Shop Heat

[Gold Fire Glass]

How do you guys keep your shop's warm enough to work ? It's -17 here and I've got 2 electric 240v heaters blasting away . My electric bill is jumpin sky high and it's still frikken freezing !!!! My electric bill is gonna be so big the cops might come and see if I'm growing " tomatoes " I'm outside in a semi insulated 12' x 14' steel shed . It's so cold it almost hurts to touch the cold glass .

[Bo Diddles]

There are a couple of threads that offer some solutions, but I've totally given up on heating and just keep piling on layers of warm clothing. Somehow I manage, but at the end of every summer I start thinking "how the hell did I blow glass in the cold last winter?"

-17 eh? It was 14 here today. Damn, sorry man!

Also, fwiw my Tough Duck insulated overalls are by far the most important piece of warm clothing for me - I will wear them every single day this winter.

[JBob]

electric/heated socks

[Dom]

Under Armour that shit is amazing, but get the legit stuff the knockoffs are not good.

That and have two pair of boots, put one on kiln to warm, when the ones you have on cool off switch them for a nice toasty pair.

Keep working, non stop that will keep your warmest.

Lastly get a stand up propane radiant heater.

Make hot tea/coffee with an electric kettle. Take sips when cold.

[Gold Fire Glass]

Lastly get a stand up propane radiant heater.
Good idea Dom . I'll have to pick one of these up. The boots idea is great too !
Thanks

[LTD]

WORK!! GO BIG!!! You have the torch for it....

[n3rd]

put your kiln on a rolling cart and keep it close by

[brettodie]

heated floor mat.amazing how much better off u are with warm feet.

i use a electric radient quartz tube heater placed beheind me to keep my ass and legs warm.

then add layers a bunch of thin layers will keep you warmer then thick. dont wear synthetics melting them to you would be the worst. i really like a set of wicking long johns as my bases layer that way if you sweat some your not ruining your insulation.

[vetropod]

Thanks diddles for the insulated pants idea.

If you're using a propane heater (or wood stove, like me) please be sure to have a carbon monoxide detector in your studio, preferably BELOW the level you breathe at. Mine went off the other day when my stove was backdrafting... :twitch:

[SoberstoneGlass]

i keep a radiant heater under the bench at my legs, and i have a big light track over my bench with 4X500W halogens in it which keep things on the bench a bit warmer.

[Gold Fire Glass]

i keep a radiant heater under the bench at my legs, and i have a big light track over my bench with 4X500W halogens in it which keep things on the bench a bit warmer.

That kind of candle power would definitely make it a few degrees warmer !
So far I hear lot's of good suggestions . I'll look into the quartz lighting off the shop roof pointing down at the back of my neck and head.

[Gold Fire Glass]

WORK!! GO BIG!!! You have the torch for it....

Got some 50mm and some 75 mm on the way , gonna do some tube pulls . That outta warm the shop up for a little while. ;)

[HomegrownGlassStudio]

Only real "proper" way to do it is to have hot air return vents that equal to what your pulling out of the place. Or you could do what we do and turn every kiln on at the same time ;-)

[p.j.]

my kiln is right next to me. it is a relatively big aim (9169). the kevlar gloves that i wear when i'm trying not to burn myself with work as real gloves in the winter. i also have an oil filled radiator that i keep between my legs.

dom is right. under armor is the base layer, then fleece, then jeans. sometimes you have to just leave the kiln door more than cracked open

[Uriel]

It gets Uber cold here too,, been -7c for a few weeks now,, I wear technical winter mountain stuff in the shop longjohns sallopettes & a good pair of mountain boots, Im looking into a 12v heated greenhouse mat & a 12v bikers heated legs/back. its only my legs & back that get cold, my mirage keeps my front upperbody nice and warm.

Fuck the police comming looking round for tomatoes, I may have some somewhere... (that only tends to happen IF you dont pay the bills or steal the electricty)

[faded]

wood stove.

i often open the door because it gets too hot.

[gn0me]

You can do some fine tuning to your ventilation as well - if you plumb your replacement air from outside to just under / to side of your bench, and your fan sucks air from just behind your torch, the workspace surrounding can stay a lot warmer. It's much better than just having all that ridiculously cold air piped across the room and throwing all the air you pay to heat out through the fan.

[re-vit]

heated floor mat.amazing how much better off u are with warm feet.

that's pimp style, b.
i'm too cheap for a heated mat (i hear they're expensive!)
i wasted an hour the other night putting together this eyesore-
works great, except i had to also boost my torch up 3" to compensate.
if it gets real cold i'll put a heated mat inside the box- i drilled some little holes under the carpet, about where my feet go.

[Master Yoda]

Tractor supply is pretty good at keeping you warm on the cheap, I like rag wool fingerless gloves too

[rockstar glassworks]

I use a propane heater for heat.

I wear under armor, an insulated Carhartt overall, and a gazillion layers of wool and stuff on the top, plus fingerless gloves, 2 pairs of socks (a pair of wicking running socks and wool socks) and big fake-fur lined boots my father in law bought me after a discussion with his hunting buddies.

The big thermos of hot tea also helps alot.

[hashmasta-kut]

wow i dont feel so bad now. i thought we only froze up in canada :D

[B.C. Creations]

im in wisco. we been using a wood stove with a hot air plenum and blower fan for the last few years. and yes it gets so damn hot in there in the winter that we have to open doors. we are working on running the duct work so each of the 5 of us have hot air blowing under our benches. works great even with 5 fans going. cutting up all the firewood sucks but is worth it in the end.

some days id rather hang at the shop cuz it gets warmer than my house does

[brettodie]

heated floor mats: large size $80 small $50 worth every penny.
http://cozywinters.com/shop/tfw.html?utm_source=base&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=merchantadv


quartz heaters
nice ones.
http://www.infraredheaters.com/fostor.htm

like what i have:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3623917&CAWELAID=396930679

[Emmett's Glass]

My feet stay toasty all the time with these. If my feet stay warm the rest of me is fine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_boots
E

[drewspuppet]

Can those propane radiant heaters be used in a shop? (CO buildup) ?

[Dom]

Yes the radiant ones are good, the forced air hell no, they put out way too much fumes.

[Greymatter Glass]

IR Radiant heaters (quartz rod, parabolic dish, gas black body or gas catalytic) are the only way to heat a ventilated shop without wasting more energy than you end up benefiting from.

An IR Radiant heated heats the objects in front of it not the air.

I also have a heated floor mat, it's great, but of course it sucks to drop a hot marble on it....


... Also, Dayton makes several models of catalytic gas radiant heaters that are vent free and approved for use in enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces. They're awesome, will heat a large shop and are like $300-400.

[Dom]

Hey Doug you mind posting up a link to those dayton heater? Which kind are you talking about?

[menty666]

That warming mat's nice! I've heard of folks using water bed heaters too underneath cement board.

I have a heater similar to this mounted over me and that works nice, but I really need something for the lower half too, the foot warmer might be perfect.

[CripSkillz]

nice stuff guys ,, i use a propane heater my self MR.Heater,,, whoooooooooooo so its justt started gettin to that temp lately and its cold posta hit 20's tis week ewwwwwwwwwwwwww im nopt used to it its killin me,, i have to flip my sedg ,, get up at 6 am work till 6 pm.. lol

[ALIEN!]

insulate that shed, its cheap, worth every penny, will make a world of difference. Drywall over it too, drywall's cheap too.

[Dom]

Which Mr heater you got Crip? The radiant stand up?

[CripSkillz]

just the small one that hooks to reg propane tank ,, love it..

[daveabr]

don't buy the quartz radiant from Mr. Heater. says it will heat up to 1000 sq feet. won't even do it in an insulated living room.

the radiants from EdenPure and Duraflame actually do what they say. stay away from the cheaper knockoffs like Mr. Heater and LifeSmart.


i put a vote in for those mats as well. we got one for our packer in the warehouse, and it's the bees fn knees.


edit: you guys were talking about propane radiants......those should be solid. these new quartz/copper element radiant ones are sweet. just pay the extra dough for the OG and not the knockoffs

[Dom]

The buddy heater? That is enough to keep you warm?

[CripSkillz]

Why is my Mr. heateer a cheap knock off,, so far 2 yrs workin great,, perty sure the others knocked off MR heater lOL

http://mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=455

it works great and dont use it to heat whole shop ,, put it bout 5 ft from ya and it ROX!

[daveabr]

i'm just talking about the new infrared quartz heater. just about every heater company has knocked off Eden Pure. like i said, the Mr. Heater propane heater would be sweet. I thought you were talking about the quartz one. Which Mr. Heaters version of that style was a complete failure for a friend of mine.

[Dom]

I was suggesting this bigger version of what you got crip. So I am glad to hear that it works good, that means that this one works even better lol. Hope the 100lb tank lasts at least 2 weeks...

http://mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=44&id=38

[CripSkillz]

oh ya that bad boy looks like it will pump heat,,,, mine actually lasts a good week or more,, i always use lowest setting and keep it on opposite side of my kiln,, so im kinda wrapped in heat even tho its all going out the window .. think i might have to bust it out tonight.. 28 degs uhhhhh

[Gold Fire Glass]

I bought a Quartz heater that hangs from the ceiling and points to my upper back and neck area. That helps a little . It makes it bearable . I saw those Mr. Buddy heaters Crip they have one called " The Big Buddy " I was thinking of adding that also.

[J Howard]

carharts over your pants and a pair of heat lamps... one for each foot, good to 10 deg F for me.... and fans on rhiostats (how ever you spell that)

[menty666]

I realized I left the link out of my post up there. This is similar to heater I have, only mine doesn't have the light.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44590&cat=1,43456,43465,44590

I tried the floor mounted one at one point, but after I accidentally stepped on the flimsy plastic base too many times it was fairly well broken to useless.

[Gold Fire Glass]

I realized I left the link out of my post up there. This is similar to heater I have, only mine doesn't have the light.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44590&cat=1,43456,43465,44590

I tried the floor mounted one at one point, but after I accidentally stepped on the flimsy plastic base too many times it was fairly well broken to useless.

That's exactly the one I bought :D Seems to make it at least bearable till about -5 or so
" it operates on the high setting for a maximum of 15¢ an hour (based on 10¢ per kWh). " Not too bad . We're cheaper per kwh than they're estimte .

[menty666]

I swear it has two settings, "My head's hot, maybe I should wear a hat" and "hey, I think my head's on fire"

Cozy when it's cold though. But I still need something for the lower half. Maybe I'll look into the boots.

[brettodie]

thats what i have also ^ works great i dont have mine mounted to the ceiling. i lean it vertical against a five gallon bucket and use it to keep my legs and ass warm.

[SoberstoneGlass]

found them on amazon.com for 35$

Overhead Quartz Heater, 1500W (http://www.amazon.com/Homebasix-QHM-1-Overhead-Quartz-Heater/dp/B002MC569Y)

[Dom]

I have one of those and they suck, the propane radiant is much much better.

For as much electricity as they hog those heaters do not put out too much heat.

[SoberstoneGlass]

last winter i was spending 200 a month just on propane for the heater, and that was with one of those round propane heads mr. heater style.

[Swampy]

Shop heat, lol

[SoberstoneGlass]

yeah its like what 80 degrees down there swampy?

[J Howard]

a heat lamp is only 200W. usually i only need one.... but it's the quilted Carharts that are key

[Headdi Retti's Glass Art Studio]

Man 17 degrees that's cold, we got a cold front comn in but she was 75 degrees outside today and Bro we were loving it. New ones are expensive but radiant heat will heat u and the objects will be handling, they use these a lot at repair shops (all new Toyota shops have them. They work great but aren't cheap. Maybe could find used. When I lived in So.Dak. it was cold and these not only keep u warm but the floor and everything under it. Usually mounted Rgt above u. Has no fan which is nice just warm dry heat.

[Campy]

I live in the northeast, gets pretty cold where im at. I work in a 3 bay garage. I run a kerosene bullet heater for like a half hr and its warm for quite a while. nothin bettter than working in a t shirt with snow on the ground

[Dom]

Yea but there is nothing worse than working in smelly kerosene fumes...

[n3rd]

some people hate kerosene and some don't mind it, its never bothered me. i got the mr heater skillz has and its AWESOME!

[mouseclone]

Currently I'm just toughing it out. It is freezing here in Lawrenceville, GA. I don't have a solution but I"m thinking that I"m going to try to make it a free energy one. Will have to see what I can come up with for next winter.

[Kato]

i bundle up-
layers are key

http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/visiting/events/christmas/images/A_Christmas_Story.jpg

[Sweettooth glass]

Wood stove works great. We wear t-shirts in the shop.

[mouseclone]

i bundle up-
layers are key

http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/visiting/events/christmas/images/A_Christmas_Story.jpg

Hey! Put your arms down.

[Bo Diddles]

^ Classic.

These are a little tempting....

Rechargeable Heated Boots (http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.asp?categoryID=-99&terms=rechargeable%20boots&href=/ctwnew/markprod.nsf/ProductListByID/9565EDCCE946C36F802577DA000B4030?OpenDocument)

[Jimi The Don]

tape up the bottom of your pants and your sleeves and fill your clothes with hand warmers. also, drink whiskey and do jumping jacks when you take breaks.

[fudgecicle]

Space heaters, $50 and they'll heat a 10x10 room for hours.

[menty666]

Space heaters, $50 and they'll heat a 10x10 room for hours.



...unless you're using adequate ventilation.

[fudgecicle]

...unless you're using adequate ventilation.

Touche. I was wondering why people were coming up with all of these self contained mini heat sources.

Perhaps you could use a neutrelizer or a small pilot flame (with proper containment of course) that would eliminate any excess gasses and vent the air back inside.

I may be getting too ahead of myself here.

[somberbear]

These are pretty nice. spendy with a thermestat but nice hanging up and shining on your back

http://www.teksupply.com/farm/supplies/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&storeId=10001&langId=-1&division=TekSupply&productId=15669

the main thing with this type of heater is making sure you keep it clean and free of dust. the effecency drops drasticly if you dont keep it shiny. i have been using a cheap dish one for a while. mainly for my legs and it works out better then expected with my vent.

[ITIS]

i wear insulated coveralls and stand on a heated anti fatigue mat in the winters, and keep my kiln very close.

there are return air heaters available and those are about as good as it gets if you really want to go for a warm shop. heat all the air coming in and you will be toasty. it will be expensive though.

also you could get a subterranean shop it will be warm in winter and cool in summer that would be sweet. no sun shine, but hey the air temperature will be comfortable.