Ultimate Guide to Crafts and Hobbies: Creating a home workshop

A room of one’s own—or a garage or basement workshop

Tool cabinet:

Pegboard tool holder

Woodworking vise

Tool well

A good workbench is a necessity in such crafts as woodworking and wood sculpting. A bench provides a stable, level work surface; its vises and adjustable bench dogs act as a system to hold almost any piece firmly in a variety of positions, as suggested by the illustration. Benches come in a range of prices. They are often sold as kits that can be assembled at home. Choose one of a sturdy hardwood, with a tool well. Tool storage is an important consideration in any workroom. Wall-mounted pegboard offers the simplest way to hold light tools. If you build or purchase a cabinet, provide a holder for long tools, such as the inner door areas of the cabinet illustrated.

Many of the crafts covered in this guide don’t require a workshop. Macramé, origami (paper folding), string art, and flower drying can be done in almost any location in your house or apartment. Likewise, batik, lie-dyeing, collage, printing on cloth, bookbinding, papier-mâché, decou page, basket weaving, stenciling, can die-making, and watercolor can be done in the kitchen, the laundry room, the den, or any convenient room you can temporarily take over. Few flammable or toxic materials are involved—only flie wax used in making candles and dyes for batik and tie-dyeing—and these are easily controlled and contained. Cleanup time is not long. The necessary storage space for tools and materials is small—a shelf or two or a drawer in a cabinet. A small table or a kitchen counter makes an adequate work surface, which can be covered with newspaper or a drop cloth to catch drippings and waste.

But certain crafts either require or are more conveniently carried on in a permanent workshop, workroom, or studio. Some of these crafts, such as pottery and woodworking, involve large numbers of tools and materials or heavy equipment that cannot easily be stored in a closet or cupboard. Other crafts require techniques that can be a bit messy, such as cutting glass and soldering for stained glass construction, or grinding and polishing for lapidary and jewelry-making. Still other crafts take long periods of time, and unfinished projects must be left undisturbed between work sessions, as in quilting and weaving. A separate studio is also advisable for enameling, oil painting, printmaking, wood sculpture, modeling, mold-making and casting, metalworking, and other artistic crafts that you plan to do on a sustained basis. As suggested, for crafts such as quilting and weaving the workshop may be no more than a separate room within your house. For woodworking and pottery, for which the equipment and tools are numerous, often heavy, and may require special wiring, the workshop should be located outside the living area of the house—in the basement, in the garage, or in an out building. And where fumes or dusts must be ventilated or contained, or where toxic or flammable chemicals are employed, it’s always wise to locate the shop well away from the house.

This section covers such aspects of the home workshop as ventilation, tool storage, workbenches, flammables, and workshop housekeeping. Attention is directed in particular to the health hazards associated with the procedures and materials used in certain crafts.

The sections that follow—Leather- working, Stained glass, Woodworking, Pottery, etc. detail each craft’s tools and materials. By consulting these pages, and by drawing on your own growing experience in a new craft, you will eventually decide whether you want your own individual workshop, where to locate it, and how you want to furnish and equip it.

Many schools and community centers offer crafts classes. Enrolling in classes is one of the best ways to experience firsthand the essentials of a good workshop. If you become deeply involved in any craft, no matter how light the equipment used, you may find it best to set aside a room of your own within your residence. Why? Simply so that you won’t always have to pick up after yourself, and to keep your family and friends from disturbing you in moments of creation.

Ventilation

Good ventilation is among the most important considerations in designing a home workshop. Many crafts procedures and materials raise dust or emit toxic fumes. Anyone breathing the air in such an environment risks serious injury to his or her health, as explained in Health hazards of crafts materials. In combination with good housekeeping habits, proper ventilation can eliminate or greatly re duce any threat to your health.

The meaning of the term “ventilation” is often misunderstood. In fact, there are two types of ventilation: local, or exhaust, ventilation, and general ventilation. Local ventilation systems capture contaminants at or near their point of origin and remove them from the workshop environment be fore they can pollute it. General ventilation systems—open windows, a window fan, or an air conditioner—that bring fresh air into the room simply dilute the pollutants, lowering their concentrations in the air.

General ventilation, therefore, can not make the air safe to breathe, particularly when concentrations of certain substances as low as a few parts per million are dangerous to human health. General ventilation is used primarily to cool the air and to make it more comfortable. Local ventilation is necessary to remove harmful sub stances from the air.

Local ventilation. The diagram above shows a typical local ventilation setup. General ventilation is used with it to bring in outside air to replace that exhausted by the local system.

A local system usually employs a hood to trap fumes and dust. The hood is attached to a duct leading to an exhaust fan, which draws the contaminants through the duct, expelling them to the outside. Such a system can be fitted with a filtering device to clean the contaminated air before it’s expelled into the environment. A connecting duct may not be necessary where the work surface can be located directly before a window exhaust fan.

The most important consideration is the location of the hood. It should be as close as possible to the source of the contaminant. The hood should be positioned so that it draws the contaminated air away from you; in other words, the work area should be in front of you with the hood behind the work area—either at the same level as the work or slightly higher. Contaminated air should not pass through your breathing zone or the breathing zones of anyone else moving about the work shop before it’s captured by the hood.

To trap the pollutants and to pull them into the hood, the exhaust velocity must be greater than the normal velocity of the air in the work area (as caused by drafts or mechanical agitation). Since exhaust velocity decreases sharply with distance, the farther away the hood is located from the work area, the stronger the exhaust fan must be.

Health hazards of crafts materials:

In recent years medical researchers hive turned their attention to so-called occupational diseases. These are illnesses that afflict people who are ex posed by the nature of their jobs to toxic substances, often over long periods of time. Largely as a result of his recent research, new information has come to light concerning materials and substances that are used in a number of popular crafts.

Flash points of solvents:

73°F-100°F:

isopropyl alcohol methyl isobutyl ketone propyl alcohol

styrene

trichloroethylene

turpentine

xylene

100°F-140°F:

acetic acid kerosene mineral spirits

Stoddard solvent

Under 73°F:

acetone

benzine (VM&P naphtha)

benzol

ethyl acetate

ethyl alcohol

ethyl ether

gasoline

methanol

methyl ethyl ketone

petroleum ether (pet naphtha)

toluene

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Polyvinyl gloves

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A few of the substances traditionally employed by craftsmen are now known 0 he so hazardous that no one should risk even brief exposure to them. But his is not true for the majority of crafts materials; with these, the danger is directly related to the frequency and ( of exposure. Moreover, there arc many means by which you can.

Protect yourself against the ill effects of toxic materials—means that are often Is simple as good studio housekeeping or wearing a dust mask. Ventilation is a primary consideration for a healthy working environment, and an article on the subject appears.

The purpose of this section is not to detract from your pleasure in your craft. Rather, the purpose is to help ensure you years of excellent health in pursuing your art or craft. The first subject discussed below is volatile and caustic chemicals. Various crafts are then discussed, with the emphasis on protecting gainst specific hazards involved in each craft.

In addition to the information given iii these paragraphs, there are a few rules that you should always follow. First, never use any substance before reading the instructions and warnings on the manufacturer’s label. Second, consult your physician at the first sign of any infirmity—such as a skin rash, headache, dizziness, difficulty in breathing, or nausea—that you feel may be caused by toxic substances. Finally, always suspect exposure to toxic substances if a symptom goes away or improves when you take a few days off from working at your craft, then returns or worsens when you begin working again.

Remember that if your workshop is located within your home, both you and your family may be subject to continuing exposure to a toxic agent. For this reason, the workshop house keeping procedures recommended in the ensuing paragraphs are doubly important in a home workshop.

Solvents and other chemicals: The threat from volatile chemicals is three fold: disease or poisoning that results from breathing toxic fumes or from accidentally swallowing a substance; bums and injuries resulting from con tact between a substance and skin or eyes or with the mouth, nose, and throat passages; and the danger of fire or explosion where volatile vapors are present near a source of ignition.

The hazards of breathing the air in a workshop where volatile chemicals are used can be greatly reduced and even eliminated with proper ventilation (see Ventilation). Good housekeeping habits are also important—containers of volatile fluids should be capped or corked immediately after use, spills should be wiped up at once, and soaked rags and paper towels should be kept in a closed container until you can dispose of them.

Never eat or drink in an area where you are working with toxic fluids. You risk picking up the wrong container or accidentally getting poison into the food or drink.

Never smoke in a workshop where volatile fluids are present. Many sol vents are flammable at room temperatures. Flammability is determined by the fluid’s flash point. This is the lowest temperature at which a liquid emits enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture with the surrounding air.

Combustion can be triggered by any ignition source, such as a lit cigarette, a pilot flame, or an electrical spark.

The National Fire Protection Association classifies any liquid as flammable if its flash point is below 100°F. And as the table at shows, many common solvents are flammable at ordinary room temperatures. The fluids that appear in the table should be stored only in the approved safety containers in which they are sold.

The best way to protect your hands from contact with caustic chemicals is by wearing gloves. Polyvinyl gloves— including the inexpensive disposable “surgeons’” type—will protect against most solvents except those containing heavy concentrations of ketones such as acetone. Butyl and natural rubber protect against acetone and other ketones but not against aromatic solvents, such as polyester resin, chlorinated hydrocarbons, petroleum distillates, and acids. Polyvinyl chloride or neoprene rubber is the best choice for working with acids and caustics.

In lieu of gloves, silicone barrier creams, available in many drugstores, may provide an effective protective coating for your hands. Follow the instructions on the packages.

In general, the hazard posed by a toxic substance depends on its potency, on the amount to which you are ex posed, and on the length of time of the exposure. A person working with toxic solvents eight hours a day every day is generally more vulnerable than some one using them a few hours a week.

With this in mind, we will examine what is known about the toxicity of the most common solvents. They may be present as ingredients in brand-name products, or they may be sold under their generic names. Check manufacturers’ labels to determine which are present in any product.

Alcohols --- Almost all solvents are poisonous if breathed in or swallowed in sufficient amounts. Alcohols are no exception. They are both anesthetics and irritants. Breathing high concentrations of methanol (wood or methyl alcohol) can cause fatigue, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and permanent damage to body organs. If swallowed, methanol can cause blindness and sometimes death. Amyl alcohol acts on the nervous system to produce symptoms similar to those caused by methanol. Denatured alcohol—ethanol (potable alcohol) containing some methanol—is the safest of the alcohols for the workshop. It’s used as a shellac thinner, as a varnish and paint re mover, and as a lacquer thinner.

Aromatic hydrocarbons --- These and chlorinated hydrocarbons are the most lethal solvents. Benzene (or benzol) is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is so dangerous that you should never use it, even for brief periods. Long-term exposure to small amounts has a cumulative effect that may include the destruction of bone marrow and blood cells. It’s a known cause of leukemia. Xylene is also highly toxic. A some what safer substitute for benzene and xylene is toluol; however, it should be used only sparingly and where there is excellent local ventilation (see Ventilation). Aromatic hydrocarbons are used as resin solvents, as paint and varnish removers, as dye solvents, and for silk-screen washup. Other solvents perform many of these functions adequately enough for crafts purposes, and they are not as dangerous.

(Note: the less powerful solvent called benzene, an aliphatic hydrocarbon, is not the same as benzene. See A liphatic hydrocarbons.)

Chlorinated hydrocarbons --- All of these chemicals are very dangerous. They dissolve the fatty layer in the skin, causing severe dermatitis. They can cause cancer in such body organs as the kidneys and liver.

The most potent of these solvents is carbon tetrachloride. It can be absorbed through the skin. Exposure to high concentrations in the air results in unconsciousness and may cause death. Related chemicals include chloroform, acetylene tetrachloride (tetrachloroethane), ethylene dichloride, per chloroethylene, and trichloroethylene. All are used as solvents for waxes, oils, resins, and greases. Always substitute a safer solvent.

Aliphatic hydrocarbons. When used in a well-ventilated workshop (see Ventilation), these are fairly safe solvents. All are derived from petroleum. The most volatile is naptha (petroleum ether). It’s followed in order of volatility by gasoline, benzene (VM & P naphtha), mineral spirits, and kerosene. Kerosene poses the most serious threat to health, as it’s a strong lung and skin irritant. All of these solvents are highly flammable, and strong pre cautions should be taken regarding their safe storage. Use them only away from possible ignition sources. They serve as paint thinners, varnish thinners, and solvents for rubber cement and for some cleanup tasks.

Ketones and other odorous solvents.

These solvents have strong odors that warn of heavy concentrations in the air. Acetone (nail polish remover), a ketone, is among the safest of solvents, although its flammability dictates that it be used cautiously. Ketones such as methyl butyl (MBK) should be avoided because they cause paralysis of the extremities. Acetone is a solvent for lacquers, oils, waxes, and plastics. Turpentine, among the most commonly used solvents, is a paint and varnish thinner. For many, however, it’s a skin irritant, and its vapors will irritate the eyes, sinuses, and throat after protracted exposure. Turpentine can cause headache, anxiety, mental confusion, and gastritis, and it should be used only in a well-ventilated area (see Ventilation ). Containers should be capped immediately after use.

Aerosols, acids, and alkalies. Aerosol sprays should be used only in conjunction with local ventilation (see Ventilation __10). Good general ventilation is not adequate to protect your health. Airbrushes and spray guns should also be used only with the very best local ventilation arrangements.

Acids are used primarily for etching designs in metal—either on metalware or on printmaking plates. Wear PVC or neoprene rubber protective gloves when handling acids. Should you get any on your skin, wash immediately with cool water. When you are diluting an acid, always pour the acid into the water—never the other way around.

The fumes that are produced when metal is etched with nitric acid burn lung tissue. Protracted exposure to the fumes can cause death. Therefore, etching with nitric acid and other strong acids should be done only in conjunction with local ventilation (see Ventilation ). Most etching processes can be carried out with relatively weak acids, such as ferric chloride; their use is advocated for the beginner.

Alkalies will burn and ulcerate the skin. Wear protective gloves when handling them. The most dangerous are caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). Quicklime (calcium oxide), slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), ammonia, and sodium silicate and metal silicate can also burn the skin.

Both quicklime dust and ammonia vapors can harm the lungs. If you use these substances frequently, do so only in conjunction with local ventilation.

Dyeing fabric and yarn. Because they are sold under manufacturers’ trade names and are not always identified chemically, it’s difficult to single out any dye that can be considered perfectly safe. Researchers suspect that the ingredients in some chemical dyes cause such diseases as asthma, dermatitis, and bladder cancer.

Exposure occurs as the result of in haling dye powders when mixing dyes and by absorption of the liquid dyes through the skin. The latter is a hazard even when using premixed dyes.

People who become engaged full time in a craft involving powdered dyes may want to acquire an air-purifying respirator to wear when handling the powders. Anyone who works with dyes even infrequently should observe the following precautions:

1. To minimize the amount of dust in the air, use scissors to snip open dye packets. Don’t tear them open.

2. Add the powder carefully to the water to avoid stirring up dust. If the powder comes in jars, transfer it to the water using a long-handled spoon.

3. Wear heavy-duty rubber gloves when handling dye solutions and freshly dyed fabrics. If you get some dye onto your skin or hair, wash it off with soap and water or shampoo. Don’t use bleach or solvents to remove dye, as these may break the dye down into more dangerous components.

4. Don’t sweep up spilled dye powders. Pick them up with a disposable paper towel.

5. Store solutions and powders in sealed containers.

6. Don’t eat, drink, or smoke in your work area.

7. Don’t prepare dye solutions in utensils that will later be used for cooking. Wash soiled work clothes separately from other clothes.

8. Don’t allow young children to work with any chemical dyes. If children work with natural dyes, the mordanting and preparation of the dye baths should be done by an adult.

The consultants who advised in pre paring the Spinning and dyeing and Batik and tie-dyeing sections of this hook advocate the use of natural dyes over chemical dyes. The former are believed to be much less toxic than heir chemical counterparts; moreover, no powders need be handled in mixing natural dyes. Recipes for natural dyes are given with the projects in the sections mentioned above.

Woodworking--Obvious hazards are associated with the operation of power tools and the use of certain hand tools. Some people develop allergies to certain woods. Both subjects are discussed in detail in the Woodworking section.

To control the spread of sawdust torn stationary power tools, some professional woodworkers install dust- collection systems. Plastic hoses lead from each power tool to an industrial- type collector containing an exhaust Ian. A damper is fitted to each pipe and is opened only when the tool is in operation. An excellent design for such 1 system has been published by Fine Woodworking magazine. Woodworkers may want to write Fine Woodworking to buy the back issue explaining this system.

The inhalation of wood dust can cause serious injury to the lungs. Good exhaust ventilation is not sufficient protection against the inhaling of dust when running such tools as power sanders. During stints of power sand rig wear either a dust mask or an air-purifying respirator.

Ceramics---Potters should routinely take certain precautions. A dust mask or an air-purifying respirator should be worn when handling clay in dry form; inhaling the free silica present in clays ran lead to silicosis (“potter’s rot”). To avoid this problem entirely, buy only wet already prepared—clay.

The raw materials used for colors and glazes—including such metals as cadmium, barium, nickel, cobalt, and chromium—are highly toxic. Wear a dust mask or respirator when grinding and handling large quantities of these materials; store the powders in sealed containers when not in use; mix glazes with disposable stirrers, not with your hands or a kitchen utensil. Lead is so dangerous even after the glaze has been fired that we recommend you never use it.

To catch spills, put the pot to be glazed on a drop cloth of newspaper, paper towels, or plastic that can be thrown away after use. Wear a mask if you are spraying the glaze, and work in an area with good local ventilation (see Ventilation). Kiln firing of ceramic materials produces toxic fumes; therefore, kilns should be vented to the outside, either by chimneys and flues (in gas- ,wood- , or charcoal-burning kilns) or through an overhead fume- hood exhaust ventilation system (in an electric kiln).

Finally, a potter’s hands are prone to chapping and cracking because of the skin’s constant exposure to clay and moisture. Clays often contain molds that can cause fungus infections of the skin or fingernails. You should clean your nails and wash your hands after each working session. At the end of the day apply a hand lotion to replace depleted body oils.

Painting and printmaking--Most artists are aware that lead pigments are extremely hazardous and, to avoid breathing in the dust, never handle lead pigments in powdered form. Ready-to-use lead pigments are also hazardous. After using them always clean your fingernails and wash your hands thoroughly.

Like precautions should be followed in using any paint. Many of the most common pigments are made from metals that are almost as dangerous as lead. Metallic pigments include emerald green and cobalt violet, which contain arsenic compounds; all cadmium pigments; chromium oxide green, zinc yellow, strontium yellow, and viridian, all containing chromium; true Naples yellow, flake white, and mixed white, all with lead; burnt umber, raw umber, Mars brown, manganese blue, and manganese violet, all containing manganese; and vermilion, containing mercury.

In addition to the dangers associated with the metals in the pigments, the vehicles, binders, and solvents employed in modern synthetic acrylic paints may pose health hazards. These include mineral spirits, turpentine, and toluol, as well as ammonia, which is used in acrylic media. To protect your self against these hazards, follow the same careful housekeeping and ventilation procedures recommended earlier for the use of solvents.

In printmaking the greatest hazards are those associated with breathing in the fumes from solvents used mainly in cleaning up. The precautions suggested earlier for the use of solvents should be followed. Similar precautions should govern your use of inks; in particular, prints should be put to dry in a well- ventilated place. Try to avoid skin con tact with the inks, and wash up thoroughly if you do get ink on your skin.

Definite hazards are associated with the acids used in etching. Refer to the discussion of acids that appears earlier.

Sculpting, modeling, and casting.

Stone is not a good medium for the beginning sculptor,, and no projects in stone are included in this guide. If you do work in stone, wear protective goggles to shield your eyes from flying chips and a dust mask to prevent the inhalation of dust, which can cause silicosis. Any workshop where stone is cut or ground on a continuing basis should have an exhaust ventilation system (see Ventilation ).

As noted earlier in this article, woods can cause allergic reactions in some people, including dermatitis. Among the toxic woods most likely to be en countered by a wood sculptor are East Indian satinwood, South American boxwood, mahogany, rosewood, ebony, teak, and cocobolo. You should not continue to work with a wood to which you have an allergic reaction.

Modeling clay presents no dust problems if it’s kept wet. After working in clay or plasticine, wash your hands thoroughly and apply a hand lotion to replace depleted skin oils.

The Modeling, mold making, and casting sculpture section recommends plaster of paris (calcium sulfate) as one of a number of casting mediums. Plaster of paris dust is irritating, and you should wear a dust mask or respirator if you are exposed to it in quantity. Be cause of the difficulty and the hazards involved in casting metals, the section advocates that pieces be sent to a commercial foundry for casting.

Plastics --- The industrial processes used to formulate plastics can be extremely hazardous. This is also true for anyone employing laminating, casting, and foam processes in a workshop. The solvents, catalysts, hardeners, etc., can cause serious diseases, as can the dusts thrown off in sawing, sanding, and polishing plastics. Largely for these reasons, no projects in plastics are included in this guide.

Anyone interested in a more complete analysis of the health hazards associated with crafts materials will find excellent information in Dr. Michael McCann’s health Hazards Manual for Artists. The pamphlet is available for a small fee from The. Foundation for the Community of Art.

This guide adapted from Reader's Digest -- Crafts and Hobbies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Skills (1979)