workshop setup
 

Hi. Don't know if I am freaking out or just paranoid but want to make sure everything is safe.
There is this space (sort of like a closet, four feet x eight feet ) that I would like to set up to work in. I understand everything about running pipe into the house and ventilation but what about while I am working and glass starts to fly around my work space..
I took a metal office desk (4 feet wide) which just fits in against the wall and there would be about 4 feet of space behind me while I work at desk.. I built a section with 3 sides and an enclosed top (with fan for ventilation) with sheet metal everywhere, that sits on top of the desk so the sides/back/top are enclosed so no glass can burn or fly out except past me when working.
There is sheetrock on the walls of the room and cushion floor on floor. It doesn't really matter if the glass melts onto the cushion floor but what worries me is when the glass lands, what can it do?... will it just start to melt and cool down fast or will it burst into flames if I don't see it or find it fast enough?. I was thinking about putting a section of hard rubber on the floor and not worry about burn spots. Didn't want to lay ceramic tile but if have no choice then so be it.
Guess I am just worried about turning around and everything is up in flames. I'm sure my beloved spouse would not enjoy that and I would be sleeping with the dog on the sofa for a long time ( then again the dog may abandon me also).
Any and all info would be greatly appreciated concerning (the dangers of how hot and flammable is the glass going to be) and what would be best for me to do in this situation.
TY, Blessed Be

"cushion floor on floor" like anti fatigue mats? If the glass if hot enough it is going to cause it to flame up, more worry from dropping blobs of molten glass or dropping marbles off a punty and having them roll around creating little poofs of flame ( NOOOOOOO personal experience with this :lol: )
You can just cover the floor with plywood or tile backer board

If you mean the little bits that shock off, I think they would cool enough on the way down, but I would check with the manufacturer about flammability, or maybe float a small piece in a metal or ceramic dish, and heat a rod and push it down on the foam/rubber/? and see what happens, to see what you are dealing with in case of dropping larger amounts of hot glass.
This is all just supposition on my part though, I am not an expert by any means.

You can also buy a small welding blanket for the floor. The fold lines don't relax, but when you want to close things up and have the floor look normal, you can pick it up and fold it. I used one about 4' x6' for some time.

I purchased it at my local welding supply and I think it cost about $30 some years ago.

I will try to look for the welding blanket... How far does the glass usually fly? I see pictures of people with setups and it seems they are sometimes just setup against a wall or on a desk in a nice room. It seems some just plop a desk anywhere and do it..(probably with a couple windows open for ventilation). On one hand I think I need a big setup and have to be super careful with things catching on fire(metal walls/metal ceilings/metal floors) and on the other hand I see some setups where it just seems that they put a table anywhere and work from that without any worries. I guess everyone is correct when they say its an addiction, sort of goes along with OCD.

What do you plan on making? Marbles roll, and I lost a big glob that rolled off onto my lap and then the floor making murrini one day (picked it up and saved it though). Frit on a stick type stuff flying off when you put the cane into the flame and it spits at you shouldn't be as hot though, because you just barely got it in the flame when it pops off, right?

Yes I would like to do marbles. Just realizing that marbles tend to get away from the maker at times.. going to try and get a leather apron for this.. Gotta protect the family jewels. TY I am learning from all of your responses.

Harbor Freight has welder aprons for about $10. I wear it inside out if I remember to wear it, because I worry about the pockets catching something! ;)
Also a large cookie sheet with sides on the table may help corral things.

I will check for the apron. Also may try to put some kind of "lip" on the front of the desk to try and prevent things from rolling off.

I picked up a few sheets of ductwork metal from my local heating and ventilation company a few years back for $18 each for a 3 by 10 foot piece.

You could get them to cut it to any specific sizes and just lay them on the floor over lapping the edges a few inches to cover something like a 5 or 6 foot radius around you.

Take a file to all the edges for a slight round over because you know how sharp attracts human blood like a magnet.

But you could section them up into 3 by 5 foot sections and then you could stash them behind the desk when you aren't torching and lay them out when you want to light up.


I pulled up some long over due carpet in my old mud room and put down tile myself so this is just thinking out loud here.

Frit on a stick usually pops before you get much of it hot but there is always the one that cracks off with a good sized gather of molten glass on it that seems like it really wants to get China through your floor.


But it is the ones that get air born and that then disappear on you that you really want to prepare for.

Another thought is that insurance companies will look for any excuse to deny a fire claim and not doing every single thing you can think of to make this hobby as safe as humanly possible is going to be the real determination of "have you done enough".

Insurance companies have been know to deny and electrical fire claim in a bedroom because there was something unsafe done in the kitchen.

Ty I like the tile and the duct work sheets 3x10 idea.. do two sheets and possibly leave it on floor and where it joins then put duct tape over the joints so it can be there all the time till time to move. At the moment its a small room out of the way so no one would notice.

You probably wont even need the duct tape.

They are sizable sheets and will sit still under their own weight.

Do double check the edges for knife sharp areas.

A simple pass or two with a sharpening stone at a square angle will knock off any knife edge right away.