Workspaces

The new year has officially begun, and I’m looking ahead to see what I can create in the coming months. I’m fortunate enough to have my shop right here in my home, and even on a snowy holiday morning like today, the commute is entirely reasonable!

I am still learning and gathering tools - a process that can go on for a lifetime. Although I’m not as big a tool fiend as some artisans, I do have more than my fair share, and have tried to organize everyhting so I can lay hands on it without half an hour of frantic searching. My success varies.

My bench.

This is my bench. Here is where I whack, cut, grind, heat, and polish things, although hopefully not all at once! The pin in the front allows for control of whatever object I’m holding, while the cutout top lets my scraps fall into the drawer below where I can recycle them. I have entirely too many and not nearly enough pliers. And yes, I believe in good light!

The enameling workstation.

This is my enameling workstation. Enamel doesn’t care for dust, so I work it slightly separately from the flying grit and grime of the bench itself. I keep all my frits organized into tidy rows of ‘danger dust’ (don’t eat the pretty colors!) and have a nice wide clean area to work on. Yeah, I have enough light here, too - almost! I love my working window - fresh air and lots of light.

The Boss

And of course, no shop is complete without a supervisor. My boss is pretty gentle with me, she only insists on checking the ergonomics of my chair when I’m at the kiln or need to sit back down. She runs me ragged and reminds me to keep my floors pristine! We don’t mess with tortie ‘tude!