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Author: Laura_Brito, Contributing Editor
| Valorie Cox has a lovely studio and she says this: "I'm in a basement studio and have two windows near the ceiling (at ground level outside), about 10 feet apart from each other. One window is behind my studio (not shown in the photos), and it has been converted to accommodate a double fan bringing fresh air in (to replace the exhaust out).
My electrician installed a ventilation fan... I think it's around 400 CFM, which ducts out to the plexiglass window (using dryer duct hardware). This window is shown in my studio photo left of my table. The duct is hidden under the drop ceiling in the basement. The white hood which is shown in the photo is directly around the exhaust fan and panel. I made it from 4 sheets of 20"x30" foam-core. I measured and cut (exacto-knife & straight edge) one long edge of each board to 23"-on-center, and cut the angle. When glued together, this created the funnel hood shown in the photo (very strong, yet lightweight). It was then suspended from the cross bars of the drop ceiling with drop-ceiling brackets. It passed the 'incense-smoke' test, and works wonderfully for me." |
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 | Anasazi Studios (Elizabeth) says the following about her system: Here is a picture of my ventilation system. I bought a heavy duty range hood from Home Depot that I believe is 250 or 300 cfm. It has flexible pipe that vents out the window. I have a window in the other room open at all times when I use the torch and also a fan behind me.
The hood also has a light in it and I have a halogen light bulb which is great for lighting my work area. |
| Inadequate ventilation eventually can cause irritation to eyes or a metallic taste in the mouth. These are signs that you have a problem that needs to be addressed. Even if you do not have these symtoms, overlooking proper ventilation can become a health hazard.You can always consult your fire department about your particular setup. The fire department is happy to come out and talk to you about this and other hazardous issues in your studio area.
A good ventilation system will not cause your flame to be thrown around unpredictably. Working with enamels requires good ventilation! These are very small particles of glass and metals. If you sift enamels onto your beads you are creating little clouds of enamel dust that you cannot see. This dust settles everywhere; every time you run your finger across a surface or move things, this dust cloud flurries up again. The entire studio can easily become contaminated by enamel without proper ventilation. When you clean up substances like enamels, you need to be sure to go the wet route. I use handy wipes, wet paper towels (these can be thrown away) and wet rags that you will have to wash. (I'm not sure if residue would be left in a washer). If you use lusters like Tetra, these are poisonous and very toxic. Again, you need excellent ventilation to protect your health. Take your health seriously...Think, Get Information about your materials, Study the elements, and Provide the Safest Working Environment that you possibly can. I hope this article will provide you with several usable ideas about how to improve your ventilation systems! |
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| B i o g r a p h y | |
| Laura Brito | |
| Laura Brito began her career in art at a young age. She went from drawing to painting in oils by the age nine, and won a major art contest, in the Orient where she lived, when she was fifteen. Painting was not her only medium. Photography became a passion that led to a semi-professional career in that field. The rights to thousands of her photographs have been sold over the years. Though she still finds a use for her camera her interest in hot glass opened a new career for her seven years ago. She now sells her work through her website. Her knowledge in the hot glass medium has grown over time while working in the medium, and she is happy to share information. Anyone interested in hot glasswork can find further information on Laura's website as well as the Glass Art Forum at WetCanvas! | |
| E-Mail: laura@beadful.com Web Site: http://www.beadful.com/MyaArtGlass/ | |
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