Was Looking Forward To Shop Time Today But...

[kmmcrafts]

My Thermometer is showing -18F outside right now... so I suppose I'll stay inside and work on adding a few items to my Amazon store, LOL  Not too many times through the year that I wont go in and work because of too cold or too hot... at most.. usually around 3-10 days.. Guess that's why I refuse to spend the $$ on heating and cooling.. but as I get older I'm sure sooner or later I'll bite and buy a system, LOL  

[scrollingforsanity]

36 degrees here Kevin and I still run my heater. Guess I am already old. I have a small 220V heater that I have had for several years. It heats my shop on low very nicely. Not sure what it costs to run but I don't think its to bad. Even on very cold days it just takes minutes to warm up and be comfortable. Never have run it off the low setting even when very cold. Not sure what brand I have but I paid around a 100.00 for it. Enjoy your inside time today.

grizz

[Scruffydog]

My basement shop is 55 deg year round. Thinking about a heater cause it just seems colder in the winter. -18 is a bit much...

Edited January 21, 2019 by unclescott

[Rockytime]

My shop is only 112 sq ft. I have one outside wall, one common with the kitchen and two walls common with the garage interior. In even zero weather, which is rare, my shop never gets below 45 degrees. However, I like it warm. I purchased a 220V 30 amp heater which is supposed to heat a single car garage efficiently. That is what they say. The heater is a Dimplex brand and is a piece of crap. I installed it this past spring and have now had a chance to use it. Very inefficient. I does not have high and low settings just a rheostat. When turning it all the way up it soon goes into default. If turned up to 3/4 the heater does not run long enough to heat the shop. I can fix the problem by disassembling it and moving the internal thermostat a little further from heating coils. That will work but also be potentially dangerous if it does not shut down if over heating. I'm back to my parabolic heater which works but I don't like having to always walk around the thing. DO NOT BUY a Dimplex heater!

OK, I'm done now. :>)

[OCtoolguy]

55 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

My shop is only 112 sq ft. I have one outside wall, one common with the kitchen and two walls common with the garage interior. In even zero weather, which is rare, my shop never gets below 45 degrees. However, I like it warm. I purchased a 220V 30 amp heater which is supposed to heat a single car garage efficiently. That is what they say. The heater is a Dimplex brand and is a piece of crap. I installed it this past spring and have now had a chance to use it. Very inefficient. I does not have high and low settings just a rheostat. When turning it all the way up it soon goes into default. If turned up to 3/4 the heater does not run long enough to heat the shop. I can fix the problem by disassembling it and moving the internal thermostat a little further from heating coils. That will work but also be potentially dangerous if it does not shut down if over heating. I'm back to my parabolic heater which works but I don't like having to always walk around the thing. DO NOT BUY a Dimplex heater!

OK, I'm done now. :>)

I remember when you put that thing in last year. Sad to hear it's crap. When I had a real home/garage, I acquired an overhead gas furnace from a shop that was being torn down. It was a 110 volt blower. I hung it up in the rafters in my shop/garage. I never did hook up the gas line to it because I was told that if I ever had any kind of an insurance claim that I might have a problem. But I'll bet it would have worked great in my 3 car garage.

[Woodmaster1]

I have a bigmaxx 50,000 btu natural gas furnace hanging for my ceiling and it keeps my 900 sqft. shop a comfy 68 degrees when -11 outside. It only cost me $120 extra a year to heat the shop and I maintain that temperature 24/7.

Edited January 22, 2019 by Woodmaster1

[Rockytime]

Yup, a gas furnace would work well except that a gas tap is at the other end of our home.I've gotten along with a small electric heater for years and I can do so again. I liked the idea of a hanging heater and not having to trip over or around a heater on the floor. I'll not purchase another heater as who knows how long I'll be using my shop. I can hang my milk house heater which works. Just DO NOT BUY A DIMPLEX heater!

 

[SCROLLSAW703]

My little ol' 400 sq. ft. shop has a central air type furnace in it. It's an older trailer house type shop that used to be a beauty shop. We rent it from my our neighbors. It works out well for me because it's just across the street from us, and believe it or not, even at 0 out here in open country with a stiff wind, I can still keep it around 70* constant in the shop for about $45/month.

I've had too damn many back surgeries and other things that I ain't able to operate much under 70*. I know, gettin' old sucks, but it's where I'm comfortable.

Sawdust703(brad)

 

[woodduck]

The last couple of weeks we have been through a severe heatwave with temperatures around the 40 degree mark or above.Today it is 42 & expected to hit 46 on Friday & that is celsius readings.Not much time spent in the shed .I manage to do a few jobs in the morning but the heat drives me back inside before lunch to sit under the cooler.Cheers Peter

[lawson56]

Here in Southern Tenn,we have been having a Roller Coaster in Temps,In my Little Shop,I have a small heater that works great,I can turn it on a within a hour my shop is ice and toasty, I just have to clear it with the Wife.

[SCROLLSAW703]

Well Mr. Kevin, 

I had the same thoughts today that you did yesterday, Sir. We got a "Kansas Blizzard" goin' on here in the NW corner of Kansas today. It Started late last night & finally the wind set in. Early this morning, before sun up, there weren't much snow but we had some ice with 50 mph gusts, and 14*. About two hours ago, my three short legged dogs decided they needed to have a look see outdoors. so, I took'em to the back door, two of'em looked outside, looked up at me with that "hell with that" look. My other'n, he decided he had to go bad enough, snow or not, he was plowin' snow. He jumped off the back step into stinger deep snow, turned around and the look he gave me we ain't goin' into on here, but he plowed snow out to their pen, 'bout 30', paid the water bill, and plowed snow back to the house.

Ya know, he ain't had much to do with me since. He usually lays in my lap.;)

Sawdust703(brad)

[NC Scroller]

If it makes you feel better it was 14 this morning in my part of NC.  My shop was a toasty 55 with my ceiling mounted heater in the lowest position.   

[SCROLLSAW703]

I didn't even make it to the shop today. With 50 mph winds, and snow blowin' and carryin' on, there's better days to cross the street to go to the shop.

Sawdust703(brad)

[kmmcrafts]

Was 14F here this morning too so I went out and did some sawing. I can deal with the + side of temps but with the - side I stay in. I didn’t get much cutting done cause my wellhouse heater must have stopped and my pipes froze so I spent part of my day with that. Here is a picture of my project. Pattern is in the pattern request section. Almost got it all done lol. 

[SCROLLSAW703]

Good Job, Sir! you accomplished more than I did today.

Sawdust703(brad)

[kmmcrafts]

Thank you Brad, 

I don't always make accomplishments LOL... or at least not as much as I'd like to anyway.. LOL 

Your story of the dogs .. My dog is the same way.. but he's plenty tall enough ( Great Dane ) for the most part that only his legs have to deal with the snow.. but he still hates having to go out to do his business.. and he sure doesn't get very far from the door either... If i'd let him he'd go right on the porch, LOL... But... I wouldn't want to have to go outside either.. LOL so I let him get away with just a few foot out away from the porch..   

[wombatie]

On 1/22/2019 at 4:27 PM, woodduck said:

The last couple of weeks we have been through a severe heatwave with temperatures around the 40 degree mark or above.Today it is 42 & expected to hit 46 on Friday & that is celsius readings.Not much time spent in the shed .I manage to do a few jobs in the morning but the heat drives me back inside before lunch to sit under the cooler.Cheers Peter

Yeah we are getting the heat too Peter.  Due for 43C tomorrow but they have already upped it twice so we shall see.  Close to 40 today too.  No garage for me until Saturday or Sunday.  We really could do with some rain.

Marg

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

My basement shop does me well and has over the years. Yes I would love to have a large dedicated woodworking shop and if I did it would have both heat and cooling What is the sense of building a dedicated shop when you are restricted to work in it. Makes no sense to me. Counter productive. There are many ways to heat and cool today. Solar is a big thing that has taken the world by storm and be incorporated into plans today. Yes cash is needed but if you do not have it don't build a shop.

[Dave Monk]

7 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

My basement shop does me well and has over the years. Yes I would love to have a large dedicated woodworking shop and if I did it would have both heat and cooling What is the sense of building a dedicated shop when you are restricted to work in it. Makes no sense to me. Counter productive. There are many ways to heat and cool today. Solar is a big thing that has taken the world by storm and be incorporated into plans today. Yes cash is needed but if you do not have it don't build a shop.

I agree.......Built a new shop this past fall. I had a local company install a mini split.  Love it so far except for the fact that I can't set the temp below 62.................so I leave it at 62 24/7.  I do have to blow the dust out of the wall unit  about every other day.

[kmmcrafts]

7 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

 What is the sense of building a dedicated shop when you are restricted to work in it. Makes no sense to me. Counter productive. 

So you're not working in the back yard during a blizzard is my thinking.. or while it's raining.. not too smart to scroll in the rain, 

I literally only have about a dozen days a year that is too cold to work... I take advantage to this by working on my website adding new inventory and promoting my site etc..

That all said.. heat is on my list of things to do.. but it's quite a ways down the list.. I never seen any point it heating an un-insulated shop.. Most of the shop is insulated but I do have a ways to go with it..  This shop never got finished in the beginning because I got really sick ( almost died ) about a month or so after we just got the shop up.. All my saved up money went to medical bills instead of finishing the shop.. I didn't want to move into it until it was finished.. but had no choice to because I had to make money to finish it up.. You see.. I don't borrow money .. I pay cash money.. If I don't have the cash I do without.. That's where getting heat comes into play, LOL ..

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

So you're not working in the back yard during a blizzard is my thinking.. or while it's raining.. not too smart to scroll in the rain, 

I literally only have about a dozen days a year that is too cold to work... I take advantage to this by working on my website adding new inventory and promoting my site etc..

That all said.. heat is on my list of things to do.. but it's quite a ways down the list.. I never seen any point it heating an un-insulated shop.. Most of the shop is insulated but I do have a ways to go with it..  This shop never got finished in the beginning because I got really sick ( almost died ) about a month or so after we just got the shop up.. All my saved up money went to medical bills instead of finishing the shop.. I didn't want to move into it until it was finished.. but had no choice to because I had to make money to finish it up.. You see.. I don't borrow money .. I pay cash money.. If I don't have the cash I do without.. That's where getting heat comes into play, LOL ..

Kevin I understand there are circumstances that come up and a shop is far from the list of necessities but if it is your business then you have to make it a priority. This is what pays the bills. The expense can be written off on your taxes. Health issues is different. But I read not only here but other forums about it is too hot or too cold. There maybe just a handful of perfect days to be out in a shop. Many years ago when I got started in this and woodworking in general, I left a scrollsaw out in my shed and on those beautiful days I would scroll under a nice large oak tree in my back yard. It was nice and the lighting was great and all but then I moved operations to my basement and have not looked back. Even in an uninsulated shop you will be surprised you can change the temp with little trouble. I have at times did some finishing and also powdercoating in my garage with a couple electric heaters running. Yes the garage is sheet rocked but no insulation in the walls and the door leaks and it very cold but it does not take much. If you make it work for you than all is well. But as I said I read these types posts all the time and scratch my head, why build a shop if you can not work in it.

[Scruffydog]

Every shop I have had since I started woodworking has been below ground. Some have been warmer than others. In my current shop, which is the size of a 2 1/2 car garage, contains the ejector pump to our septic system. When it gets really cold, like it will be this coming 2 weeks, then it stinks. Normal temp is around 55 deg F. A sweatshirt is enough to stay warm most of the time, but some days a heater would be nice. I might borrow the one from the bathroom this weekend.

Sometimes when we are not home one of the dogs leaves me a little present on the floor. One time it was right in front of a project I was working on. I figured it was her commentary on my abilities. She was probably right. I have always dreamed of having a garage size shop above ground with a little wood stove in the corner.

My grandfather used to have a shed way back of the house, next to the alley. I think it housed horses at one time. He had a wood stove and just a few tools, some of which he made. I remember his home made disk sander. Worked great. He was a retired tool & die maker and I grew up to be a tool & die designer. I like to think I inherited some of his love for tools and wood. I think he would have liked scrolling.

Anyway... just a trip down memory lane.

[kmmcrafts]

The write off of taxes only works if the building is the Business's building I believe.. and I don't have it written up that way.. Would have loved to insulate and do other improvements rather than buying the CNC and other tools but the way the chips fall don't always land where you need / want... it is what it is.. I do have a small LP radiant heater that sits next to me while sawing https://www.harborfreight.com/15000-BTU-Tank-Top-Propane-Heater-63073.html.. This keeps me quite warm running next to me on low or medium.. The biggest issue for me is the bellows blowing air on the fingers.. which in between cuts sometimes I'll warm my hands and go for the next cut, LOL.. For the most part.. this works well until we get down to the single digit temps.. As for too hot to work.. don't think I ever posted that one.. but is possible I suppose..  rare around here to get too hot though..

Most of my jobs I've had in my life was working outside.. in the elements. rain, snow, hot sun... whatever it's doing I was working, so maybe it's in my mind to just deal with it..as that's how it's always been... My wife tells me to bring the saw inside on those real cold days.. LOL guess I'm stubborn like that.. Though before the shop.. my saw was placed off to a corner in the dinning room   But that was back before I was " really " production cutting.. I think she'd change her mind real quick when she see's the sawdust accumulate the way it does these days, LOL 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I know about working outside. I worked in construction for 43 years and worked in all kinds of weather. No work, no pay. Usually when a building is warm or cool it is time to move onto the next job. My last job was working on a FedX ware house under construction. I did not plan to stay on that long but wound up staying till the end and that was the job I retired off. It snowed as hard inside as it did outside because of all of the dock bay doors which were about the last thing that went on. That was one of the toughest winters we had in NJ in a long time 5 years ago. Standing in 4 foot of snow wiring parking lot lights up. 

Won't go into tax thing for that is for your accountant to tell you these things. But you can dedicate any part of a building including your house as place of business. Just need to designate this when setting up business and portions of all utilities can be deducted. 

Edited January 24, 2019 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Bill WIlson]

I must be a wimp.  My basement shop is cold, to me, in the winter.  It runs about 55 - 58 degrees.  That's too cold for me to work comfortably.  Sure I can layer up, but I won't wear gloves and everything I touch is cold, so my hands are perpetually cold, not to mention my feet, on a cold, concrete floor.  I'm not freezing, but I'm just not comfortable.

Up until last Winter, I heated with wood & coal.  My basement shop would stay at about 65 -68 degrees.  That was tolerable and didn't require any supplemental heat.  I had to replace it last year and didn't go with wood & coal.  The lower temperatures in both the shop and the house have forced me to adapt.  I do have a small electric space heater I run in the shop and sometimes I fire up a kerosene space heater over in the other part of the basement.  It makes it tolerable.  I'm still adapting.