
throw next to a toasty warm kiln. (Of course, that doesn't apply if you
live in the south)
Good luck!
Cindy Bracker

Alisa Rosseter wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>I'm new to this list, but have been lurking for a bit. I'm looking at
>turning in my garage into my studio. Couple questions though. I had an
>electrician come out today and he will be doing all the wiring. But I
>have 2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside next to the
>garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
>could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
>need a vent? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
>Thanks,
>Alisa
>
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>

Arnold Howard on mon 20 sep 04


Alisa, if you fire the kiln in the garage, you should remove all flammable
materials, such as paint, gasoline, stacks of newspapers, the lawn mower,
etc. You should also park your car outside the garage while the kiln is
firing. If this is inconvenient, then maybe an outside location is better.

If your kiln is outside in the open air, a down-draft kiln vent will improve
firing results and may even increase element life. But, in my opinion, you
would need the vent to remove fumes only if the kiln were in an enclosed
space. You should definitely have the vent if you fire the kiln in the
garage.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
arnoldhoward@att.net / www.paragonweb.com

From: "Alisa Rosseter"
I'm looking at
> turning in my garage into my studio. Couple questions though. I had an
> electrician come out today and he will be doing all the wiring. But I
> have 2 options for the electric kiln. 1 is to put it outside next to the
> garage. It would be surrounded by brick wall and we'd cover it too..or we
> could put it in the garage. Is outside better? If outside would I still
> need a vent? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Alisa