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Fused Glass Workshops

" The page on setting up a workshop is the best!"

Fused glass workshops can be unique to each individual person. A glass studio is ideal for keeping your glass supplies organized, and having a place to work. It is great to have everything within arms reach and centrally located. A glass studio can be set up in just about any space in your home.

Fused glass workshops help to organize your items and keep them and your family safe. You need to have an organized safe place where your glass and tools are secure and shards of glass won’t find their way into little or big feet.

Always practice safety in the workplace. Read more about keeping safe on the Safety page.

Fused glass workshops can be set up in a garage, or in spare rooms in the house.

The basic needs are

Lots of electrical outlets

Good lighting

Plenty of windows

Fire extinguisher

Water and drainage source

Flat surfaces to work on

If you can, have the room air conditioned. This will make the room much easier to work inside, since kilns get hot, and so do you when you are working. See the Tools and Supplies section to see what items you will need in your glass studio.

You will need to be sure you have a safe area for your kiln. Be sure you have adequate space between your kiln and any object such as the walls, table top, etc. The kiln should be at least 12 inches from any wall, and placed on a fire proof surface. An electrical outlet should be close by, and there should be good ventilation a fume hood would be ideal. A fire extinguisher near by is a fantastic safety suggestion.

Fused glass workshops need to have an area for cutting. That allows you to keep the cutting tools set and ready to use all the time. This needs to be a place where you have adequate space to make your cuts, on a flat surface. A grinder or glass saw is great to have in this area, so that all your cutting requirements can be met in one general area.

There should be a place where you can assemble your pieces before placing them on your kiln shelf. An old cookie sheet comes in handy. You can assemble your glued pieces on this and then move it aside to dry and free up your space.

Have a place to store your glass, molds, frit and other miscellaneous supplies. Set up your studio so that the items you use most often are at eye level nearest to where you are going to use those items. Watch where your clutter ends up all the time, and then put a storage unit for that particular clutter in that spot.

Lots of shelving, plastic tubs and plastic storage cabinets are a must in a glass studio. A work surface on wheels with storage underneath would be great for moving items around as needed. You can make plywood shelving, like the glass supplier. You can put large sheets below, and cut down pieces of the same color immediately above. Try construction site dumpsters, they throw away a ton of wood that can be trimmed to fit your needs. Try local glass supply stores to see if they give away or sell the shipping boxes from the major glass manufacturers. Full size glass crates are a reasonable surface to hold some items on top besides storing the glass inside. For more ways to organize your glass, please click here .

Do a mock setup and check the flow of the room to your needs and desires. Adjust and move items around until you have them where they are most convenient for you and your space.

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