Cold Ass Shop? Check It!!

[adam]

I have been working through cold winters for a while now, but I've never gotten used to working while my hands are shivering. So I've been looking around for an infrared heater that I can mount under my hood to warm up my hands. I was looking at those parabolic dish heaters, but they all seem to be intended for floor use. My feet are always nice and warm with a good pair of socks. I finally found a workshop heater that is ceiling-mounted and it has two heat settings. Here's the best part, this thing usually costs in the $60-80 range and I found a place with them on sale for $35! I'm a bargain hunter for sure, so I couldn't pass this one up. I figured I'd give a heads up to anyone working in a freezing cold shop looking for a solution, and a deal. I'm going to be warm in my shop in January, it doesn't get much better than that.

Marvin Workshop Heater (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=22292&R=22292)

http://www.farmstoreonline.com/catalog/images/mfgm/marvin/marvin-194405-m.jpg



Adam

[hotglassworker]

I bought one I use just like that with an addition of a halogen light in the middle of it. Works great in my shop.

[IrieGuy05]

Yeah thats not bad, I have a heater that keeps my shop at 72 degress even with the fan going, only costs $538 a month...

[JDeMoss]

$35 seems like a steal. I may have to get one.

[CosmicGlassInc]

Yeah, nice tip. Thanks

[harpentuan]

Wharever happened to dressing in cotton layers? ;/

[Firekist]

i was going to pick a couple of these up, but they were soldout.. then they were back ordered.. then it dropped to 0 for a week... i picked up some other ones =(

35 bucks? where! i'm considering something more, just for some heat to hit my nose/hands. the other 2 heaters are no where near full capacity, but they get the heat where needed.

i'm glad to hear you like this thing and it's workin for ya!
z---seth

[adam]

Oh, I'm a big fan of layering. I'm usually rocking a set of hot chillys when it gets really brutal. A pair of flannels and a hoody are everyday garb for the winter, though. It's the hands that I can't layer and never seem to be warm, unless the outer flame is going strong for goblets or bigger mibs. I've got a pair of kevlar gloves, but they only help when I don't need to be constantly spinning in the flame, like solid sculptural work. This seemed to be the best solution......for me at least.

Adam

[john madden]

drink a pint thatll warm you up. or work in your parents basement and suck all the air out of the house on a daily basis.

[adam]

Drink seven pints of rogue chocolate stout, go swimming in the partially frozen pond, realize the shop is warmer than the pond, and call it a day.

[xiaan]

I sit on a heating pad. I was told I might get cancer from it. I do not care. At least I will die happy.

[Julian]

work in your parents basement and suck all the air out of the house on a daily basis.

I froze in an attached, unheated garage for a few years before I decided to start sucking air through the house from the window going to the basement (not my parents basement, that would be much better). I was so warm... it was so different not freezing all winter, I actually could work for more than 45 minutes at a time when it was -10 outside! However, our heating bills went form 200 a month to like 450. Worth it, compared to suffering and not getting as much work done.

Now I'm in a new shop which heats up between work periods, that helps a l lot. Here on Mars, it's -125 right now but it really hasn't bothered me so much yet this year.

[Chris Carlson]

$450 a month heating bills... and people talk shit about so cal rent prices.

[zigs]

you know its cold when you're melting the water in your water dish with flaming hot gathers just so you have somewhere to knock off scrap...that thing is only 5000 BTU's...i hope your fan isnt rated much higher than 500 cfm, otherwise it wont even have time to heat the shop before it gets sucked out the window...In maine i used to have to crank 60-80,000 btu at the cost of a 20# propane tank every 2 days just to work...now in the basement, like julian, costs a little more in oil for the house, but nothing beats the convenience of not having to go get gas to heat your shop...plus, it is all tax deductible...

[adam]

The beauty of this heater is that it is not intended to heat up the whole shop. It uses infrared heat to warm any objects in front of the elements, instead of heating the air around it. Regardless of the air your fan is moving, the heater will warm you much like the sun's rays. So your hands, face, bench, and anything else directly underneath the unit are nice and toasty. Bring on the cold!!

Adam

[xiaan]

The rays. yea yea, thats the trick.

Infra red rays of radiation.
So the infra red rays bump into your molecules and they start to vibrate faster= heat.

[smutboy420]

degress even with the fan going, only costs $538 a month...

holly crap thats a lot of dough for heat.
We used to go threw a 20lb propane tanlk every 2 days of working in the shop and still froze our asses off. Now we have a 90,000 BTU oil fired forced hot air furnace in the shop. It used to be a house furnace. We got it installed a FEW winters ago. We had the 275 gallon tank filled when we got it and we just ran out of oil on firday. so we got all most 3 freaking years worth of shop heat from one tank of heating fuel. When we ran out the other day We went down to the gas station and got 10 gallons of kerosen to dump in the tank so we have fule till the spring. we will get it filled some time during the summer if prices drop then we won't have to worry again for 3 more years.

So not only did we cut our heating cost down to $200 a year for heat. We now have good heat and a thermostat to set the temp where we want it to be. and best part is it not an open air heater. so no fumes or any thing like that messing up our inside air.

[Kalera]

I had one of those blue-flame gas heaters installed in my basement office, and it's just fantastic; costs about 18 cents per day at full-blast, and I never run it at more than half-blast. I'm putting a second one in the shop, it's on order and should arrive any day now! I can't wait, it's cold out there.

[brettodie]

got one of these randomly for xmas and i have to say it rocks. i get a bit to warm now while im working sorta odd. id suggest one to anyone working in a colder enviroment.plus there cheap my parents payed 30 bux for mine on sale. i have mine on the floor angled to get my back and legs keeps me super toasty even on 20 degree days.another thing that helps alot is wicking underware and socks.tend to sweat sometime when making bigger things then your damp which makes you cold the wicking gear saves you from that :) peace brett

[Stagger Lee]

And I was bitching about have to wear socks last night while working.

We gots four seasons............................ almost summer, summer, almost summer and Christmas

[alacrity024]

around here it's:

bug season, leaf-peeper season, winter and mud season..

[Royal]

that heater looks pimp, i got a big ass heater ran on oil and i can spend like 300 on it oil and stay at 65 all through the cold months.... im not a fan of layering, i only work in t shirt and shorts and no socks.

i also cut my shop in half in the winter with tarps so i dont have to heat the whole fuckin thing. big kiln helps too.

[Vapor Glass]

jp told me about the marvin a few months ago. im rockin 2 of them in my shop now and all i can say is i havnt been cold one day this year yet!!!
hey zig man do yourself a favor and stop burning the propane man. these heaters are awesome. the only thing i could ask for is a floor model for the legs. but they way they work is the less clothing between you and the heater. the warmer you are. i used to be bundled up now im in a hoody with no hat on. it rocks!!! they take the shock out of the surrounding air.
at full blast they cost 15 cents an hour to run!!! at half blast its 8 cents. the propane heaters burn $$$$ and the kerosene heaters dont heat anything heheh.

i got my marvin at home depot for 40 bucks. now go get one!!! or two!!!