help with heat?

[jeu]

I have always worked in Hawaii and never had to worry about heat in winter. I am in a uninsulated garage (temporary) in Washington and my pieces are cracking like crazy. I bought an electric heater but it does'nt seem to do a thing. I have never really worked in the cold does anyone have any suggestions? I have lost 3 Large pieces withing the last 3 days.

[somberbear]

change how you work... kiln things more often, re heat more often theres nothing short of a kiln that i know about that will help,
i have personaly worked in 10degrees and im sure theres a couple of people around here that have worked when even colder....

if its just how to heat yourself... bring you kiln closer work more... and if your legs get cold, get an IR heater, cheaper and doesnt matter if theres a draft it warms you and not the air....

[wax808]

I am in Eastern Washington .. I learned how to blow glass in the cold ass winters here. I am going out to the shop in a few minutes, it's about 20 degrees out right now.

All I do is try and keep the pieces warm, the kiln takes longer to heat up for sure, and pieces will crack easier if you arent careful.

Wanna know something thats funny though? My production work goes way faster in sub-freezing temps. Everything cools so fast and blowing on something to get it cooler is instant. The wait times for glass to cool a bit goes way down, the time it takes to get the glass to melt isn't any longer either.

For big pieces I use a propane powered heating unit close to me to keep me warm, that heps a bit. I suppose you could put a small one on the workbench to help keep things warm.


Good luck,


Wax

[JANKYglass]

make small simple stuff or spend a couple hundred bucks and buy some insulation sheet boards and build a small room around your work area.my shop is 960 sq ft and in the winter i put up my insulation walls and bring it down to about 150 sq ft.im getting ready to put up my walls myself.

[jeu]

Thanks for the replys, Most all I make is larger solid pieces so making walls may have to be an option how do you do it?
Thanks

[JANKYglass]

the sheets come in 4x8 pieces just like drywall and i just screw them in to a stud at top and metal tape the seams.

[Sharp Glass]

As mentioned above use METAL tape, not regular duct tape, as it will fall off and become a major pain in the ass. The metal tape is a lot more expensive, but worth not having the hassell all winter. I have worked in very cold environments, and it just takes time getting used to it. I would suggest doing smaller items so your loss is not so big when you hear that wonderful noise; CRACKKKKKK. Good luck!!

[jeu]

Thank you I will try the walls

[BlueDevil]

where ya at in WA? I am doing mainly solid work in WA too and not having much probs yet. It is getting cold though, 19 this mornin. I turn the kiln us a tiny bit and soak longer between steps. Never tried the walls but i might someday.

Lee

[mer]

try putting the heater under your bench by your feet. the heat has to go by you on the way out but it also warms the bench surface a little.
peace, m

[jeu]

I am in Kingston, but I am so used to working one way I am sure just adjusting the way I work will help- I have just never had to think about it before.

[jeu]

These guys are the ones I keep loseing

http://www.glassartists.org/Img119873_blue_Octo_Img119873_sample2.jp.asp

http://www.glassartists.org/Img119874__Img119874_sample1.jpg.asp

[hippieandrew]

kiln, kiln, kiln, and ummm. make sure when your working with bigger peices to keep the whole peice hot. i have blown glass -15% and havn't really had a problem moving the peices from the flame to the kiln. only making sure the peices remains hot. especially in the cold, the surface of the glass cools down way faster.

[Natedizzle]

I posted on this yesterday... but it's gone...

Try flashing your piece in the flame a lot, like every 5 minutes, just to keep it comfortable, and then slowly extend the time between flashings until you know it's limitations. Or just kiln it a lot more. I don't really kiln my stuff any longer when it's cold out, you just want to be sure it is actually hot esp with large solid pieces.

If you make it up to Seattle let me know.

Nathan

[jeu]

I take the ferry to Seattle all the time where are you at in Seattle?

[shade]

Please girl repost pictures of the work that your talking about so we can see!:glasses:

[jeu]

I don't think I am doing it right but I will try linking it this time

http://www.glassartists.org/Img119873_blue_Octo_Img119873_sample2.jp.asp


http://www.glassartists.org/Img119874__Img119874_sample1.jpg.asp

[BIRDMAN]

I'VE ALSO USED THE INSULATED SHEET BOARD AZ WELL..

BUT ALSO TRY PUTTING A LAYER OF BISKWEEN ( that plastic tarp in the roll painters use ), U CAN USE THIS ON THE INSIDE AND OUT SIDE OF THE FOAM WALLS.
IT KIND OF TRAPS THE COLD....

USE STAPLES TO HOLD IT UP WITH A LAYER OF TAPE OVER THE STAPLES.
I WOULD ALSO TAPE THE FLOOR SO ITZ KIND OF CONTAINED....

I USED THIS TEC. THE FIRST FEW YEARS I STARTED WITH GLASS...
..IT WORKED OK...

[steven p selchow]

Even though I work in a state know for getting below zero in winter, I don't actually work out in it. I did one time between moves, have to work in a metal shed in November, no insulation, but had a good mr. heater, 20lb lp tank with a good burner mounted on top, more so to keep me warm than the glass. I can't recall my solid pieces cracking.

The main thing I learned when I started was never let the piece cool down to much, then introduce it back into the flame, this almost always causes it to check, if not right away, later, even when kilned before the cracks appear. I almost always do solid pieces, and have a system now that once I start a piece, weather its from front to back, or bottom to top, I never go back over the finished piece with the flame, I will kiln it to get it back to temp to finish it, but never hit it with the flame where i've already been, unless its been kilned to the anneal temp when I bring it back out to finish it and need to correct or straighten out a section.

This has worked for me for years with no cracks, but then again, put certian colors into play, and the method changes, but the principle stays the same.
didn't see your pics, so I'd have to look at them first, but take the advise of everyone here, keep that piece in the kiln as often as you feel the need...thats why we have em, not to just anneal, but to finish it up later and keep it hot while we work each segment of the piece.

Edit: having just seen the pieces (very nice) I do my octopi legs 2 at a time, then kiln it, those like to cool fast regardless of what temp it is outside.

[Emmett's Glass]

There is a place in Woodenville with the insulation sheets in different insulation grades (R12-R40) I'll get you the contact if you want it.
Nice Octopus, do you guys know Don Niblack, he's somewhere in the islands?
I'm about an hr east from the Edmonds ferry. I'll be at a show in Edmonds this weekend also. Let me know if you wanna stop out sometime.
E