A Studio Workshop

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Wayland

Hárbarðr
Studio-I.jpg


Debs and I are both “crafty” people, we enjoy tinkering and making things and inevitably that requires a bit of space.

Our house came with a conservatory which was built, very badly, by the previous owner. It served us as a storage area but because it was built with no thought about drainage , damp courses or insulation it was damp and in danger of falling down.

This year we decided to demolish the old one and construct something more suited to our needs in it’s place.

After the late summer when we were plagued by biblical rainfall resulting in numerous delays, at last it is finished.

Studio-II.jpg


The idea is to provide two large workbenches, one for Debs and one for me. There is also an area for sitting, reading or just chilling out.

We wanted it to be a pleasant space that we could use year round so it is well insulated and with the addition of a small paraffin heater we hope it will allow us to be productive even in the depths of winter. Time will tell on that one.

Eventually, when the brickwork and concrete have dried out properly, we will move some of the craft and art books into the shelving at the end and we needed to incorporate storage space into the benches for the re-enactment / Steam Tent gear as well.

This extra space will allow us to work on multiple jobs simultaneously which is often much more efficient as you frequently find yourself waiting for something to dry or cure before being able to move on to the next part.

Workshop-I.jpg


The Studio will be reserved for the cleaner types of work like leatherwork, printing, painting and textiles, the heavier, dirtier work, like wood and metalwork will continue in the garage workshop along with the storage of much of the heavier camping equipment as well.

Workshop-II.jpg


Perhaps not entirely as relevant as other posts I have made but I thought it might be interesting for people to see where some of my craft work is done.

So now you know, and hopefully you can look forward to seeing much more of that work in the future.

I’ve already got a few jobs on my bench that have been waiting for the space to start them, so more news on them as we go on.
 
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Wayland

Hárbarðr
Very nice Gary, practical and very easy on the eyes.

The lighting on the benches is high colour rendering "daylight" balanced for colour accuracy, but at the reading end we've gone for warmer lights.

Each bench, the reading lights and the mood lights are all on separate switches so we can choose them as required.

The RGB LED strips are fully controllable as well according to the mood.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
Wow! Just wow! Amazing setup. Is that a loom on your partner's bench?

First off I wish I was as crafty as you two are second I'd like workspaces as good as you have and thirdly I wish I had your amount of tools as it seems you're well kitted out.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
-------------
How do you get on with the paraffin heater?
They usually chuck out a fair bit of moisture as they burn and in sheds at least this can cause rust on metal tools like files and so on.
Got a few mates who have used them over the years and they usually go over to electric or sometimes a wood burning stove, depends on how easy it is to install in the shed.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
The water issue is something I'm wrestling with at the moment.

There is a lot of moisture still coming from the walls and concrete floor which were saturated by a months worth of rain before the roof and windows were fitted.

The paraffin heater may not be helping that but I think it does need some source of heat to help it all dry out.
 

Roger

Forager
Sep 7, 2004
122
21
Sussex
Have you tried a de-humidifier? I've used the cheap ones as well as rentals from tool hire companies and they certainly do the job. It would be a great shame if all you kit and materials absorbed the moisture and went mouldy.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
-------------
I've worked in buildings where they have had the big gas heaters (look a bit like a small jet engine attached to a propane bottle) and they were a pain, ease a door one day and after the weekend it was catching the casing again cos the moisture in the air got it damp, then mildew all round the place.
Left some tools in there and the plane blades needed a touch up.

Just worth keeping an eye on.
 
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Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
Keep checking the tank and emptying it. They really can take out a lot of moisture in a short time if it's damp. My parents got a decent sized one after the pantry flooded through the wall. About 60cm high with half of it a water collection tank. We had to empty every hour or two on full power initially or it shut itself off.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
Probably, it is amazing what they can suck out of a room though. If it does get full there's an auto cut off usually.
 

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