Roger,
Thanks for your well thought out reply.

What I,m really trying to do is heat a small work area in a big (40'x60') shop. I have a separate addition (21'x60') to the shop which has radiant heat installed in the concrete floor. This addition is set aside for my machine tools (I'm in Oregon, and if you don't heat your tools you loose them to rust) and billiard room. Neither of these two rooms are suitable for auto restoration. My hope was that I could work this winter by 'spot' heating a small 15'x15' open space area. I would only go in there maybe once or twice a week and ergo my concern about the pilot light.

Your comment about gas usage is spot on, except, in my case, while I changed all the heater jets over to propane, I have not altered the pilot system. Ergo I'm getting about a 5" pilot. I suppose I could squeeze down on the copper nozzle, or slam it shut and drill a smaller hole for propane.

Thanks again Roger. Any more thoughts would be appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary