Studio in the garage

Pat110 · #1 2012-08-12, 11:47am

Hello to All,

I am planning to set up a small studio in my outside garage. My Oxygen Concentrator is on it's way. I will be using a Nortel Minor torch with propane.
I need suggestions about heating this area as I live in N.Y.

Any ventilation suggestions, tips and help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.
Pat 110

artsyuno · #2 2012-08-12, 1:07pm

Consider insulating your garage if it isn't already. The ventilation will suck out much of the heat and bring in cold air through your make-up air. I'd suggest an infra-red space heater or two, maybe one near your feet and another aimed at your upper body and hands. While it won't warm the room much, it'll warm you despite the cold air coming in.

As for ventilation, take a look in the studio and safety threads. There's a ton of info there.

Pat110 · #3 2012-08-12, 2:52pm

Thank you for your great suggestions!

BeadedChic · #4 2012-08-12, 6:46pm

My work space is about 4x4, so I have my kiln directly on my left. It provides additional warmth during the winter months. I also use heating lamps on some shelves above me on the right. There is a double bonus there...it also helps to preheat the rods a bit to prevent shocking at the torch as I keep the rods I plan to use for that session on the right.

Pat110 · #5 2012-08-13, 5:24am

Didn't think about rod temp.! Thank you!

Lorraine Chandler · #6 2012-08-13, 8:51am

Before you start you should check out and have all of the approvals legally that you will need,
check your homeowners insurance first if you own or check with your landlord if you lease or rent,
then city, county codes and restrictions,
and then check with local neighborhood CC&Rs, sometimes they have the most strict regulations.

Several people have posted here on LE that have built nice little studios in garages, back yards or in the house or apt only to have powers that be tell them they can't have it.

Good Luck and remember safety first.

istandalone24/7 · #7 2012-08-13, 11:00am

imo the less the powers that be know, the better.

you can't do anything in my town w/o tons of permits and approvals. not even child run lemonade stands, technically.

squeek-a-mouse · #8 2012-08-13, 2:30pm

I highly recommend a parabolic dish-type heater aimed right at you. Got mine at costco and it radiates some major penetrating heat. Doesn't do anything to heat the room, but there is no way I could heat my garage enough anyway.

The other advice I have is wear several loose comfortable layers of clothes. I don't even mess with a coat.. I find I stay warmer with many layers and I like to be able to move freely, hence all the emphasis on "comfortable" and "loose" lol. I'll just layer several long sleeve t-shirts under a big sweatshirt with a thick, loose cotton flannel on top (mainly for the pocket I use to keep my phone/music in.) For pants, I start with long underwear, then a pair or two of comfy pajama pants, then a comfy pair of oversized sweatpants on top. Cotton gloves with the fingers cut off help keep the hands from freezing in place lol. I also wear a few pairs of socks under comfy slipper/boots. Oh and a good wool or cotton hat (or two). I end up looking like a marshmallow but it works for me

That is what keeps me torching all winter long. Admittedly our winters are surely milder than yours but I can work down to about 10 degrees fairly comfortably. I occasionally have to take breaks to warm up my fingers. The only problem I encounter is the colder it gets in the garage, the shockier the glass is so I have to be extra attentive to keeping everything hot enough. I hope this helps

Lorraine Chandler · #9 2012-08-13, 6:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by istandalone24/7

imo the less the powers that be know, the better.

you can't do anything in my town w/o tons of permits and approvals. not even child run lemonade stands, technically.

I don't agree with all of the laws and rules and regulations but....

The problem with the above of "reserving full disclosure" on insurance forms etc. is that you might not get insurance claims paid when you need them the most.

I guess I am not a gambling person and I always like to do things legally and above board. But thats just me.

glowinglass · #10 2012-08-13, 7:13pm

I'm also in NY (Long Island), and went through this over the last 6 yrs. First 2 yrs - no heat, no insulation, found out my (realistic) tolerance temperature threshold was 46 degrees. Added a very good Modene (sp?) heater, but still no insulation, and things got really nice at 70 degrees, but it took an hour to get that warm and the heater (oil-hot water-fan type) ran non-stop. Finally insulated overhead and 2 of the side walls and I am very satisfied, but still intend to get to the 3rd wall and the 20' wide garage door before this winter. BTW, this a 2-1/2 car garage.

Lyssa · #11 2012-08-13, 10:59pm

Not to hijack your thread, but I hope that someday I have the problem of needing to heat my studio. The coldest it ever gets here is 75 and right now it's been muggy and 85 all week. That 2000 degree torch and 1000 degree kiln don't help any.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat110

Hello to All,

I am planning to set up a small studio in my outside garage. My Oxygen Concentrator is on it's way. I will be using a Nortel Minor torch with propane.
I need suggestions about heating this area as I live in N.Y.

Any ventilation suggestions, tips and help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.
Pat 110

jconsidine11 · #12 2012-08-14, 4:45pm

I live around Buffalo NY and have a garage studio...
I worked last year through December in my uninsulated garage. I threw in the towel when my beads were shocking from the torch into the kiln. The kiln was right next to me.......

I am watching this thread hoping that someone has a fantastic solution that doesn't cost a fortune to implement.
Good luck and have fun,
Joan
PS
There is an awesome thread by DeAnne ( The Glass Zone) about piping your propane from outside to your torch. That was so very helpful!
There is a wealth of info here and so many generous people.

karin · #13 2012-08-15, 8:02am

Also keep in mind that your oxycon won't like being in the garage. Temperature and humidity swings do them no good.

I work in my garage as well - with tanked O2 due to that. I have a space heater warming my feet, wear a sweatshirt (or two) and jeans, and the torch usually keeps my hands warm. I don't work if it's below about 45 in the garage though.

krisdaka · #14 2012-08-15, 8:06pm

I too work in my garage, for the winter I wear wool, it's very warm and won't keep burning if it catches on fire. The lowest I'll go fire everything up is 30 degrees. It will heat up to a pleasant 50 degrees.

LynieG · #15 2012-08-15, 8:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by istandalone24/7

imo the less the powers that be know, the better.

you can't do anything in my town w/o tons of permits and approvals. not even child run lemonade stands, technically.

This made the news here and we thought it was absolutely ridiculous!!!

kansassky · #16 2012-08-15, 9:45pm

My dad found me an "overhead shop heater/blower" on craigslist. It was one of those units you would see in a garage or auto repair shop. Dad and BF mounted it on the ceiling in a corner, and we had an electrician wire it. It was a fantastic option! BF could pull his cars into the garage and work in shirt-sleeve comfort, and I could torch, too. Worked for both of us. In fact, when I sold that house, the new owner specifically added the garage heater to contract terms because he wanted it to stay.

fyregallerie · #17 2012-08-15, 10:04pm

Also remember to sit on a heating pad - hehe seriously tho it really helps

Dreamsincolor · #18 2012-08-16, 7:41pm

For the rods I have a dedicated toaster oven to garage them in for preheating. Cuts way down on the instant frit. I have a couple of strategically positioned halogen lamps and they do crank some degrees. I also helps having a wood burning furnace nearby...

Andrea

Charmaine · #19 2012-08-17, 7:04am

and, some sort of bug management system... I once had a praying mantis looking at me from the top of my dipped mandrels. Called for something other than a "flyswatter"...

I also managed to somehow enclose myself in a rapidly decreasing oxygen environment and started to get really spacey and dizzy (just one more bead!..) need to make sure that with all the ventilation going out and the torch and concentrator using oxygen, that there's some fresh air coming IN...

Lyssa · #20 2012-08-17, 12:00pm

OMG A toaster! Why didn't I ever think of that!?! Stealing back the toaster I donated to work a couple years ago, RIGHT NOW! No one ever uses it anyway, they prefer to waste electricity and run the toaster oven to toast bread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreamsincolor

For the rods I have a dedicated toaster oven to garage them in for preheating. Cuts way down on the instant frit. I have a couple of strategically positioned halogen lamps and they do crank some degrees. I also helps having a wood burning furnace nearby...

Andrea

istandalone24/7 · #21 2012-08-17, 12:19pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynieG

This made the news here and we thought it was absolutely ridiculous!!!

it's so bad that when i start selling stuff, i really won't even bother in my home town unless i can convince some specialty stores to carry marbles pendants and beads.

don't get me wrong, kids sell lemonade and cookies all the time, but technically it's against the law here. of course our "full of himself" town manager is the only one to enforce it. yet he wants more small business's.
end rant lol.

Sheila D. · #22 2012-08-17, 12:58pm

I warm my studio up for a couple hours before I turn the kiln on (can't do both or it'll blow a fuse) It also helps warm up the glass and everything else in the room. I have 2 space heaters, wear warm loose clothing and Uggs. Seems weird talikng about this when it's pushing 90 degrees out!

artsyuno · #23 2012-08-17, 1:51pm

I do pretty much the same thing as you, Sheila, except that I have plenty of electric. I get up in the morning (weekends), go out to the studio and turn on the space heater, let it run for an hour or two to take the worst of the chill off, go back out and turn the oxy cons and curling rod stove (used to preheat my rods) on to warm up and put on a long sleeved tshirt with a sweatshirt over it, jeans, uggs and my kevlar fingerless gloves. I then move the space heater so that it's closer to my feet and turn on an infrared heater so that it's aimed at my hands and upper body.

Croft Eeusk · #24 2012-08-20, 10:02am

If you can section/wall off your part of the garage that will help since you'll only have to heat - and don't forget cool in the summer - that piece. Insulate the crap out of it, that helps both heating & cooling. Radiant under floor heat is the very best way IMO to heat anything. We heat our whole house w/it and a wood stove. They now produce ready to install grids that aren't too expensive for a small area to go under tile, concrete, etc that use electricity instead of the hot water mix we use.

dj