Heating a wood shop

The potential is from the fumes of finishes. Even a store that is supposed to be "out" can still have glowing embers a day or two later. It is against the National Fire Code to use solid fuel heaters in garages due to the potential of having gas fumes from an automobile. With proper care, it should be safe as any other heater.

I use an open flame propane heater, but I don't spray finishes while it is still running. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net

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Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski
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I use propane. I'd use natural gas if it was available. Electric is expensive to run, but more of a cost of running enough power to get enough heat. A 1500 watt heater is only 5118 Btu. I need at least 30,000 in my detached garage. When the temperature gets very low, say 20 degrees or less, I don't even try to heat the shop.

What is best for you? Depends on many factors. Insulation? Coldest outdoor temperature? Fuel availability? Ed

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:UzcXc.3282$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com:

I thought you cooked with wood, Ed. ;-)

That was $18 for both bottles. We've got a family doin's this Saturday, and I'm supposed to cook for 60. I don't want to run out.

When Swingman posted his spareribs pictures a little while ago, he seems to have started up something again here. I've started reading AFB, and have been trying to decide how to augment the gas grill with a slow wood burner...

Too many hobbies...

Patriarch

Reply to
patriarch

Solar (unshielded remote fusion reactor). I have a 50x50x14 shop and plan to heat it with three 6x12 panels this winter. Last winter I used a single 6x12 panel to keep shop temperature above freezing; and estimate that three will provide a comfortable daytime working environment (most days).

I don't know about your locale; but a shop the size of yours here could probably be kept decently warm with a pair of south-facing

6x8 solar panels. The advantage, of course, is that there isn't any fuel requirement.
Reply to
Morris Dovey

I've posted this one before, but since you have a group of 60 coming, will post again.

Doubt you can get a typical propane grill low enough for this one, so will give you the oven recipe:

Lew's Country Ribs

Start with at least 5 lbs of "country ribs" usually cut from the shoulder of the pig. (These are the fat ones and around here they are $0.99/lb on sale)

Put ribs in a 1 gallon ZipLock bag along with 1-1/2 cups of soy sauce and

3/4 cup brown sugar, mixed before adding to bag.

(Scale up as required).

Marinade ribs for at least 24-36 hours in the fridge turning over every 12 hours.

When complete, place ribs, fat side up on a rack in a pan and place in oven @ 400F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to about 212F (halfway between

200F-225F setting on oven) for at least 10 hours.

Save marinade for later.

Remove from oven and allow to rest on cutting board about 20-30 minutes, then cut 1/2" thick medallions of meat with a good sharp chef's knife.

Any bone or residual fat can be peeled away with your fingers as you are cutting medallions. You end up with only lean pork pieces.

Place marinade in a sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil over low heat.

(You don't want to caramelize the sugar)

Arrange medallions around the outer rim of a serving platter with cup in center of plate containing sterilized marinade.

Add tooth picks and for your own safety, get the hell out of the way.

Enjoy.

BTW, I'm doing these for a party this weekend.

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

I've used a combination wood/coal stove for years. Wood in the early fall and late spring to warm things up then the heat of the day is sufficient to keep the temp comfortable. Coal in the cold season on Cape Cod...it's cheap, easy to use not having to feed it often. At

10pm, I feed it and its good until 8am the next morning. Shop temp about 70F. Never a problem with dust although I keep a clean shop.
Reply to
gustav

I'm curious as to how you distribute the heat in your shop. I've been giving a lot of thought into putting in a solar powered radiant system when I build a new shop "sometime." But how do you add solar heat in a pre-existing building?

Morris Dovey wrote:

Reply to
Mike

I haven't filled mine in a long time, so don't know prices, but I do know my shop, which is 25 x 48 with an 8' 6" ceiling (I screwed up there: 10' would have been much better) flat eats propane on cold days. I have a 35,000 Btu catalytic heater and a 15,000 Btu model, and often had to run both to get it up to working temp in the a.m. Working temp for me is around 55-60, but if I'm gluing it is 65 to 70, as it is for finishing. But I don't like spray residue floating into glowing catalytics, so I ran it up near 75 or sometimes 80, and shut down the heat before finishing. That eats at least a 20# bottle (4 gallons?) each day.

This winter will be cheaper, if all goes well. Set the furnace at 50 and leave it until I'm in the shop.

We'll see.

Charlie Self "A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

Reply to
Charlie Self

"patriarch snipped-for-privacy@nospam.comcastDOTnet"

I have a few cookers, both gas and wood fired. If you want some of the wood flavor, you can put some chunks in a tuna fish can, cover it with foil, poke a few holes and set it close to the burner. For slow cooking though, it is hard to get the gas grills to burn low enough. Next weekend I'll be making a brisket and a pastrami (from a cured brisket) and it will smoke for about

12 hours. Ed
Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I'm located in Calgary, Alberta, where winter temps can get down to -30C. Average temps, though, are usually about -15C but we have these things called Chinooks that will causes temps to go from -20C to +5C in a couple of hours.

Where can I find more information on the solor heating panels you are using?

Thanks, Dave.

Reply to
Dave Rathnow

All finishing work is done in my basement. I only do woodwork in my shop so the only thing that is potentially explosive is the gasoline for my lawn mower, but that will likely be coming out when I build my shed (hopefully before the snow flies.)

As I said in another post, I'm in Calgary, Alberta where winter temps average about

-15C.

Dave.

"patriarch snipped-for-privacy@nospam.comcastDOTnet" "Dave Rathnow" wrote in

Reply to
Dave Rathnow

Oops! I got this in the mail, too; and have already answered. Check your mailbox...

Reply to
Morris Dovey

environment.

True - but to keep this on the track that it started out on, I was not talking about whether sawdust is flammable or not, I was talking about explosive, which is what I interpreted the OP's question to be. I elected to let the obvious stand on its own, which was that sawdust will burn. I gave the OP credit for being smart enough not to throw a pail full of coals into his sawdust pile, which is just about the only way he's going to be at risk.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

I have a 26x40 shop that I heat with a propane 70,000 btu furnace. It's made by Modine and it's called a Hot Dawg. It hangs on the ceiling and vents out the wall. I bought it on the internet through QC Supply for around $600 delivered. I did bring in a 320 lb propane tank that's only used for this furnace, then it's easier to gauge how much I'm using. Last winter (in northern WI) I used about $300 worth of propane. When I'm not using the shop I keep it set around 45 and it takes only a few minutes to heat up to 65.

Reply to
Mark

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:LidXc.13484$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:

Thanks, Lew. I'll almost certainly use this approach for at least part of the feast.

Enjoy your get together this weekend!

Patriarch

Reply to
patriarch

I got an old slow combustion stove (think you call them a pot belly). Been in the shop for 2 years. Feed it with all the scraps and it keeps the shop warm (5m x 10m)

Reply to
Phil Hansen

Phil, Don't have room for {and can't AFFORD} one of those 'traditional' pot belly's. So I have a cheap 'knock off' of the 'Swedish style'. Ditto on what I feed it . . . along with chunks from a tree I had to take down years ago.

Actually, a bit better than a portable Kerosene heater. While the Kero heater puts out 120,000 BTu, one of the by products is a slight amount of water vapor. Not the best for the tools or the curing epoxy.

Regards, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop

"Phil Hansen" wrote >

Reply to
Ron Magen

Got mine from a scrap yard. Cost me R250 (about $35)Now that spring is here it has been cleaned and painted all ready for next winter. Cheers

Reply to
Phil Hansen

Phil, I keep hearing references to 'cheap at the scrap yard', and 'shopping' at the city dump.

WHERE !!??

Around here you'd think the stuff was either gold or nuclear waste . . . the way it's either locked away or trucked a hundred miles away. If you don't get it out of your neighbors trash before the Thursday morning pick-up . . . it's GONE !!

Reply to
Ron Magen

Same as here. "The city dump" is off limits to anyone that doesn't work there. We have "transfer stations". Open top semis that you approach from the top via a platform and throw your stuff into. Not much of a way to salvage anything. If you do manage to salvage something, you will be arrested for doing so.

Reply to
CW

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