The Delphi Blog

I am about to set up my new workshop. I was just wondering what you think are the most important things to include?

Since every situation is different, we cant give you specific answers, but here are some things that you should give some thought to. We think that the two most important things in a workshop are safety and comfort.

You obviously want everything in your workshop to be as safe as possible. Ideally, you will want to have: proper ventilation, plenty of lighting, safe storage areas for glass and chemicals (do you have children?), grounded electrical connections, no extension cords, safe disposal for glass and supplies (trash cans as opposed to plastic bags), and easy to clean surfaces (no carpet on the floor).

Comfort is the next most important consideration. The height of your work surface is very important. If you arent comfortable, you wont be able to work as long as youd like. If you arent sure of the most comfortable height for you, use your house as a guide. You know whether you prefer to work standing up or sitting down. If you like to work sitting down, measure the height of the tables in your house where you like to work. If you always pay your bills at the kitchen table because your desk isnt comfortable, make your work benches the height of the kitchen table. If you like to work standing up, use your kitchen and bathroom counter tops as a guide.

Lighting is another important thing to think about. Its difficult to grind a piece of glass to the line that you drew if you cant see the line! Besides having plenty of overhead lighting, small desk lamps are inexpensive, easy to move around and provide direct lighting to any area that you may need. Be sure that you have plenty of electrical outlets in appropriate places.

You will need to be able to clean your projects, so access to water is important. (For safety reasons, you dont want to clean your projects in the kitchen sink.) If possible, you should have a deep sink with a water sprayer, set at a height that allows you to clean your projects without bending over. This will also allow you to clean yourself up before leaving your work area.

You may enjoy having access to a television, stereo, or telephone. You dont want to have to run upstairs (or wherever) every time the phone rings.

As far as storage goes, anything that you can do to organize your work space and keep it that way will make your time spent in your workshop more enjoyable. Each issue of Stained Glass News features a reader's workshop. You may find some ideas there that will work for you. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News. All rights reserved.