building a studio

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howard,

one could write a book on the many different ways to set up a studio, so
I'll comment on one of my favorite fundamental parts of a stone studio.

Lifting and moving your stone around.

Having a steel I beam running the length of your room, mounted as high a
possible in the roof, and braced and incorporated into the frame of the
structure is something that will make your life easier and keep you from
hurting yourself.

You can get an "I" beam trolley that hangs from the beam and rolls along its
length. Chain hoists, pulleys, and many other things can be hung from the
bottom of the trolley, so you can pick up heavy stones and move them from
one place to another. You end up with a tool that requires no electricity ,
and nothing that will break down.

My garage is 12 feet wide and 20 long. I chose to put my beam across the
entrance , just inside the doors, and above the doors as much as possible.
For support I bolted a 6"x8"x 9foot tall wood beams onto the wall studs on
either side of the doors and put the steel beam on top of the wood braces,
and bolted it down. The cost of the steel is very low, the tough part is
getting your good friends to help you put it up!

Now I can back a truck just into the building and easily load and unload
stones and sculpture without injuring myself.
If you have some version of this idea combined with a concrete floor and a
couple of work benches that have wheels on them , you can have a simple yet
very flexible work space. Also, this set up is above your head, and not
taking up floor space.

Most of the time I work alone, and I've learned that  I cannot pick up a 250
lb block of stone, as I could 25 years ago. Fortunately I lived through the
strong back, weak mind period of my life without hurting my back. Now I do
my lifting the easy way.

I'm looking forward to reading what others have to add to your questions.
Its a subject that we all have dealt with.

good luck
George Graham