# minimum temperature in the workshop



## marcelle (Nov 16, 2008)

I'd like to know what is the minimum temperature that my woodworking shop should be heated during winter in order to keep my machinery working well and safe from dammage (writing from Ottawa region in Canada). Thanks


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

If you are just working, 60` is fine, or even a little
less.

For any kind of glue up or finish work, you need 70`
or close to that.

Cold does not hurt the equipment, but dampness can.
If you heat with wood, the humidity can get pretty
high some times. 

When metal is cold and then exposed to warm air
it can get just plain wet sometimes.

I keep my shop 68` all the time, I work in the shop
off and on all day and sometimes late in the evening. 

If I am doing fiberglass work, I will let it cool off
to give me more working time with the materials.

Babble, Babble, Babble...
What was the question?????


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Wintertime in CT is pretty cold. Not fridged but lows in the 10's and highs in the 30's are some good average wintertime temps. I keep my shop at about 45 when I am not in there and about 62 when I am working. I use a propane modine style heater to keep the place up to temp. Remember insulation is your friend.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I do not like to work out there much below 60 deg, Your machinery does not care. 

George


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> I do not like to work out there much below 60 deg, Your machinery does not care.
> 
> George





> Florida Panhandle


I have a friend in Fort Walton, he said they have
winter, last year it was on a Tuesday!
:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## marcelle (Nov 16, 2008)

Thank you! This is useful. I work mostly during weekends (I have another job during the week). I am trying to find the minimum temperature to keep the workshop, without spending too much on heating - I use a small electrical heater (heavy duty stuff, but don't remember the BTUs), which can be expensive to run - especially between December and March. I've talked to a few guys and they were suggesting 12C (54F) which I find a bit high. So, according to your experience, 45F is enough? Is this something the fabricants would suggest?


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

45 is far above freezing. That is all you really need to protect from. You may want to start machines up for a few minutes before putting them into a high load mode. Just to get the greases warm enough to flow freely. My first shop didn't have heat on unless I was there. So whatever temp it was outside it was always about 5 degrees warmer inside. So in the winter it was brutal. Temps would only climb to about 60 after a few hours. The only thing it really affected was gluing up. Everything else could handle it. You need to protect you water-based materials and glues, bring them inside the house or make a small box that you can temperature control. Using a small light bulb with a thermostat into an insulated box would work well. No flammables though.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

BHOFM said:


> I have a friend in Fort Walton, he said they have
> winter, last year it was on a Tuesday!
> :laughing::laughing::laughing:


As I type this it is 34 deg. in Ft Walton Beach. Was the same yesterday. Tomorrow night predicted to be around 30.

Many years ago I once saw it 3 deg here. (that was before global warming)

G


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## smitty1967 (Feb 24, 2008)

The thermostats on my electric baseboard heaters don't have a scale of temperature on them, so I'm still experimenting. I will say this, I'm tickled to death with the time and effort I spent insulating my shop building. I have it just about figured out where to dial the thermostat to keep it comfortable....a long-sleeve t-shirt is plenty. I use my digital multimeter and walk around the shop and read the different temps in different areas. I usually get it heated to about 58-62 degrees. This of course depends upon outdoor temp and wind direction and speed. 

I don't know about the rest of you guys and gals, but I find it combersome working in anything more than two layers. A shirt and pullover sweatshirt or heavy flannel is about all I can stand to wear while working, esp. around machines.

regards,
smitty


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

GeorgeC said:


> As I type this it is 34 deg. in Ft Walton Beach. Was the same yesterday. Tomorrow night predicted to be around 30.
> 
> Many years ago I once saw it 3 deg here. (that was before global warming)
> 
> G


Cold does not a winter make. 

When it is 3 degres and a 30 MPH wind with ice on the roads and 14 inches of snow on the ground. Then you can talk about winter. And I live in a mild winter climate.

Get into Buffalo NY or up in the Colorado Mts. Now that's winter wonderland area.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I am just glad that I do not have the experience to carry on a lengthy conversation about winter.:smile:

G


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

When I had my shop in CT, it was in the walkout basement of my house (1600 sf). The only heat source was what heat escaped from the furnace. My winter temp was usually around 55 in the shop. A comfortable working temp. There was no issue with the equipment. Red


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

Leo G said:


> Cold does not a winter make.
> 
> Get into Buffalo NY or up in the Colorado Mts. Now that's winter wonderland area.


Yes, Yes it does!!!!!!!!!!


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I know having my workshop in Coastal Texas does NOT make me any sort of authority on the subject of dealing with cold winters... BUT I do know a thing or two about humidity. As you most likely know, your dew point, is the temp / RH calculation where basically it gets cold enough for the RH in the air to condense into liquid water. I believe last night here the dew point was about 2.7 deg C, about 2.8 degrees C colder than the overnight low. So no heat required.

If it were me, I would NOT allow the shop to drop below 0, or the dew point, whichever is higher. I would be concerned with the effects of freezing cast iron, and the rust caused by condensation. And I might bust be off my rocker on worrying about freezing iron... 

*This post brought to you in Celcius as a courtesy to our neighborly Canadians and Mexicans... Us Americans are the goofy ones...


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

I only heat a part of my shop due to the overall size of it. The part I do keep heated is between 55 to 60 degrees F. I do however have a dehumidifier in this part of the shop, and try to keep the humidity down to 50%.

Gerry


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

dbhost, cast iron is frozen throughout the north every winter without any ill effects. Would not worry about it in the least.

G


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I have a direct vent, through the wall gas furnace in my shop. It's one of the tall narrow type. the walls and ceiling are insulated. I don't heat it all the time, but even with the furnace not going, it holds some temperature from the day before. When I hit the furnace on, it takes about ten minutes to heat the shop up where it's comfortablel. Normally I set the thermostat at about 60, however accurate it may be. I usually have a sweatshirt on and don't feel chilly. The nice thing about the DV furnace is the combustion chamber is sealed off from the inside of the shop. So it doesn't present an ignition source. I think it is around 62,000 btus. I don't really notice a difference in my gas bill from my occasional use of it. I have never noticed a problem with cast iron freezing, as long as it comes up to temperature slowly. Before I insulated and finished off the shop, I would notice some condensation on the metal if there was a quick temperature swing. Doesn't seem to happen anymore.
Mike Hawkins:nuke:


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## Ed'sGarage (Aug 16, 2007)

*min temp in the workshop*

RI can be a bit cold in the winter. I have a wall mounted and outside vent prop heater. I keep the thermostat at it's lowest temp when I'm not there(which is around 50-55). I up it to around 60 when I go in to work and w/i about 15 mins, its comfy. I never have a problem with rusting on my table tops, despite the humidity in New England.


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

I will say...I switched from regular grease in my Boice/Crane planer to Lithium grease. Less stress on start up in the cold weather. Rick


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