Building the Puppet Workshop

[Beebers]

When you have a table that big, there's the luxury of covering one section of it with plexi over the carpeting for cutting etc. Just screw it in with small screws, and you can then remove it any time, or have it on and off back and forth as suits you. If you do the carpet, and it's highly recommended, have someone help you install it so it's a good snug flat fit all around. The carpet cleans up fantastically too, with a ShopVac, and it takes cleanup of spills too. You might also find a 4-outlet station, or an outlet bar with on/off rocker switch, set into or on the tabletop, to be very handy. Location of that is up to the individual using the shop - some like having one right in the center, some on an edge, and so on.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

What's with all the people suddenly having Philip's avatar?

 

[Beebers]

It's for April Fool's lol. (See MC Avvie thread in Fun and Games.)

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I wish I had an attic, I sortof do but most houses in Australia don't have attics, more of what we call a loft. Theres not much room but it could be possible to build a little room in our roof since it is quite big. I don't know if it would house a family if a war broke out though.

 

[Show and Tell]

If I have counters covered like that do I really need to have the 4X8 island? counters are 2 ft deep and will have my downdraft exhaust fan in it. If so I might be able to make some adjustments to my plans but I wouldnt have walk space all the way around the table. Roof pitch won"t let me without being slunched over.

 

[Beebers]

Well, I was only describing the best-laid-out shop out of the ones I've seen. The builder whom it belongs to had a huge open roomspace with high ceilings with which to work. Everybody has differing room-spaces - you could just cull out the ideas you've seen here and elsewhere and tailor them to what suits you and your available space. More than anything, a layout that suits your own ways of working, and of moving around, is important, and that's different for everyone. Have fun with it!

 

[Show and Tell]

oh ok thanks. That'll give me something to shoot towards. I'm pretty pleased for now with the amount of space I have for this. It was quite a blessing. If I do well with this...well I just hope I do well with this.

 

[Show and Tell]

Ok. Now I found out that it is way too hot in my attic to build puppets. The contact cement comes apart in the heat so now I have decided that the wood working tools ( i.e. bandsaw, drill press, table saw, grinder, scrollsaw, beltsander, ect...) will be used in the attic and my glue station will be in my mud room where it has great ventilation and the basement is where foam and fabric design and cutting also the sewing will be done. So basically till I can get a seperate building for this, most of my house is a puppet factory. I am setting up a 5'x3' cutting table with a cutting mat that fits for cutting foam and fabric. Also I have cabinets and drawers lining the walls that I almost have put into place. The only real difficulty with my basemnet is that it has such a low ceiling that I can't stand straight up. But I have decided to work with this slight setback by using rolling chairs to work from. Should be fine except when working over the cutting table. Does anyone have a picture of their puppet workshop that they would be willing to show on the forum?

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

Here's mine. I have it set up in my dad's basement.

 

[Blink]

Does anyone have a picture of their puppet workshop that they would be willing to show on the forum?

Here is a picture of my current workshop. I am moving in two weeks and the set up will be different. The basement is great for gluing in terms of temperature. I have constructed and ventilation system that works in conjunction with opening windows in the basement. I also use less toxic glues than say "Barge". All these things together make for a pretty nice little set up, with lower concern about fumes. I do however still wear a resperator when using toxic products.