Workshop ventilation

Since the completion of The Shed, most of the jobs I have done in the new workshop have been for The Shed.  Today was no exception, I added the ducting for extractor fans.

I didn't have any mechanical extraction in the old shed because it was draughty enough not to need any extra ventilation. The new workshop is pretty much sealed with only the deliberate window vents providing a trickle of air. This was OK in the summer where I had the doors and windows open but as soon as I've started working with those closed it was obvious I needed to add an extractor fan.

This was always planned and a section of wall had extra noggins in to form the duct and power was in place ready for an extractor fan.

What was causing me to think, was the vent on the outside. As The Shed is clad in feather edge, the boards overlap and are at an angle. Any of the more attractive cowls would not fit over the boards. This limits the design to a thin rectangle. I didn't like any of the off the shelf options.

After experimenting with a few things I ended up with using a length of guttering. It appears to work and blends in to the point of being almost unnoticed.

Behind the gutter cowl is a rectangular duct joint incorporating a backdraught flap. I added a few holes for better sideways airflow. Inside I've covered the duct with a bit of fly screen mesh.

The duct size is a bit small for the size of fan I've fitted but it's doing the job I need.

While I was at it, I've used the same design for a dedicated duct for my worktop spray booth.

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Roller cab tool rail

I'm very pleased with the roller tool cabinets I bought however, I have a breaker bar and torque wrench that are too long to fit inside. I didn't want a larger cabinet taking up more space than necessary and originally, I was going to hang the oversize tools on the wall, but the holes in the cab to mount the handle at either end gave me an idea.

I've made a tool rail to fit using the same mounting points as the handles.

I've been learning how to arc weld. This came in handy for this rail. The result is not very pretty but the welds have held very well.

I liked the look of the sanded steel after I cleaned it up, so I decided that I would use clear lacquer as the finish.

I'm still working out how to use the new workshop. The latest decision is where to hang painted things for them to dry.

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How to fit canvas keys - the little wooden bits

Also known as a Canvas Wedge or Painter's Corner. They are used to keep the frame pushed apart to hold the canvas taught. There should be 8 of them, two for each corner.

The edge of the frame is made up of 4 stretcher bars with joints in each corner. 

Looking from the inside, each corner will have grooves cut into it at an angle. They will be offset on each stretcher bar.

Tap the frame apart before putting in the wedges.

Use a hammer to tap on the stretcher bars from the inside. On smaller frames this can be in the middle to evenly do each edge, on larger frames it may be necessary to tap nearer the corners and use the same force at either end of the same stretcher bar.

Tap on the inside of each edge, so that the canvas is stretched evenly. The amount of movement is likely to be less than a millimetre and may not even be visible at the corners, but will be enough to tighten the canvas.

Be careful with existing paintings not to overstretch the work and crack the paint.

Tap in the wedges

The wedges are to hold the joint slightly apart.

They can be fitted parallel to the frame. My preference is to align them pointing towards the centre of the canvas. In either case, the longer edge is closest to the outside of the frame. I find the later method easier to get the hammer in to hit the ends of each wedge as they do not overlap.

Whichever position they are fitted, simply tap them in. The wedge shape will stop the corner closing up and can be used to fractionally force the frame apart to get that last bit of stretch needed to make the canvas evenly taught. The wedge in one stretcher is pushing against the timber of the other stretcher.

Put one wedge in the ends of each stretcher, so each corner will have two wedges.

They stay there

Once fitted the wedges should remain there. If the canvas sags, the frame can be tapped out a bit and the wedges tapped in again to hold it in place.

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There are a number of articles by others that go into more detail. I found the following clear and comprehensive:

How to Use the Canvas Wedges That Come with a Canvas or Stretcher Bars - Jackson's Art Blog (jacksonsart.com)

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Artist Palette

Shelley has taken up oil painting. She is having a great time.

I decided to make her a paint palette. I could easily have bought one, or many, at very little cost, but I have lots of offcuts of 5mm plywood from The Shed build so it has made a fun small project to do in the new workshop.

I designed the shape in QCAD to help find a suitable position and size for the thumb hole. I did a bit of research to understand the traditional evolved shape. There is a nose which helps to hold brushes and the corners are curved to be comfortable with your body and, I have assumed, to avoid poking the canvas with a bit that sticks out. From that, I created a paper template.

I cut a stack of three at the same time. The plan was to try to stop the ply splitting, but, as it happened, the blade I used in the jigsaw made a fairly clean cut.

I did the detail shaping with a Dremel rotary tool fitted with a small sanding tube. The outside edges I was able to do on my disc sander. I removed a little extra material in a few places, like the thumb hole, to make it more comfortable.

I've sealed them with Linseed oil. It's the same type of oil used to mix with the paints, so I know it's going to do the job.

That's it, Shelley can try one and if she wants any changes I can tweak them as required.

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Saddle Rack

Trying to be as efficient as possible with the space in the new tack room, I've built my own saddle rack using key clamp fixings.

I'm making several other fixtures in the newly completed outbuilding and I have opted to use 42mm outside diameter poles and key clamps for all of those.

By trial and error I found that a spacing of 500mm between the saddle racks was a comfortable size.

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The Shed

For the last year our home has been a building site.

This is the outbuilding we ended up with.

The transformation has been amazing. All of the old sheds have been demolished. Replaced by a single building containing; stables, feed room, tack room, garages, a workshop and storage. These photos are a reminder of the process.

May 2023

October 2024

We started moving everything into temporary storage in June 2023.

The works started in October 2023.

November 2023

December 2023

Moving into 2024 with more rainfall than we have seen in any previous winter since we've lived here.

Tiger's paw prints

February 2024

March 2024

April 2024

May 2024

July 2024

We could start using the inside from August 2024, while the landscaping carried on outside.

The groundworks team worked their way out along the driveway and finished on Friday 27 September 2024.

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We have been very pleased with our builder. It was an interesting and painless process. He employed very nice people, understood what we wanted and paid close attention to detail.

R A Lee Builders and Contractors Ltd.
Great Totham, Essex
01621 892503
07974 256348
russ@ralee.co.uk

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