Hope everyone has been able to keep cool over the past couple of weeks!! I’m here in Florida so high temps are something we deal with for half the year. Today was no exception in the mid 90’s and humid.
As the sweat poured off my face and onto my work today it got me thinking. What tricks do you use to keep cool and refreshed when A/C just isn’t an option in the shop or in the field? Any stories about working those long hot days?
Be Cool,
-Paul
Replies
Don't wear your hat. Wrap a wet towel around your neck.Encourage small kids to sell lemonade on every corner Think cool thoughts
Don't wear your hat. Wrap a wet towel around your neck.UHHHH.....don't wear a hat? Come on now...I'm bald as an onion, if I don't wear a hat my brain cooks. You should say, wear a hat AND put the towel around your neck. I've done that for years. I know that wearing a hat holds in heat, but holding in body heat versus beaming down damaging heat is different. Shelter your head or you can cause serious health issues!
pcooper, I meant indoors. Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen
verture out these days! You're not a Brit are ye??
Steinmetz.
Edited 8/4/2006 8:28 pm ET by Steinmetz
Not a brit, have to say I live in the southeast US and right now it is something like a thousand degrees outside in the sun, or at least it feels that way. :-)Only crazy folks would venture out of the ac here too but we have to.
Edited 8/4/2006 9:07 pm ET by pcooper
Paul,
We have siesta from 11:30am 'til 2pm when most things shut down.
No airco; just stay in the shade and enjoy the constant breeze.
Dont think of going anywhere without water.
Pasa bon noche.
Well, I started the summer by painting the winter night sky on our bedroom ceiling. That really helped keep the room cool, I swear... You can get the template from Celestaire. It comes complete with glow-in-the-dark paint. It doesn't take long to charge the paint up, it's quite cool.
Our other trick is we have this really ancient lawn sprinkler (1890's is the guess). Anyway, the water that comes out of the sprinkler is a very fine mist. On hot and windy days, especially, I can't stay under that for more than a couple of minutes. Yesterday I managed maybe 2.5 minutes sitting on a lawn chair with a beer. BRRRR. Air temp was about 98F.
Ed,
Sounds like a cool idea.
You could paint icebergs on the walls and get some stuffed penguins around the room.
Pasa bon tarde.
LOL, it's a Northern Hemisphere sky, we'd have to do iceburgs and polar bears. ;-)
Hey everyone,
Good replies, some good info there. I spent today in a pool of sweat yet again. You know it's gonna be one of those days when you soak through a shirt before 6:30 am.
I am a Fla. resident of 4+ years N.E. before that. I don't think the heat affects me differently than folks native to the area, I think they have had longer to get used to dealing with it.
We use large fans at work. Not an ideal situation. They are loud and blow stuff around. A/C is out too many large overhead doors in use.
Thanks again for the replies, nice to know other folks out there sharing in the dog days.
-Paul
Hey Ed,
Woodville Ma. ? Kidding right? Or is that one of those lost towns out along Rte. 2 somewhere? Anyway, I like the idea of a lawn chair and a cold one( or two). Not sure about the spray mist. Too funny....
-Paul
Actually, after too many disgusting summers in DC, I just up and moved to Alaska. Much cooler up here.
Yes, the heat wave has broken. Last week on Tuesday I believe the temp read 107 on the shady part of my deck, and the heat index was 115-120, with high high humidity. I had to work outside that day. I know there have been hotter times, but I really can't remember when.
It's now balmy and in the mid to high 80's. Perfect summer weather. I can resume my running and the flowers in my garden have stopped drooping.
Jer,
When it gets that hot there is just no relief. I think mid 90's is my quitting zone.
Stay cool,
-Paul
An A/C service company working out in my shop noticed the heat our boys had to endure--106 that day--and said that their A/C guys that worked in attics and on roofs were supplied with these vests. Real heavy-duty and built to last. I haven't bought any yet, but I'm seriously considering them.
http://www.climatechsafety.comI can't endorse them because I haven't seen them yet, but the A/C guy says that when he passed them out to his service techs, they treated his as if he had just doubled their pay."Kinky for Gov. of Texas"
That's pretty cool(no pun...). I may contact the co. for more info.
Thanks,
-Paul
I think about the "rich" people PAYING to be in a sauna, and here in Austin Texas, it's FREE!! Drink lots of hot coffee and let the sweat run free. Great for the pores and sweating out the "cold ones". As long as you stay hydrated and stay in the shade and the path of the fan, everything's fine. Nothing can keep me from my love of woodworking. Although it is a bummer when the sweat drops onto a freshly sanded piece of raw wood, or worse, onto your wet polyurthane.
Keep making smallwood out of large wood.
Ron.
Ah Ron, the joys of the Texas climate. I know it only too well. To ease my sweating burden I found a permanent solution-- by moving from Houston to northern England. That took the heat out of woodworking no end, ha, ha. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Hey Ron,
Couldn't agree more. The thought came to me during one of many days when I just poured sweat for the whole shift. I would absolutely take this over my former freezing in the snow days anytime.
Cooler weather is just around the corner.
Thanks,
-Paul
On a serious note, a big fan is the next best thing to AC in a shop. I used to work in a molding shop in TX, where the presses were steam heated to about 300 degrees. These molding presses were lined up in rows with a large fan blowing down the asile inbetween them. The key in a shop situation where AC just isn't practical is air movement and getting the hottest air out of the space. An exhaust fan near the top of the shop will help remove the heated air.
Try to stay cool, it was 107 or so here yesterday, I can't wait for cooler weather!
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