Hi Folks,
Just recently I started thinking about how I could Green up my woodshop. We had installed CFLs (Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs) in most of the house and I thought I’d give them a try in the woodshop.
Prior to the conversion, I had 8 40watt 4′ flourescent fixtures that were consuming 320 watts of electric power and the way I had them wired they were all on whenever I was having fun (working?) in the woodshop. I was confident that I could nearly halve that conspicuous consumption.
And with some rework of the wiring and employment of some switches that I had from some previous remodeling I went to work. This would allow me to zone the woodshop in terms of lighting. This way I wouldn’t need all of them on all the time.
Because CFLs don’t give off as much light as the old fixtures I had to employ more fixtures but because I zoned work areas in the woodshop overall, I am using a lot less electricity.
So tell me, what have you done to Goreize your woodshop? No I don’t mean because you’re using less you can now consume more!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Replies
Bob,
I don't know if I can afford to green up at the cost of those bulbs. I've put them where I could in the house and some in the shop. So far over $400.00 in bulbs. (house and shop). Most of the shop is regular fluorescence. Every single one, GE, Phillips, house brands have burned out WAY before hours stated. They go, in some cases, faster than incandescent. They seem to go faster in the shop. (no machines on those circuits). The last two, 40w on and off-3 months and two months for 75w- all ways on. It could be those little slots at the base(ballast) get filled with micro dust but whatever the reason, I'm not going down that road again for a while. Before someone jumps in, it's not the line voltages ( I have had it checked and if anything it's about 2-3% low and it's not the way they have been burning i.e. base -up, base- down, closed in or open burning. They just quit.
It could be surge, but we have it like everyone else-- occasionally, but does that mean I have to have a whole house surge system or a protector for each light? It's just a bulb and at this stage I think the companies are having the customers pay for the QC as production and real world manufacturing (China) problems are worked out.
I don't think manufacturing has caught up with marketing as far as QC
True, it could still be something in my system but I'm so over them for the moment.
BB
How Green is Your Woodshop?
I have moss on the doors?
Will,
Ahhh, been a bit lax with the leaf blower lately? :-)
Must be a North facing part of the woodshop. I'd let that rooster see if can remedy the situation for ye.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
BB,
Wow, that's not consistent with our experience, so far. We've had CFLs installed in the house for a while now and have had only one break so far - stupid move on my part. :_(
Anyway, the ones in the house get turned on/off quite frequently but so far have had no problems. I put some in the new air lock entry I just built and the only thing I've noticed so far is that there is a delay between flicking the switch when they actually illuminate. But it is cold out there so am thinking that has something to do with it.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Some of the CFLs that I got have that delay. The later ones don't have that delay. Must be a difference in the CFL.
I know where your coming from with the 4' tubes. Short life span! My dad has lights in his garage and the tubes are 25 years old, for real!
I have longer life using fixtures saved from remodel jobs. These fixtures might be 20 years old.
I'm getting tired being sold junk where ever its made!
Personally, I dont like flourescents. especially with rotating machinery. Flourescents have a tendency to create a strobe effect, which can convince the user that the machine is not running when it is.
I used 24 overhead keyless fixtures for lighting. All wired on a 3-wire Edison. Or 12 per circuit and so that when they are all on there is zero current returning on the neutral. All 100 watt incandescents. If you happen to break one you have only glass to clean up. These CFL's contain Murcury and standard flourescents are just as bad.
Even the new CFL's have a transformer/Ballast in them which is why it takes time for them to turn on the transformer must be fluxed first before the bulb can work. And these bulbs my only use 10-14 watts real power, they use upwards of 38-45 Volt-Amps reactive power, which you are still paying for but is returned to the company. Motors are the same way they too use reactive Power which you are paying for but is returned to the power company...its the nature of the beast. For best results , Use the highest Voltage availble, residential would be 240 volts.
Zoning the lighting is a good idea, so that only those areas actually needed are lit, thereby saving electricity. I'm not sure I'd consider either CFLs or regular florescent tubes as "green", however, since both need to be disposed of as hazmat items due to mercury content.
I have wondered if they could or do reclaim and reuse the mercury from those bulbs.
I'm not sure what the recycling/hazmat centers do with them. They might end up in the same place as lost single socks.
I have wondered if they could or do reclaim and reuse the mercury from those bulbs.
LOL LOL.. You do not get rid of it!
When I bought my house. Late 1960's early 1970's.. Yes been here all these years.
I found all sorts of VERY dangerous chemicals. Nobody believed me untill I brought a pound or so of Strychnine to the police department. And many other very dangerous poisons. The man than I bought the house from was a florest and owned a green? house. He died before I bought the house. I never had an issue with it because I knew his wife. A little old lady from Denmark that loved the local children.. She was God Sent.. I am SURE she had no idea what was around the place.. And even if she did I am sure SHE had nothing to do with it!
They took it all except for a small bottle of (The little bottle of Listerine at the time). Not sure what ounce bottle but very heavy filled with Mercury! I was forced to keep it! And now I have no idea where I hid it!
Edited 11/20/2008 7:30 pm by WillGeorge
Home depot will take CF and fluorescent bulbs for recycling.
But I was wondering if they can or do recycle the stuff.
Edited 11/23/2008 7:51 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Yes. They recycle the mercury. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/business/24recycling.html
Hi Ralph,
I hear ye about the hazmat deal but at least we're a lot more cognizant of the issues with these materials today.
Knowing that these can be hazardous materials at least one can hope that they are handled properly and not end up in the landfills as before.
It's a slow process but I think we're gaining on it.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Agreed. Even considering the mercury in CFLs (about 4mg/bulb), they still represent a significant gain when compared to coal-fired electrical plants (which put a surprising amount of mercury vapor into the air). And, if the CFLs are handled correctly, that gain is even greater. If only wind turbines were less ugly, and more affordable.
Hi Ralph,
If only wind turbines were less ugly, and more affordable.
Yeah, that's kinda in my mind since the energy tax credit days. That saved me a bundle in costs to build a solar addition for our previous house, not to mention the savings in heating.
It was great having Sunday morning coffee in shorts and teeshirt whilst it was 10° outside and the wind blowing. Sumthin to be said for comfort too.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/17/2008 3:48 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
"I hear ye about the hazmat deal but at least we're a lot more cognizant of the issues with these materials today."We may be, but the good folks who made these bulbs generally aren't. I use these bulbs too. Our dollars support their filthy manufacturing methods and human rights abuses to boot. I'm also not convinced they are better or greener than incandescent bulbs. I probably have the greenest shop on this forum. I routinely work wood with 0 electricity. And while it's good to conserve, I think the whole green thing has been coopted by politicians. It's a stick they use to hit each other. I think it's going to become the tool they use to balance trade deficits in lieu of import tariffs- kinda like how the europeans boycott our beef. They say it's a hormone thing, but I think it's just a subsidy for their ranchers. I heard a guy on NPR say that we'd be better off (enviromentally) if we drank each day's coffee from a styrofoam cup. The (carbon) cost of manufacturing, shipping, warehousing, selling and washing a ceramic mug in a dishwasher is much higher. Okay, I give up. When the toxic avenger is greener than the mug in my cupboard, something is rigged.I like working by hand. I don't do it to save the planet. But if you want to cut down on your electricity bill, your gym membership, and avoid the quadruple bypass, how about surfacing your stock by hand once in awhile? Mortise chisels do a perfectly adequate job, as do rabbet planes and hand saws.Adam BTW Bob, I'm using the impersonal "you" above. This is good thing to think about and I know you do some of your work by hand.
Edited 11/20/2008 9:08 pm ET by AdamCherubini
Adam,
Your words have a lot of truth to them but my motive(s) are not of a political nature but rather matters of economy and conservation of resources.
As to the politics thang, well let's just say that I feel the reason(s) we are buying from them might just have something to do with our own politicians greed mebbe? It is sad that those who are actually making them don't have a clue as to what is really going on. Not sure that I do either.
Oh, and I will be installing two skylights in the woodshop, right over the hand tool bench. But that will have to wait till warmer weather gets here.
As to hand milling my stock all I can tell you is that those rhitis boys are a nasty lot and that fella Arthur is the worst. Heavy planing is no longer the source of enjoyment that it once was.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/20/2008 9:43 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
I like your question. Hope my answer wasn't too emphatic. We've been talking about electricity, and saw dust, what about finishes or chemicals? I recently bought a gallon jug of WD-40. I decant that into a plastic squirt bottle. Don't know if the spray can is ripping a hole in the ozone layer over NJ or not. But this is certainly a more economical way to go and works just as well or better than the spray can.For finishes, I use shellac as my film finish. That's pretty green. I can use alcohol or ammonia to clean the brushes.Excess hide glue gets poured onto the shavings in my trash can. Those shavings go under the swing set and make a nice mushy area. I hear they attract termites, so it's good to keep the shavings away from the house.Adam
Hey, Bob --
Like you, I've put in CFLs. I'm going to be running some extra fixtures, because I need a bit more light than the CFLs put out.
Other than that, it's about as "green" as it's going to get -- the door is windproofed except for the sill, which, due to a drain problem has to be removable. About the only other thing I can do is to put in a second pane on the backs of the windows for a bit more insulation.
Mine is a basement shop, so mostly below grade, the ceiling is stuffed with rockwool, so it's as insulated as can be.
[edit] Forgot about dust & shavings -- they hit the garden, unless they're walnut, in which case they hit the f**g English ivy on the back fence.
Leon
Edited 11/15/2008 6:29 pm ET by lwj2
We recycle all my dust/shavings into the compost pile and/or around the yard for mulch. Don't have to worry about Walnut as I don't have any - DANG!
If I did have some I'd use it to control our Queen Annes lace. That stuff goes all over the yard.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
I think of my shop as fairly green. Here's my reasons.
1) All sawdust is re-used by a local farmer.
2) I have a basement shop that doesn't require a heating source other than the heat loss from the furnace and heating pipes overhead.
3) I recycle all paper products(not used sandpaper) and metal waist.
4) I almost always use natural oils and low VOC spray finishes. And use ####HVLP spray system.
5) All non-plywood wood scraps are used to help heat a home in my area.
6) I use 4' flourescent bulbs in the shop on 3 light switches. That way I can shut off lighting in areas where it isn't needed.
7) The basement shop is studded and insulated.
8) My commute to the shop is a 10 second walk from the refrigerator. (my 2nd favorite location in the house)
Sounds like you're into it. I have or will be taking many of the steps you've adopted. Great ideas.
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
More than anything - conscious intent. to try harder.
Other green things. use sawdust for mulch. Heavy insulation. Recycle most paper/glass goods, repackage with Rockler's peanuts, use as much local woods as possible (starting to use more Alder which to local timber people is a "trash" wood - save rain forrest/carbon footprint etc. of rare woods, especially in secondary use. Zone lighting. Added skylights. Reduce power although cost of power is also reason. Have started to use solar chargers on trickle users. More hide, less chemical glue - on purpose-doesn't help fish/horses or rabbits but it seems to be a better idea. Does use more electricity though. More water base stuff instead of oil. Hard to get around the use of BLO though.
BB
Does buying Green Hitachi and Green Festools count?
"Does buying green Hitachi and green Festool count?"
Not much, but green Grizzlies counts a bunch.
Well, I just finished the insulation on my shop yesterday and the day before by putting 1 inch foam board on the foundation. The walls and ceiling are insulated with sprayed on foam. About all the shop is done now except trimming the windows, doors and around the foundation. After almost five years of building, I mostly forgotten what to do with it. It is heated with an outside boiler with water in the floor. I am in the third year of heating the shop by using the trimmings from the trees removed for building the shop.
Four patio doors for windows but I think they are a waste both for light and heat since I have to have lights on anyway. The primary lights consist of eight fixtures of four 4' T5's (54 watts) each tube. They do take over 1700 watts. There is an additional three 100 watt fixtures for secondary lights if I have them on. Not particularly saving on elect but it surely gives a lot of light for an old geezer.
Incidentally, I put in geothermal in the house where I had been heating with wood. Surprisingly I used more than $100 less on elect than the year before the geo installation
By the way, if those T 12 lights give more light than necessary, you can wire them so you can switch the inside tubes separately from the outside tubes on a four tube fixture, thus saving on the electric bill.
Edited 11/16/2008 10:59 pm ET by Tinkerer3
BB,
I hear that the government is rethinking their position on the energy tax credit program that was in place back in the 80s. They'll no doubt figure a way to make it more expensive - pessimisim is getting the best of me.
One issue I see in this Green movement of late is there seems to be an underlying mentality that you need to spend more money to get there. Green thangs seem to cost a lot more than their conventional counterparts.
To me I think greening up can and does involve some amount of common sense. Akin to the old Fram oil filter ad - You can pay me now or pay me later.
To me a HUGE part of this is in recycling.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
When I built I installed radiant floor heating, super insulated walls and attic, general lighting is three banks of energy saver flouresents each on a switch, flourescent task lighting over radial arm saw and miter saw, and I followed the guidelines for square footage of windows, two on the east and two on the south to maximize passive solar gain. It all works, with the new service, 400 amp to the central meter, 200 to the shop, and 100 to the house for now, my monthly hydro bill actually went down after the shop was built and being used. The shop is heated with oil fired water heater, and used one tank of oil last winter, the temp in the shop averages 65 F. Max in the summer went to 72 F. Wood scraps from the shop are used in the house.
Your post hit on something that has nagged at me for a while now - hydro electricity. Why we haven't placed more emphasis on that is beyond me. It can be done so as to be environmentally friendly and I think is a lot less intrusive than wind towers. Solar is another.
Our summer cottage is in Quebec and our electricity up there is about ½ what is is in the states. OH, and the local power company buys power from Hydro Quebec too...................
Course the government wants the biggest bang for the buck and forgets that if everyone could save 20 bucks a month we'd have that much more money to spend. Multiply that by all the folks in the states and we're talking about some serious dinaros (sp?) man.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
hi...
i think this is not a very healthy thinking to make the your workshop green and feel you more comfortable by taking your workshop.
Saw my own lumber from urban mostly trees, burn the rest. Live in shop, ride bike to lunch, even though I bought a compact car to keep from using the diesel guzzler, which I have to have for work. Chase wild animals, flinging sticks at them. ha.
I need to work on new lighting though.
Chase wild animals, flinging sticks at them. ha.
Hah I see you're saving by not having to drive to the gym. Great!
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Dear Bob,
Interesting thread. First of all, I think that the first big step I took in "Goreizing" my shop is to expand it eight or nine fold over what most "common" folk have. I use the money left to me from my Daddy ........ That would be mostly Standard Oil Stock.......to buy power and influence so that I can dictate how large my neighbors shop could be and when it exceeded what I consider to be an adequate size, they will have to (mandated by a yet to be passed law) buy "Green Credits" from an organization that I own to plant trees in some unseen area of the country. Meanwhile, I will continue to jet all over the world and give speeches on a phenomena that doesn't exist, while mandating how others will be penalized for living as I do.
How's that?
Best,
John
John,
By jove I think you're got it. Just one thing though - aren't you going to take credit for inventing the Internet. Al baby surely knows how to take credit for the work of others.
Spit or as Lataxe might say - Cuh.
Just think of how much the Internet has contributed to the Green Movement. I can sit at home and buy stuff off the Inet, no driving around and the UPS guy brings it to me door. In most cases it's free shipping - jeesh I wonder where all that money is going.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Well said----WW 57
Well, from the standpoint of saving me money (not necessarily saving the planet), I insulated the crap out of my basement shop and fixed all of the air leaks, which results in significantly less wood going into the woodstove, and less oil going into the house heat.
I don't worry about the electricity - there's a street light right across from my house that burns 500 watts, all night long, and for no purpose. Unless and until this stupidity stops (cities lighting streets - it doesn't cut crime, and it doesn't improve safety), I'm not willing to sweat the lighting I use.
That sounds great! And you can use the savings plus a bunch more to go through the mercury clean-up procedure when you break one, or you not admit it and break the law. I’m hording incandescent bulbs myself.
Napie,
Yeah it's not a perfect world but we're trying.
I wonder about all those mercury vapor lights all over the world that have been around for years. Anything in those incandescent bulbs that end up in the landfills.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
If the tubes lasted 10 years, even with extra mercury, this would cut down on the "bad" waste.
Bob,
My shop is very green. I was originally going to go with tan, but a green roof and tan sides won out!! And, as you can see, I went with a green lower section, as well. The 2nd pic is to show the roof is not actually "snow white"!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Hope all is well with you these days. I like the cupolas. I want to build one for the woodshop someday - a functioning one so I can let all the hot air out in the summer! Would be nice if it could also be a source of natural light in winter too.
Spent a good part of today going around an insulating all the outlet boxes and looking for drafts coming into the woodshop. Last year I burned 100 gallons of fuel oil - looking to reduce it by 25% at least.
Another tree fell on the woodshop roof this fall so I'm looking at doing most of the repair work and hopefully switch to a propane heater for next year. Lugging fuel oil home in the pickup is getting mighty old ye know.
As you know one of the greatest challenges is having a woodshop that's comfortable both during summer and winter and yet be energy effecient. Hand planing helps keep warm in winter but finishing is he11 though.
Ok I've heard of raising chickens and horses but for cryin out loud - raising concrete!? This I gotta hear.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/17/2008 9:26 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Hey, Bob
The cupola's sounded good on paper for letting hot air out, but they also have a downside. Chicago is still the windy city, and an hour west it's still windy enough so that you get that rain and snow that comes down sorta sideways, just like Forrest Gump said in the movie. When this happens, I get snow or rain on the insulation in the ceiling, and we all know that's not good. Next time, I'll have cupola's for looks, but not function. I'll put in an electric fan that has a closeable damper.
Concrete raising is another subject for another time. I wouldn't want to hijack this informative thread.
Thanks for the regards regarding my health, but it still sucks. In fact, I'm leaving shortly to go the Dr.'s office to get yet another perscription for yet another sinus and respiratory infection. That pneumonia early this year really changed my life in a very negative way. Take care.
Jeff
Just to let you folks know, today was paydirt day.
A former co-worker at the landfill called me and asked me if I needed any insulation or windows.That's like asking a kid if he likes candy right?
As I headed back home with nearly two full bundles (10 rolls shrink wrapped) of fibreglass batts, count 'em 17 rolls, 2 22 x 50 casements in the back, some gur flags me down.
I stop and he asks me if I'm looking for a sub panel for the woodshop. Seems like a friend of mine told him about my looking to rewire the woodshop. $25 buck later and there's a brand new 100 amp sub sittin on the floor of the picky. That and a 30 amp DP 240, 4 15 amp SP 120s, 2 20 amp SP 120s and the 100 amp breaker for the sub! Seimens
Now I don't feel so bad about the CFLs, Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Speaking of green woodworking, here's an article I ran across about Roy Underhill from Mother Earth News:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Woodworking-With-Hand-Tools.aspx?utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email
Looks like Roy is finally hip with the times...
Edited 11/19/2008 9:58 pm ET by mvflaim
Thanks for the link.. I for one loved it.. But then again I like Roy Underhill.
He would not like me. I'm a power tool guy!...
I'm pretty good at using a chisel but that is about all.
As in the picture of Roy using a drawknife..
I have a really old and SHARP drawknife. One that I am sure works in the right hands but I have never learned to use it correctly. Or my other hand tools.
My list of successful hand tools I use.
1) Several Japanese saws.
2) My old Stanley/Bailey #4.
3) Mechanics tools. Including a Mig and Tig welder. OK so they need electricity!
4) LOVE my hand scrapers!
5) A very old original set of those blue handled chisels. Much shorter these days.
6) Sandpaper of many different grits.
7) Old Yankee craftsman push drill.
8) My China rip-off Pattern makers vice.
9) A old Brace and set of bits. My grandfathers set he used.
10) OH.. I almost forgot my very old Brown and Sharp 12 inch ruler.
My eysight has gotten so bad that I'm figuring I'll be able to work in the dark soon.
Tom,
I don't care who ye are, that's funny!
Oh man, today it was about 20°F and was working in the garage. The wife came out and asked me to show her how things were going up in the woodshop.
I flicked the switch for the lights and all you could see was dimness. About the same as when the sun is just peaking up over the horizon.
She said, "Wow, that's impressive." And promptly went back into the house.
Didn't dare to look in the mirror...........
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
I too algored my workshop. I painted it green. I had all my motors rewired for 240 volts, all the 120v circuits are balanced so that when working there is zero current on the neutral. For lighting I use 12 200 watt incandescents, yes, 2400 watts on two switches, on a 240 volt, 3-wire Edison. If you want to screw around with flourescents go ahead but I have never had a problem with too much light coming from a standard flourescent fixture. You can also try the new electronic ballasts but if you have an electrical storm there is always a good chance of losing the neutral when that happens, you may not be aware of it, at first, and all those expensive electronic ballasts will cook themselves when first switched.
The problem with flourescents especially in a shop detached from the residence, is cold temperatures, colder temperatures they come on dim when first started, if at all. Unless you want to put out 90-120 dollars a fixture for 8 foot HO's(High-output) fixtures which will light with very cold temperatures.
The problem with these CFL's and flourescents in general is breaking, and in my shop I am always moving lumber and hitting one of them is always an option, careless or not it happens then you got the whole mess to clean up, and if you follow all the instructions you lose a couple of hours calling Hazmat and any other beauracracy involved in Hazardous material.
Sawdust from the planer go over the bank to feed the weeds near the creek, hey its bio-degradable.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
Mark
The only thing really green in my shop are the tools and the GREENBACKS it took to buy them.---WW 57
How green is your shop? I want to add a few other points to this discussion. Has anyone changed their old less-efficient flourescents for the newer high output flourescents that are more efficient? Also if you spend the time to drywall, finish, and paint the ceiling and walls white then you won't need as many light fixtures. Most shops already compost their sawdust, but how many recycle the cardboard that everything comes in? Just food for thought.
Edited 11/21/2008 7:48 am by BigK
I don't know that I've ever taken the old one out to replace with the newer, but I've considered it. I have the T12, T8, and the T5. I consider the T12 inferior and may some day replace them with the T8. The T5 gives a lot of light but I don't know if they are worth it in my case.
I throw out all the sawdust in the yard or woods along with any table scraps. Burn anything that is burnable in the boiler, unless it has metal etc., and scatter the debris. Sell all the aluminum, copper and lead. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a market for iron products so it has been going to the land fill.
Edited 11/22/2008 6:33 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Edited 11/22/2008 8:23 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Interesting thread.....Speaking of conservation and trying to do the right thing....
I suggested in our shop to convert our dust collector to an "on demand" system. I was laughed at. The thing runs 9 hours a day regardless of the amount of machining going on. Oh and it's loud too.
Go figure.....
-Paul
HI,
The shop is 10 meters from my house, have installed those new pigtail lights and give me more light, use recycled or recovered timbers for 98 % of the jobs,put more windows in around the work bench, and saw dust/shavings are used ti make compost.
The only thing left is to recycle this old guy, maybe in 30 years when i have my way.
Cheerio Bernhard.
The only thing left is to recycle this old guy, LOL and then some!
I have told my children that if I die somewhere near Hallowween to prop my body on the tree at my old nasty neighbors tree fasing her house!
Kids agreed but sure they never will,, Dang!
Hi Berhard,
You must be getting into summer season down there, eh? I'm curious to know what steps are necessary to keep coo; in warmer climes? It seems that we up here near Gods frost patches don't think too much about keeping woodshops cool as we're most often a bit on the cool (read cold!) side.
A good friend of mine just returned from 3 weeks holiday down where you live. He really liked New Zealand and hope to share some tales of his adventure in a week or so when he comes up for a visit.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hi KiddrvilleAcres,
I open all doors to keep it cool and when that is not enough just get a cold beer, sit in the garden and wait till it is cooler.
Lucky for us it cools down most of the time of in the evenings.
Where i live close to Auckland the temperature is reasonable tempered very rarely over 30 deg and maybe 1 or 4 light frost in winter.
Cheerio Bernhard.
let me count the ways, Bob
1) I sealed up the cracks in my wooden floor with biodegradeable material ( I havent swep the floor in 2 months)
2) I sent Al Gore a check for $3.50 to buy green power credits for the one hour a day I run my Miller hot air furnace ( take the chill off in the shop and deal with the 50 degree temp in there all day after the wood stove comes on line)
3) I installed a solar Kiln ( well.....my wood stack is located in an area over my shop floor and the black roof is south facing. I guess that qualifies)
4) I burn all offcuts in my wood stove no matter how small
5) A flourescent light bulb burned out the other day and I didnt replace it. Now I save all the cutting that I would have done in that spot until the sun shines through the window ( which is hardly ever in Nov in NH)
6) I use firewood as a source of my wood stock ( Dont tell me! I was there!!!....Woodstock.get it??). Really!! I do..............would this face lie??
7) I have established an animal sanctuary ( squirrels live in the walls of the shop and have learned that peanut butter on a spring contraption sends them to the Big Oak Tree in the Sky......and bullet holes make my shop drafty......... so. Its a sanctuary)
8) I use only hand applied finish and then usually only 100% pure tung oil approved by Co-Op America ( now these folks are soooo green that a gecko looks pink by comparison)
9) My morning commute is like .....to the coffee pot...... get that on line........... Get pellets for the pellet stove ( in the house) ....out to the shop to start the aforementioned Miller furnace .........enjoy the cup of now brewed coffee in the Throne Room reading FWW............ out to the shop to start the day. Im one reason that gas in approaching 1.50 / gal. I dont use any.
10) ..................... I just know there has to be a #10....but I cant think of it right now.......... It just came to me what #10 is; sawdust When I bought my house 9 years ago 2 guys who I bought it from thought a beach volleyball court in the back yard would be a good thing. Now nothing grows there and my beach volley ball days have long passed. So I dump all my sawdust in that spot and roto till it in every year. now I have grass.
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Edited 11/23/2008 8:38 am ET by cherryjohn
Hey john,
It's been really cold up here the past couple of weeks. Should get down to 0° tonight - BURR! Wonder what we'll do when it REALLY gets cold? There's 4+ inches of the white stuff on the ground too.
Hope you're having a good time down in the sunny south! Went up to the woodshop this AM and it was 24° in the woodshop. The Miller trailer furnace wanted nothing to do with that - coughed, sputtered and started spewing black smoke. Bawky critter.
Spent the rest of the day insulating downstairs in the house and cooking. Had been a while since the last New England boiled dinner.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, you can have it........The balmy south is bad enough this week...... been like 20 every day........or less. No snow thoughWicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Hi Bob,
I use 4' fluorescent fixtures in my basement workshop and there are 12 of them. One of them is connected to the entrance switch for temporary uses only and others are connected to several switches. I thought I would turn on only buzy areas when needed but since I read that the more often you turn a fluorescent tube or buld on and off, the shorter will be its life (experienced in the house with bulbs). Since then, when I head to the shop to work, I turn on all the fixtures.
Where in my shop I saved the most energy is on heating. The shop is heated with 4 1000W plint heaters. The electronic thermostats are set at 64° and I used to pop then up at 70° when working. The problem was it took hours to raise the temp from 64 to 70° since this system heats the air and humidity first, then the air heats the tools and the owner, reason I used to turn them on one hour or two before heading to the shop.
I didn't changed the 64° setting since I installed 2 quartz radiant heaters I got from Lee Valley (27K08.30) on ceiling joists. I placed them in specific areas where I stand most often and I get heat from them after 2-3 minutes they're turned on. I've been using them for several years and I noticed a green difference on the utility bills. Instead of heating the air, these units transmit the radiant heat directly to solid cells, like human bodies and tools.
Hey, did you started the renos you were talking about at your cottage ?
Best,
Serge
- Learn from yesterday, work today, and enjoy success tomorrow -
http://www.atelierdubricoleur.spaces.live.com
Hi Serge,
This morning I went up to the woodshop to get some work done but my heater wanted nothing to do with it - 24° in the woodshop! We're supposed to get some warm weather next week - balmy 30's.
Started some of the repairs on the retaining wall up at the cottage but Mother Nature thought better so the rest will have to wait for sprintime. Should be all set for the winter though.
Was that you mentioned in the recent article in the magazine on Basement Workshops? Hope all is well with you and yours as we head into winter.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Easy lighting helper
One great way I found to have more light in the shop is to paint everything that you can white. My father has a shop (uninsulated) that has plywood walls. It seems like there is never enough lighting in his shop! My shop (drywall) I recently painted a semi gloss white. What a HUGE difference it made in lighting. The light from the windows is MUCH more usable. I can accomplish the same task by using half the number of lights to light up the shop.
what a laugh
Green up yea. Have you gone and read the advised instructions for proper disposal of these bulbs if they break! Only thing missing is hazmat suits. It's like the rage to go to ethenol for gas. Folks then took a good look and found a gal of ethenol creates more nasty byproducts than gasolene and takes food off the table. I bought some of that so called green mineral spirits and what a piece of crap. Tried cleaning my spray guns with it and it was horrible. shot just a small amount of the real stuff and boom done. Don't get me wrong I recycle when I can and don't waste but these things suck. I wish I'd bought a big reserve of regular bulbs before they were banned.
wish I'd bought a big reserve ... before they were banned
Once the drug dealers realize they can make more $$$ by bringing banned light bulbs in over the Mexican border we will have solved two problems at the same time. More bulbs that work and less drugs.
The last snows have showed those communities that changed traffic lights over to LEDs that the lack of bulb heat leaves the lights covered with so much ice and snow that the lights can't be seen by drivers !
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled