Suggestions for staying warm in da Shop?

middle.road

Granite Stoopid...
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OK, I'd like to start a thread on staying warm, and also getting the shop warm enough to function in.
Short of battery powered socks and such, I would appreciate any input.
I'm living in East TN now - which granted is not 1/10th as difficult as a few clicks further north. I swear your blood thins out over time...
I'm having trouble keeping my feet and fingers from getting so chilled they hurt. I wear gloves when I can but when I get near moving machinery they come off.
Add to that my choice of foot wear is limited due to a messed up left foot. What I wouldn't give for my old snowmobiling boots & gloves :)
I've been using a propane heater to get the temp up and then the 240V ceiling mounted heater to try to keep it bearable. ~55°-60°
I setup a small 6" server box fan to move the air around and that's helped a bit along with tarps inside of the overhead doors.
The previous owner insulated the devil out of the ceiling but did not put anything in the walls at all.
Wish I had the little mini coal stove my dad had in our house in Illinois. Toss a lump a coal in there overnight and all was fine.

Thanks!
 
To help my feet, I've bought some of the interlocking matting that's really soft or spongy.
I love the way it keep me insulated from the floor and it also makes life easier on my feet.
The cold machines? I haven't got a clue.
 
My workshop is in the basement of my house and even without heat the coolest I can remember it being down there is ~54 degrees F and that's in western NY state. Even so, I have a nice wood stove down there and always start a fire if I'm going to be down there for more than a couple minutes! :) I get wood really cheap or for close to free, but if I didn't I think coal might be better.

Ted
 
I tried one of those little propane heaters that looks (and sounds) like a jet engine. It put off so much fumes that I could barely stand to have it on. I finaly put in a forced air space heater from Northern Tool. It works great, but it's a project in itself to put in. One of those catalytic heaters might work well for you.
 
I would suggest a direct vent propane wall furnace. Easy to install, can run on a T-stat, sealed combustion, and most have a built in blower. Not sure about Tenn, but here I see them on Craigs list for free or cheap. Willams or Empire are good brands. They tend to come in 35k and 60k btu. As with most things bigger is better. Mike
 
OK, I'd like to start a thread on staying warm, and also getting the shop warm enough to function in.
Short of battery powered socks and such, I would appreciate any input.
I'm living in East TN now - which granted is not 1/10th as difficult as a few clicks further north. I swear your blood thins out over time...
I'm having trouble keeping my feet and fingers from getting so chilled they hurt. I wear gloves when I can but when I get near moving machinery they come off.
Add to that my choice of foot wear is limited due to a messed up left foot. What I wouldn't give for my old snowmobiling boots & gloves :)
I've been using a propane heater to get the temp up and then the 240V ceiling mounted heater to try to keep it bearable. ~55°-60°
I setup a small 6" server box fan to move the air around and that's helped a bit along with tarps inside of the overhead doors.
The previous owner insulated the devil out of the ceiling but did not put anything in the walls at all.
Wish I had the little mini coal stove my dad had in our house in Illinois. Toss a lump a coal in there overnight and all was fine.

Thanks!
Sounds like a garage shop. So if you have the means, insulate the walls since they weren't done. If you can close off the overheads with something more than a tarp to prevent air from passing then you are mostly there. Once you stop the air from freely coming in and out, you can heat it and keep it heated with a reasonable heater. If not, then you will need a big unit and much $$.

I have 2 heaters for my garage, a torpedo and a contractor's milk can. With my leaky garage they will warm it. But my main shop is in the basement where it is 56 degrees. I run a small oil filled radiator and close the door to the shop to keep the heat at 68, so the tools don't rust. When it's cold and you touch it, they rust from the instant condensation.
 
When I worked for my dad in the new shop before heat I would fire up the lathe and run off abut 80 pounds of chips. Then I would rake those out on the floor and stand on them to keep my feet warm.
 
Same here. My snowmobiling boots were felt bootie inside a rubber lower and heavy nylon upper. They were warm and comfortable. I never see those anymore.
The ones with the felt liners are called Pac boots.
 
It was -17F here the other day without the windchill. Got my shop up to 84F (30x32 size) and had to open the door for a while to let the heat out, otherwise I feel like taking a nap. Gotta love wood heat. :)
 
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