I was in my garop (garage shop) yesterday fiddling around. Late last year I
bought a clock for the garop that has time, temperature, and humidity dials on
it. It was going to be a hot day outside so I thought it would be interesting
to see just what happened in the heat.

I was doing ok as the temperature rose from a starting point of about 80 when I
started. When it said 85 I was still ok. Sweating a little, but it was
tolerable. When it said 90 I wasn't ok anymore, but I kept fiddling anyway.
Sweating a lot too. When I would go back into the house, the 82 degrees in
there (a/c is great isn't it?) felt GREAT. When the temperature got to 95, my
clothes would almost instantly stick to me when I would go out there because of
the sweat. Not fun anymore. I started thinking to myself that I must really be
a pussy. (Any women out there, please substitute the word wussy from now on)
Can't even take 95 degrees anymore. Then I thought to myself, "So what if I'm a
pussy!" and went into the house. The last time I looked it got up to 98 in the
garop. I think it probbly hit a hunnerd in there before it was all over.

So I started wondering how many other pussies are out there. I like to think I
have earned my "pussyship". I remember in my younger years working with my dad
wrenching on his trucks in 110 deg heat with no shade. Had to be VERY careful
where you put your tools down because if laid them down in the direct sunlight
you weren't picking them back up again without getting some serious burns (well,
that's what it felt like anyway). I can remember driving across the SoCal
desert in 125 heat with no a/c. I can also remember much more recently being
out in my son's back yard digging trenches (by hand shovel) for his sprinkler
system and it was well over 100 that day. I have quite a few other heat related
memories too. So I have earned it.

The outside temp finally got up to 105 yesterday and for the first time in
several weeks THERE WAS NO BREEZE. The humidity hovered in the 45% range which
is a little bit higher than usual for this heat. At that temp it is usually
more like 15% to maybe 30% (I have other gauges around, just a new on in the
garop). Also my uninsulated aluminum garop doors face west so I get the full
sun in the late afternoon. If I open the garop doors all I get is hot air
coming across the concrete in front, PLUS the sun heating up everything else
inside. If I leave the doors closed I can't get too near them because they feel
like tools left laying in the sun.

But back to the question, how hot is too hot?, etc. Obviously, this question
will only apply to people that do not have air conditioned work shops. Many if
not most of you probably don't even have a thermometer. But about what
temperature do you finally give it up and go back into a less hostile
environment? I know you can't say "I go in at 90 degrees." Too many weather
variable for that. But for me, I think I'll probably stick to around 90 or so
for heat, and maybe 50ish for cold. Any colder than that and my hands start
hurting from the cold and I just hate wearing gloves. Any hotter than 90 or so
and I could ruin a perfectly good piece of wood with sweat droppings. :-) I
have pushed both ends of the scale for shorter periods of time (couple of hours
or so) and I'll do it again, but as a general rule of thumb I think these limits
are close. Won't really take a thermometer to tell either. If my hands start
aching from the chill, I'll go in. If I lay my arm on the bench and I have to
peel a piece of wood off of my arm, I'll go in.


Wayne