Shopsmith Forums

How to heat.

I love backing my backside up to an open flame. Got away from burning wood a long time ago, but use open flame gas fireplaces in the house. I am leery of open flame in a woodshop because of the dust. Is that a reasonable concern?

I have two 240 V hang from the ceiling heaters with fans etc, but I am also concerned that dust would accumulate on the elements and cause a fire.

What do you guys and gals do?

Thanks in advance!

One electric base board heater and a portable electric "milk" house style heater with a fan. Never had a problems, but I do dedust them as needed. I also have a air filtration system besides dust collector.

If they are turned on, I doubt much would 'accumulate' as dust(carbon maybe).

Any micro flash fires would do little as fire starters.

However there is the concern re amount of particles/cubic inch in the air(fuel to air ratio! ).

Ever hear of a flour mill explosion?

As long as the 'mix' is minimal I would not worry.


That however is just this non conformist idiot's opinion.

Like the odor of wood smoke?

Recall the smell after starting up a furnace the first cold spell of the fall/winter. Basically the summer's accumulation of normal dust flashes in the furnace. Same will occur with the IR heaters.

On the other hand it thee be hyper safety conscious like unowho wear some long sleeved henleys and pajama bottoms under outer clothing instead.

Right now, as I am varnishing the slow boat, it is a little cool on my unheated three-season porch, so I have borrowed from my sister-in-law one of those oil-filled space heaters that looks like an old-fashioned radiator. No open flame or exposed heating elements. I think it is 1000 watts. Together with the sunlight and the fact that one wall of the room is against the heated house, it does quite well. In the dead of winter, I don't know if it would be sufficient.

My woodworking shop is in the basement of my house. It gets heated automatically when the house is heated.

I do have a detatched garage where I do mechanic work. That gets heated only if I'm out there working, and I have two 240v electric heaters to handle that job as electric is so much safer than wood, oil, gas, or any other kind of fuel.

JPG,
20 years in a coal fired Power Plant seen a couple coal dust explosions, they are kinda neat in there own way, they roll along like a wave, as the initial one shakes more dust off other areas it just rolls along till the end of the facility. If it starts out at the start of the coal conveyor system can take 10-20 seconds from start to finish.

My shop is 30' X 40' with a 9 1/2' ceiling. It is not heated all the time. I use one of those kerosene (blow torch) forced air space heaters. I have it on a thermostat so it doesn't run all the time. I used the same one in the garage before I built the shop. It is 55,000BTU and would drive you out of the garage. That is why I got the thermostat. It brings the shop up to 65 degrees in about 30 minutes on most days and then runs only accasionaly. The shop walls are insulated with fiber glass and the ceiling has 8" to 10" of blow in insulation. Even on the coldest days (below 0) the temperature does not get below 40-45 degrees in the shop.

The 5' X 5' bath room has a 4' electric base board heater. All the plumbing is inside the room not the wall. In the winter I set the heater to keep the room about 50 degrees with the door closed.

The 10' X 12' finishing room has an 8' electric base board heater. I use that to keep the room warm if I have something that needs to dry over night.

I do have one of those over head closed flame gas forced air heaters that you see in warehouses and commercial garages. I bought it to put in the shop but the blow torch kerosene heater works fine so it has not been a priority to install. Mostly because I need to run about 100' of gas line.

Before anyone asks, no there is no odor from the heater. My wife has never complained either in the garage or the big shop. Trust me, if there was a problem she would smell it and say something.

29 degree mornings here - 70 degree afternoons. I use a portable space heater and a 500 watt halogen iron lamp in the mornings. The space heater has a glowing red wire and a dish reflector. I blow off the reflector every day.

Don't need heat at mid day. just open the door.

In Jan. the concrete floor will get cold (and the mass of the shop). Then I will need heaters longer

charlese wrote:29 degree mornings here - 70 degree afternoons. I use a portable space heater and a 500 watt iron lamp in the mornings. The space heater has a glowing red wire and a dish reflector. I blow off the reflector every day.

Don't need heat at mid day. just open the door.

Sounds like spring and fall here. In the car you need heat in the morning and AC in the afternoon.

charlese wrote:29 degree mornings here - 70 degree afternoons. I use a portable space heater and a 500 watt iron lamp in the mornings. The space heater has a glowing red wire and a dish reflector. I blow off the reflector every day.

Don't need heat at mid day. just open the door.

That sound like me ....

It is currently 60 degrees and was 28 last night. I am temporarily using a portable infrared heater, I have these two 240 volt ceiling hangers, and I also have a infrared LP gas for hooking up to a 5 gal LP bottle.

Soooo. Like John, I also have a 30x40 (when I am done taking down interior walls .. ). It doesn't really get that cold here, but I do feel it more and more every year, so I know I can't "Cowboy" up very much longer (nor want to).

6 responses, and 6 different ways to do it. What was I expecting . I guess I am good ...

Thanks guys ....