Winters Here!

[sprayerDrew]

Hey, this crops up all the time i know but its getting cold and my work unit is freezing. I have a 100,000btu diesel space warmer, it seems to take the chill away but as soon as its turned off the warmth just goes(plus it costs quite a bit to run). The roof is insulated and the workshop is around 1800sqft but in this space is a large spray booth with its own heating so the workshop's a big space but not too big...I have thought of all sorts but dont know whats best, i even thought of a wood burner but not sure if it will heat this size shop up not forgetting smoke or cutting holes for a chimnea. Any ideas on what you guys use to keep costs down?
Thanks in advance

 

[breezer]

Goosedown Y-fronts?

 

[hareng]

Buy them a woolly hat and tell em to work harder they wont feel the cold.
If complain about tools cold tell them to use them. Maybe put em on hack saw duties with blunt blade, cut that lot up.

Walls insulated?
1800 sqft i expect a high roof more to heat up.

 

[Sam(GTD)]

I just work in the cold and keep myself warm with fleece lined overall and cups of tea, keep the air tools well oiled so they don't freeze up and take advantage of the cooling properties for my compressor, electric tools and machining!

The only disadvantage is water condensation on machine parts in a relative damp environment.......this is where insulating covers for my machines come in.

And i deliberately bought a plastic cabinet for my air tools, metal would have water running down it.....

 

[Wedg1e]

Use those halogen heaters; they don't so much warm the air as warm your blood, and you can't stay in front of 1200W for long! I usually have mine on 800W max, a fan heater of that power would be simply wafting the air about.
Cheap as chips, about a tenner each; buy each member of staff one

Hmmm, best hope my boss doesn't read this thread or he bloody well would get them...

 

[Sam(GTD)]

Use those halogen heaters; they don't so much warm the air as warm your blood, and you can't stay in front of 1200W for long! I usually have mine on 800W max, a fan heater of that power would be simply wafting the air about.

Yeah, high infrared output compared to conduction heating of the air.
Certainly more efficient at keeping you warm!

 

[the snooper]

my workshop is 1100 square feet and exactly the same diesel space heater and cools down quickly when turned of. the roof is insulated but has some clear panels in the roof but they arnt insulated.
i think the only real option is to lower the internal roof height and insulate again if you dont need the height.
there is no cheap option

 

[Prodigalson]

When I worked in engineering, my workbench was right next to the loading bay doors. Kin freezin. I used to stand on a 1/2" thick piece of steel. And every now and then I'd stick the propane burner on it. Toasty warm feet and melted boots.

 

[tigler]

Gas fired, radiant down heaters.

 

[astro_al]

Don't keep pouring in energy / heat. Work at reducing the losses (especially any air gaps), and a low power constant heat source to keep the condensation at bay & provide a few degrees difference relative to ambient temp.

I don't see any point in keeping yourself warm and neglecting your machines - I did this last winter and it cost me a forklift truck plus nearly ruined several machine tools & welders.

This year I am working on insulating and I have a woodburner. Even with the significant air gaps I still have to address, it is keeping the machines warm enough to prevent condensation, plus I can go and sit in front of it to warm up every so often. Magic, but I've got more to do yet. My space is about 4000 sq ft.

Good luck, Al.

 

[jugs]

put a suspended ceiling in, if you can't,
Put a fan in roof space to the blow hot air down.

If it's a "jet engine" heater, point the exhaust at your steel stock, when the heater goes off the steel will act as a radiator, alternatively build a pile of bricks/concrete blocks with lots of air gaps & strap onto a pallet (for portability) & blow the exhaust thro' that, should stay warm 6/8 hrs.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Not quite about heating a work space but this might help some of you guys out there.


When I worked 1966 to 1995 I rarely ever had the luxury of having a heated work space , most of my work was site work miles from anywhere , I soon learnt from the other guys.

In cold weather I wore ,Big overalls , two thin long sleeved woolly jumpers , a big loose hairy shirt , a teeshirt and a woolly bobble hat. wear leather riggers gloves for dry working and an oversized pair of red rubber protective ones over a thin pair of cotton gloves.

If it was wet but not raining hard I used to also wear a padded leather sleeveless jerking over the overalls .

If you have to wear a tupperware bone dome make sure you wear some sort of hat under it & then alter the head band for best fit or you can end up with frostbite on your scalp.

Take care when using safety glasses / face masks ..in cold your breath frequently mists them up and then they are bloody dangerous.

To a certain degree the more air you can trap in your overalls & clothing the better you will be , having them loose helps in this.

If you have to work outside wear a wind resistant but breathable jacket over everything .. It's so easy to get wet by your own sweat and then freeze your bits off.

Keep your overalls dry and clean as grotty damp ones will also rob you of heat

For your feet use a decent pair of steelie socks and a thin pair of nylon ones inside them , dry your boots out every night using pre dried silica gel crystals that are in " clangers " little cloth sausages . if you can run to two pairs of boots use them on alternative days and still dry the unused set as before.
Always wash your feet & wear clean fresh socks every day

If you have to wear steel toe'd steel mid-soled wellies or boots and are at a bench ..get some 19 mm bevel edged ply or thick carboard to stand on to insulate your feet but be careful of the tripping hazards.


If it gets down to minus 12 or so watch out for spanners & metal sticking to bare skin and be very careful if using petrol for a spillage on your clothes could see you with some serious cold burns.

Don't kneel in the snow /on frozen ground even with a pad under your knees for more than three or four minutes ...get up and run around to get circulation back into your legs , feet and toes . I got frostbite in the toes of both feet from changing a truck axle in - 15oC ( wind chill too things to -22 oC ) in 2 foot of snow by ignoring this rule , 35 years later my feet still hurt like mad especially when they get cold or trod on.

At minus 20 oC fry your eggs on both sides and take great care going to the loo. ... seriously at minus 20 only work in short sessions and make sure you have someone with you for safety ..learn the first signs of frost bite and what to do if you see it.

In cold weather you don't think you still lose sweat ..Oh yes you do , but not as much and it is easy to dehydrate if you don't drink .

Keep up the hot drinks , but no alcohol as it opens your pores and makes you lose more body heat .

Yes you will pee more but you need this to happen to keep your kidneys clear , for your body is trying to convert fat into energy and needs moree water than normal to do it , this produces lots of toxins that you need to get rid of.

Don't skip any meals in cold weather either.. one missed meal in something like -10 oC will see you operating at something like 20 % of normal , miss two meals and your heading for a 40 % drop in efficiency , miss 3 meals and you as good as being a casualty .

Every 2 mile per hour of wind speed at 0 o C gives a 1 oc degree of chill factor and it increases as it gets colder. ( I might be a bit out on the exact figures )

 

[chunkolini]

I can recomend polar tech tee shirts and layers of fleece, I wear my pushbiking winter layers under the overalls, great stuff as it wicks really well and you dont get sweaty.
I have also started making radioactive chilli soup with pasta in it, I look like the reddibrek kid after a bowl of it.

Chunko'.

 

[pete23]

now then.
ive been looking at getting a decent heater for my workshop.

ive been toying with either a big fan heater or one of these infrared heaters.

dont think a fan heater will be to brilliant as ive a big roller shutter door with gaps?

so im left thinking, one of these infrared heaters, that heat the object in front of it.

been looking at spending a few ££££s on one.

but, does anyone know of one that works, and a good type/make???

heard a few stories about great ones, but no one can seem to remember the make.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

now then.
ive been looking at getting a decent heater for my workshop.

ive been toying with either a big fan heater or one of these infrared heaters.

dont think a fan heater will be to brilliant as ive a big roller shutter door with gaps?

so im left thinking, one of these infrared heaters, that heat the object in front of it.

been looking at spending a few ££££s on one.

but, does anyone know of one that works, and a good type/make???

heard a few stories about great ones, but no one can seem to remember the make.

I have had two times two heater element infra red heaters on hire from Speedyhire ( they are common to most hire companies ) for six months and running continiously trying to dry out the floor slab of our bungalow ( plus two industrial dehumidifiers ) They are very current hungry even on 110 volts .
Being on a castor'd frame they were brill for moving around , there is a half elements switch setting as well .

When the guys got to plastering in the freezing weather of two years ago they merely re aimed the heaters at the guys doing the work and nearly cooked them .

I'll take a look at some of the national hire companies to see the names etc and post it here in a few minutes .


Try brandontoolhire.co.uk/directory/prodList.asp?idcategory=27&curPage=5

In the middle of page five is the type of heater I had.

If that is what you are seeking then simply Google the details , there are several retail outlets just waitihg to hear from you. ( get two spare bulbs as well )

 

[pete23]

cheers pigeon.

will have to have a nosey at there catalogue