Wow, it’s been a long week. I took possession of a new house last Friday, and we’ve been in the process of slowly moving stuff over. What we’ve discovered is that I’m ultra protective of my shop. I had to tell the father-in-law to stop touching the tools (after he lifted one end of the 6” jointer by the table). Then after he dumped the waterstones on the ground I banned him from the shop…<!—-><!—-> <!—->
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I have 6 guys and a big u-haul van (with a ramp) on the way, but for some reason he wants to load all the shop into a pickup truck (Did I mention it’s snowing?) “Every tool has a side it can be laid down on…” The oddest thing is he keep sneaking tools out of the shop up to the new house when I’m at work…<!—-><!—->
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I’m I being completely irrational here? I’m being as protective of the shop as I am with my 6 month olds when we go to the mall…<!—-> <!—->
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Anyway, I’ll be glad when this move is over and I can get back to woodworking… <!—-><!—->
Replies
> Anyway, I’ll be glad when this move is over and I can get back to woodworking…
If you have any tools left....
On the other hand, my parents and inlaws live hours away. If yours live in your town (and you get along with them like I do), don't take that for granted. :)
Andy
I’m I being completely irrational here? ...
You bet you are AND you know you are! AS IT SHOULD BE!
I sort of love my shop but love is for family and friends and pets..
Lets just say, I like mine ALOT but I sure wish it had some room and heat for the winter!
Edited 11/23/2007 8:41 am by WillGeorge
Hey Will,
Want a cheap solution for the heat issue: get a used trailer furnace.
I bought one for $100, made a stand out of 2"x8", lined it with aluminum so it pushes the heat out of the bottom. Works great for my modest 16' x 20' woodshop, and it doesn't take up much room. It ain't exacly purty, but it works.
It was 20° yesterday and I was up there nearly all day - used less than a gallon of heating fuel! And that included warming it up first. Working in a toasty woodshop is heaven!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/23/2007 9:12 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 11/23/2007 9:12 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
gallon of heating fuel! Expensive here! Chicago area and we use Natural gas which is probably more expensive..Now where to get a 300 gallon oil tank to last our winters?
Will,
I should have said that I don't get to spend all day in my woodshop every day. Also, I don't heat it all the time so storage is little more than a 55 gal drun in the garage below. I bring home several 5 gal. jugs to keep it topped off every once in a while.
Now, next year I plan on being retired and will spend a lot more time in the woodshop, so then it will likely be heated all the time, but just to 45° at night. So, for $3.18 per day that ain't all that bad. If you don't have a humongous woodshop it really doesn't cost that much, you're not heating a house!
Hanging out in the bars cost a lot more!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/23/2007 11:07 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
so storage is little more than a 55 gal drun in the garage below..THAT WAS FUNNY!
it's true, it's true!
I ran a 3/8" copper line up to the furnace on the second floor where the woodshop is. B4 that I used to swap out the 5 gal. jugs as I used them. Got to be a pain in the patoot, had to bleed the system every time.
Now I just dump 'em in the 55 and I'm good to go. Cides I didn't like the jugs in the woodshop.
Wait till I show you my dust collection system for a real hoot! It will take advantage of gravity! Just havta work out how to wet down that sawdust!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/23/2007 12:46 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
.....don't know what you have planned but would a short section of garden soaker hose wrapped on the inside of a chimney pipe start your thoughts. Reducers or whatever at either end???????...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I used to keep a drun in the basement too but it ate too much so I had to give it to the zoo.
I can't spend all my time in the shop either. I just hate it when she rings the dinner bell and then I get so tired that I have to come in and go to bed sometimes.
"--humongous woodshop it doesn't really cost that much, you're not heating your house..
House 3,000 square feet. Shop 5,040 square feet. I have been heating the shop with about a wheel barrow load of wood per day. If the truth were known, I don't really heat the whole building.
Tinkerer,
What in tarnation do you build in that aircraft hangar!?
That's almost 16 times the size of my little abode I call my woodshop. I'll be hitting the big time this spring when I double the size of mine! A typical trailer is around 1,000 sf so these furnaces are sized for them.
Based on that you'd need 5 of them! I'd get lost in your shop. I'd have to bring a lunch just to walk around it! Do you have problems with echoes in there?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"aircraft hanger"? Some years ago I was building a porch glider. I was explaining to my nephew over the phone and he said, "glider, really, What is the wingspan"? As a matter of fact, I haven't really built much of anything yet. I'm still building on the shop. Putting up ceiling drywall now. I'm surprised that so many have shops smaller. I had been dreaming of a 24 by 24 shop with a gambrel roof like a barn for many years. I mentioned that to a friend and he said, "that is what I am building" He built his several years before I got started and when he finished, I determined that mine had to be bigger. You can't even walk around in it. Course he isn't the best house keeper. I have taken quite a few pictures and would like to feature it in this forum, when I find out how. Maybe around Christmas time. Been building on it almost four years. Now it is time to build "in" it.
and he said, "glider, really, What is the wingspan"? I fell off my chair laughing at that one!
Hi Tink,
Like clamps it seems that the woodshop always ends up being too small. Sometime B4 next winter I hope to double mine to 32' by 20' and that will be it for me. I kinda like the smallness of the woodshop, but it does have its shortcomings when dealing with 4' by 8' sheet goods. For these, they get ripped downstairs in the garage. Not a big deal. Drywalling the shop is another matter though!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Describe what you mean by a "used trailer furnace." Please!
Thanks,
Alan - planesaw
I think what he means by a "used trailer furnace" is a furnace that has been salvaged from a trailer house that was junked out or had a replacement furnace.
Hi Alan,
It's as another poster has suggested.
A while back many folks in my neck of the woods upgraded their trailer furnaces and there were quite a few used ones available for sale by a local plumbing & heating contractor. I bought one that was only two years old. I meant to get a pic of mine last night but duhhed it! I'll get one later today and post for you.
They're quite compact, about 2' deep, 18" wide and about 5' tall. In the winter when I get home from work it's about 30° in the shop. I go up to the woodshop and start the furnace. Then go down and chat with the boss (wife) for 20 or 30 minutes and go back up to 70°! NICE!
Lately that chat has been taking place up in the woodshop. You see, the boss has taken up carving.................. Now my little sanctuary is already warm when I get home. And most likely there's a cold one in the fridge too!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Thanks for the info. So, are they gas or propane furnaces?
Alan - planesaw
Hi Alan,
The heaters are usually oil or kerosene, I don't recall ever seeing one that used gas or propane. I have a kerosene heater in my doublewide castle since my tank is outside exposed to the weather--oil would gel.
I hope all is well with you and yours,
Chris.
Chris/Alan,
I use #2 fuel oil in my trailer furnace.
Fuel oil is typically cut with kerosene for winter use so it won't gel. FO is usually cheaper than kero. I'm surprised to hear that it jells in Virginia. I get my fuel oil thru work cause they buy it in bulk and it's a lot cheaper. Actually it's called off road for bulldozers, etc.; which is the same as #2 heating oil. The stuff I'm getting now is called 60/40, 60% FO and 40% kero.
Also, the latest batch is what is called Green oil, which I understand they've removed a higher percentage of the sulphur in it.
I live in northern NH and it definitely can be a problem here. Most of the time, when it gets below 20° in the woodshop (which doesn't happen that often), the furnace won't start. I think it's because of the jelling issue. These are the times when I stay inside and hone blades and plan pieces to make.
The furnace heats my little abode (16' by 20' with high celings) as it's a gambrel shaped roof. I've still got a lot of drywalling to do on the ceiling and the north wall too, so that should improve it effeciency quite a bit.
Also, since I've got my DC back together, I don't have to vacumn out fhe furnace filters but about once monthly instead of weekly. Hope this provides you folks with some more info.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hiya Bob,
I'd be surprised to hear fuel oil gels in Virginia, too. Alan and I live in South central Pennsylvania. We can get some bone cold winters here, too. Alan lives around Hershey and I live in the hills just north of Gettysburg. Hershey is in a long valley that runs from Chambersburg thru Allentown (I-81/I-78 corridor, if ya were to look on a map) which usually tracks severe weather thru it. I live not far from that valley (as the crow flies) plus I'm 100' higher in elevation. There's a small valley out behind the house which gives me a year 'round breeze and bone chillin winds in the winter. FO mixes are kinda out of the question for me.
Have a great day, Bob,
Chris.
PS, Master Mel lives in Virginia.
Chris and Bob,
My shop is what was the garage. We have a typical late 1970s split level house with the original garage in one end. You pull in the driveway and then would turn 90 degrees into the garage. However, when we bought the house, my wife's business (manufacturing picture frames, then selling frames and prints) called for a new garage facing the street built onto the original garage end of the house.
So the original garage is now our shop. Since it was never heated or cooled, and I certainly don't want to make it part of the central system, I have thought about doing something cheap (well, inexpensive anyway) to at least heat it in the winter. Right now I just add a layer of clothing, put a hat on my mostly bald head, and use a small electric heater just long enough to take the chill off.
Not in a hurry to do anything quick, but thought I would collect some knowledge so if a furnace of a type that would meet my needs happens to appear in front of me I would recognize it and be prepared do something.
Thanks for the info.
Alan - planesaw
Alan,
Mine is a Miller furnace. Google miller trailer furnace, or just trailer furnace and I'm sure you'll get lots of hits.
Some things I've learned trying to heat my woodshop.
I started with a woodstove and that worked quite well, until outside temps were consistently around 20°. It took hours to get warm enough to work, sometimes with the winds it never did get warm enough. Lugging the wood, splitting it, stacking it to dry, then lugging it up to the shop. Forget it!
Insulate, insulate, insulate! Plastic the interior walls and drywall. Mud & tape - then paint. Done.
When I installed the furnace, I purchased a 3' length of Metal-Bestos chimney and ran the 3" pipe for the furnace through it for a thimble, straight up through the roof. Flashed the top outside and fireproofed the inside - done. Installed the thermostat and connected to the furnace. 5° swing between cycles - WARM AT LAST!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Alan,
I bet if you check with the trailer dealers in your area they migh be able to help steer you in the right direction. Same with some of your local heating and cooling contractors. There is a trailer parts place on Rte 997, south of Scotland, between Rte 81 and Rte 30. I'm sure there's probably some trailer salvage companies in your area, too.
Chris.
I was just out in my shop, and it occurred to me that you could probably do in your shop, what I'm planning to do in mine. I'm planning to put one of those "Mr. Slims" HVAC units in. They are made by Mitsubichi and cost around $2000. The inside unit is about 2'x6-8' and hangs on the wall about 7' AFF. the ouside unit is about 2 1/2' x2 1/2' x1 1/2' overall dimensions and is a heatpump affair. The beauty of these things are both heat and A/C in one package. I've wired quite a few of these things up on different jobs I've been on and I'm quite impressed with the little buggars.
Just a thought,
Chris
Edited 11/27/2007 8:35 am ET by CarvinChris
Chris,
Thanks for the info. Wasn't aware of such a unit. I will check into it.
Alan
I have read that Love is defined as a deep affection for a person, place or thing. I would most certainly add pets to that as well.
Accepting that definition, I do love my shop. When I enter it my mood is heightened and when I switch off the lights I feel as if I have accomplished something good...well most of the time.
I tend to think about things of real value (to me) when I'm working on a project. Problem solving is a skill that gets honed. Most importantly, I rarely think of outside issues and problems.
If I was to get really sentimental I could say it borders on the spiritual...for me.
K...enough of that. Back to the shop and that ()*&^$^%$#^ miter joint that I can't seem to get right.
Later, Brian
Buster,
I hope the rest of your move goes a little smoother.
My father in law doesn't speak English (not that I can) and he lives on the oposite end of the planet from where I live. I've seen him only a few times during the 19 years I've been with his daughter. Never had a meaningfull coversation with him. Kinda sad. But then, he's never dropped my tablesaw either.
Ask your father in law for a $250 LN No. 4 handplane for Christmas.. Maybe he'll treat them better after he knows what a good tool cost.
Wife or tools, wife or tools ??...........hmmmmmmm.............no fair
First: tell him NO FONDLING MY TOOLS !!! ;0)
Second: get him a shock collar and set the perimeter at the shop threshhold
Third: tell him if he does it again you'll just have to hire a hit man
Fourth: give him something extremely complicated to assemple, leave out a coupleof key parts and tell him you need it done quickly. (like toys for the kids for Christmas?)
After all, a guy can share his friends, share his family, share his shelter and food (beer excluded?), maybe even a car..........but your pick-up and tools? I don't think so.
Good luck
bum
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Yeah, I love my shop. And I'm not going to get worked up about the semantics of loving an inanimate object. I love other objects as well: watches, cars, etc. Not in the same way I love my family, but the shop is absolutely precious to me.
I planned it; built it; purchased the tools over time; am continually upgrading and improving it. My most enjoyable non-work time is spent there. (with certain exceptions). I covet the time I get to spend there. Most of Saturday and Sunday will find me there. My wife does her thing and then we spend the evening together. Works out great for both of us.
If I didn't have the shop, I would be bored out of my mind. And that would make me cranky and not much fun to be around.
Without exageration, it is extremely important to my life. PMM
I have similar issues with my father in law who lives across the street. Yes I said across the street, my life is like an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. I don't understand this mans thought process some days, I mean he has the cleanest farm equipment you have ever seen but somedays I wonder. He has usewd my good finish brushes for enemal paint and not cleaned them before putting them up and left paint cans with runs on the sides on top of my new table saw. He has used my shop vac with hepa filter to vacumn water out of his basement and used scrap mahogany and maple staves for tomato stakes. One day when I was moviong the shop around I asked for help moving my Tablesaw , I explained in depth that we couldn't lift by the rails and that we needed to get ahold of the base. I turned my back for like 5 seconds only to catch him swiveling the saw around while jerking it around by the rails.
Yesterday was the big move day, and things went about as well as I expected. After a week of being told how I could/should move things I finally laid it out how we were going to move things. The tools were going to be the last things moved, for both practical reasons (the 'shop' is an attached garage and we were unloading into it), and so that it could get my full attention. I had bought a pair of 'forearm forklifts' (movers straps) to life the tools by their base on to the truck. These straps are about the easiest way to life the equipment I could think of, I highly recommend them.
Sadly the first time I was distracted I came out to find him directing three of the guys to move the bandsaw. They were trying to move the saw up the ridge ramp using the mobile base. The saw, which weighs 224lbs +, was winning. After gently getting back to solid ground, I re-explained what we were planning to do. He was furious that I would 'correct' him, and things were compounded when we had to send him back to the new house to pick up the straps that I had forgotten (D'oh, he and I were the only ones that new the way... and I wasn't leaving him there with the rest of my tools). Loading was done quickly, efficiently and safely (for both tool and movers) after that.
Unloading was a piece of cake, the jointer and table saw were able to be rolled down the ramp (gravity is a wonderful thing). In fact unloading went smooth until we hit the bandsaw again. Once again he block us, and wanted us to 'tip' it off... Support it by the top, and then lower the base. Did I mention that we had just moved it up using straps? Anyway, I stayed a civil as I could (he is family after all).
This move seemed to be more than just a move to him. Clearly they have value to me, and he understood that. The tool move seemed to be a place for him to make a point.
He was furious that I would 'correct' him
naaaaaa... not with my tools, not in this lifetime... I don't have a fraction of the woodmunchers you've listed, but irrespective... someone treats my L-N's like that n they're gonna wake up in a shallow unmarked grave...
I ummmmmm.... resolved the out-law issue years ago... bought an old Landrover instead... costs about the same as a wife but never needs more than 2 pair o "shoes" at any one time... the naggin stops as soon as ya take the key outa the ignition too...
;)Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
someone treats my L-N's like that n they're gonna wake up in a shallow unmarked grave...
Mike... You might want to get that shovel. My hand tools, including me Veritas planes, LN saws and LN chisels (brand new, birthday gift during the move) at the bottom of a pile in my unheated garage. It was an honest mistake, I asked him to leave the toolboxes but he thought I meant the large lathe tool boxes. They'll be fine out there until the weekend... Then I'll go rescue them.
<shakin head slowly...suckin thru teeth...
I ummmm... can see a shotgun loaded with dried split peas looming large in papa outlaw's immediate future... for educational purposes... of course...
a backside fulla split peas is a hellova attitude adjuster, believe me..
Ahem...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
""I ummmmmm.... resolved the out-law issue years ago... bought an old Landrover instead... costs about the same as a wife but never needs more than 2 pair o "shoes" at any one time... the naggin stops as soon as ya take the key outa the ignition too...""
Some serious contemplation here ("he says smiling"). Been married to the same DW for 40+ years now.................but in my NEXT life ?????? ;0)
On the tool disrespect....You messa my stuff, I breaka you face!.... Hey, Tony!
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Been married to the same DW for 40+ years now.................but in my NEXT life ?????? ;0)
<whisperin..
for your sake, I hope SWMBO didn't read that...
;)Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
I don't think you're being irrational. My father in law is fanatical about his hunting & fishing gear (not that I know much about those things anyways) -- I leave his stuff alone. On occasion he's asked me what a tool is, but doesn't feel like he's got to go through the shop to do something (I think he likes playing with his grandkids more)
I think when the time is right for us to move (may that not be for a long time) -- I'll be doing most of the moving of the shop. The Mrs will most likely help too --as she plays in the shop too-- but most of my stuff has been jacked up on wheels so I can move them about the shop. (My shop is my former parking spot in the garage...and I'm happy to have lost my spot to my lathe & table saw) So moving most items won't be an issue. --This reminds me of a scene in Stripes -- "Anyone touch any of my stuff and I'll Kill you" - "Shut up Francis"
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