My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

If you can make room for it, look for a 55 gal drum stove kit (you provide
the drum) it burns wood scraps, only runs when you want and in a small space
could throw more heat then you loose.

AndrewV
"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

"AndrewV" wrote

If you can make room for it, look for a 55 gal drum stove kit (you provide
the drum) it burns wood scraps, only runs when you want and in a small
space could throw more heat then you loose.

I did that in my last shop. They 55 gallon drums were too big. But a friend
was able to get me two 30 gallon drums. They worked just fine. It was a
double barrel stove. That thing put out so much heat that you could use the
shop for a sauna if you wanted to.

KIMOSABE wrote:
....
I may be asking for the impossible.
....
I'd start w/ some insulation -- whether it's solid foam on the
walls/ceiling if there's not stud space or whatever you need to do.
Then, at least you're not just trying to heat the whole eastern seaboard.

Then, a reasonably small propane or other heater (preferably vented,
outside air if this is a wood shop and particularly if use volatile
finishes) will be all needed.

--

dpb wrote:
KIMOSABE wrote:
....
I may be asking for the impossible.
....
I'd start w/ some insulation -- whether it's solid foam on the
walls/ceiling if there's not stud space or whatever you need to do.
Then, at least you're not just trying to heat the whole eastern seaboard.

Then, a reasonably small propane or other heater (preferably vented,
outside air if this is a wood shop and particularly if use volatile
finishes) will be all needed.

--

That's what I did with my 10x10 shed/shop. I insulated the sides with
fibreglass and the ceiling with foam. Nothing in the floor and that's
proving to be an issue.

I run a kerosene heater all winter for heat and it's good til about -15
C (5 F). Or it was last winter without insulation. I expect better
results this year. I was in the shop all day today with outside temps ~
- 10 C (14 F) and I was too hot.

YMMV

Tanus

KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

In the past the "Modine Hot Dawg" heater have had some good reports in
this news group. They come in both natural gas and propane models. The
HD-30 which is rated for a 1 - 1.5 car garage would be more than enough
and runs about $500. See:

http://www.gas-space-heater.com/modine-hot-dawg.html

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

more puppies? one can never have too many puppies, at least until they grow
up.

I have two kerosene heaters.

This type is good for long, sustained, even heat.
It'll have you shedding layers in no time.
http://www.yourheater.com/dh2304.jpg

This type is good for heating a place up, right quick.
But it's noisy, so it's not too good for sustained heating,
and you wouldn't want to have anything set in front of it accidentally.
http://www.yourheater.com/images/DFA45-2004.jpg


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

first insulate the shop ,then buy an infered heating element for a twenty lb
propane tank.With this you will be able to work in short sleves even in the
coldest day.



Len


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Infered.... hee hee. Without implying anything, I inferred he meant
infrared.

jc



"Len" wrote in message
...
first insulate the shop ,then buy an infered heating element for a twenty
lb propane tank.With this you will be able to work in short sleves even in
the coldest day.



Len

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Insulating would probably be cheaper than burnings tons of fuel.

Subject

Insulate first.

Without it, it's like pushing on a rope.

Lew

on 11/19/2008 4:14 PM Lew Hodgett said the following:
Subject

Insulate first.

Without it, it's like pushing on a rope.

Lew




Said George Burns when asked if still had sex.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

Thanks for everything.

I got the message = insulate. OK, I will.

I know those barrel heaters are great, but I just don't have the room
to consider even a small one. For space/cost/btu's, the heater I've
ordered the propane unit suggested by Len. I never saw one of these
before.
http://www.heatershop.com/propane_infrared_heaters.html

As to pushing on a rope, someone once asked Bob Hope if there was sex
after seventy. He said yes, and that he particularly enjoyed the one
in the spring.

KIMOSABE wrote:
Thanks for everything.

I got the message = insulate. OK, I will.

I know those barrel heaters are great, but I just don't have the room
to consider even a small one. For space/cost/btu's, the heater I've
ordered the propane unit suggested by Len. I never saw one of these
before.
http://www.heatershop.com/propane_infrared_heaters.html

As to pushing on a rope, someone once asked Bob Hope if there was sex
after seventy. He said yes, and that he particularly enjoyed the one
in the spring.

This type of heater works well to provide heat. Moisture is a byproduct
of combustion. With an unvented heater you may run into
condensation/rust problems. Be on the lookout for it.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
Thanks for everything.

I got the message = insulate. OK, I will.

I know those barrel heaters are great, but I just don't have the room
to consider even a small one. For space/cost/btu's, the heater I've
ordered the propane unit suggested by Len. I never saw one of these
before.
http://www.heatershop.com/propane_infrared_heaters.html

As to pushing on a rope, someone once asked Bob Hope if there was sex
after seventy. He said yes, and that he particularly enjoyed the one
in the spring.

I used a similar heater in a 16x24 uninsulated shop (in Arkansas) and it was
more than warm enough when the temps were in the 20's

INSULATE
I use those interlocking rubber mats and noted it helps keep my feet
from freezing (concrete floor) in addition to the comfort when
standing.
Those circular kerosene heaters (http://www.yourheater.com/dh2304.jpg)
do all right but send most heat directly UP over themselves. I use one
in my basement and can operate it for 24 hours on a fill and keep the
basement at 66 when the outside temps are dropping below thirty.

In my insulated garage, I can get by with a little ceramic heater or
one of those electric heaters that have the "ribbons" of metal and a
little fan to keep the chill off.

I'm not too sure I would want one of those Propane infrared heaters
with all the saw dust generated on a good day and that MODINE HOT DAWG
HD30 - $479.00 thing would buy you a lot of insulation.

You may be able to rent a construction heater and try it out before
plopping down the $279 or so plus the cost of the propane and tank
(another $50?) - again, that would buy a lot of fiberglass bats.

KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need
to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that
was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

For a rough estimate of how much heater you need you might want to run
the calculator at
http://www.heater-store.com/heater_calculator_info.htm. Note that
with good insulation you need a _lot_ less heat.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:25:14 -0500, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need
to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that
was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

For a rough estimate of how much heater you need you might want to run
the calculator at
http://www.heater-store.com/heater_calculator_info.htm. Note that
with good insulation you need a _lot_ less heat.

--

Evan a little bit of insulation makes a big difference ;-)

I had an outside shop (electronics in those days, not woodwoorking)
that was 8x10 with insulated walls and ceiling and very little
leakage. I used a 1250 watt electric heater (with a wall thermostat)
and was comfortable when the outside temperature was 30 degrees (a
little better than the calculator indicates).

John

On Nov 19, 4:25*pm, "J. Clarke" wrote:
KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because *NJ is just too cold. *I need
to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. *I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that
was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? *Space is at a premium. *I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

For a rough estimate of how much heater you need you might want to run
the calculator athttp://www.heater-store.com/heater_calculator_info.htm. *Note that
with good insulation you need a _lot_ less heat.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Here's another approach if you have a South Wall exposed:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-Heater/

Hi,

I've got about what you do, 12' x 24' metal storage building, with an
overhead door, two windows, a hand door, and lots of leaks.
And I live in Minnesota, where it does get cold.

I haven't found a way to insulate the shed without building a wall
inside the existing walls, which looks like more $$ and time than I
want to put in.

So, on the advice from a friend I bought 4 infra red heat lamps (think
chicken brooder heating) with porcelain sockets. I put two at the
bench and two at the lathe, and I use a small radiant propane heater
(about 14000 butu) on top of a 20# propane cylinder (called a fish
house heater, before fish houses got to be traveling living rooms) to
put heat where I need it.

And I invested in a pair of flannel lined jeans ($50) and insulated
shoes from LL Bean ($70) and a stocking cap. Add a chore jacket, a
sweatshirt and gloves, and I can be reasonably comfortable working out
there in 25 degree weather (ambient is about 40 inside) if the sun is
shining, and 30 degree weather if not. Oh, I found some of those
interlocking rubber mats for kids to play on and put them on the floor
where I usually stand ($20). Obviously I am happier working with
tools with wooden handles when it's cold.

Any gluing or finishing or working with water ends up being done in
my attached garage which stays at about 50 degrees.

Shirt sleeves? No, but for a minimum of effort and fuss I have a
reasonable heating system so that I only have to concede 2 months a
year to winter. Fair compromise.

I thought about a wood stove, but it bothered me to have something
that hot in the way, and to bank up the fire and leave it unattended
at the end of the day.

Old Guy




On Nov 19, 11:38*am, KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because *NJ is just too cold. *I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. *I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? *Space is at a premium. *I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Old Guy wrote in news:94b756e4-11c1-4930-a5fe-
:

Hi,

I've got about what you do, 12' x 24' metal storage building, with an
overhead door, two windows, a hand door, and lots of leaks.
And I live in Minnesota, where it does get cold.

I haven't found a way to insulate the shed without building a wall
inside the existing walls, which looks like more $$ and time than I
want to put in.
*snip*
Old Guy


Just a thought... Have you looked in to a spray foam insulation? It has to
be applied professionally, and will take a little space, but it's better
than building 2x4 stud walls so you can install bat insulation.

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Just a thought... Have you looked in to a spray foam insulation? It has to
be applied professionally, and will take a little space, but it's better
than building 2x4 stud walls so you can install bat insulation.

Puckdropper

Have you seen the silver backed rolls of insulation that are always
against metal roofs in big corrugated steel buildings?
I can't remember where, but I saw that stuff being installed once with
built in adhesive. They pealed off a backing and stuck it up, straight
on the roofing. The adhesive was super-duty, like that rubber
self-sealing window flashing. It would stick to anything and everything,
and would not come loose.



--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote

Just a thought... Have you looked in to a spray foam insulation? It has
to
be applied professionally, and will take a little space, but it's better
than building 2x4 stud walls so you can install bat insulation.

Actually, there is a amatuer version of the spray foam insulation. I seem
to have misplaced the link. It comes in cardboard boxes. Each box covers so
many square feet. There is some kind of nozzle/applicator that you hook up
to it. The chemical reaction moves the foam into the space and expands it.
One time application, of course! There is no way to use part of a box.

I am certain, though it is probably a very good product, that is expensive.

Old Guy wrote:
Hi,

I've got about what you do, 12' x 24' metal storage building, with an
overhead door, two windows, a hand door, and lots of leaks.
And I live in Minnesota, where it does get cold.

I haven't found a way to insulate the shed without building a wall
inside the existing walls, which looks like more $$ and time than I
want to put in.


Rigid foam panels glued on with construction adhesive, the kind that
comes in caulking gun size?

Hi all,

Thanks for the ideas about insulating my cold storage shop.

Maybe some folks have used some of this stuff and have been happy with
it. I have serious reservations about the various suggestions.

I looked at the spray stuff, and don't like the results. The final
surface is rough, and will collect dust, no matter what i do. And it
is soft, so any impact will make it look worse. But worst of all,
even if there is goop mixed in the insulation to make it not
flammable, if some of my wood stock burns next to it it gives off a
witch's brew of fumes. I've been in a gas chamber twice in the
military, I don't want to repeat the experience in my shop.

There's the same set of problems with adhering foam panels, even with
a foil facing. They give off some stuff that you don't want to
breathe when there's a fire. And adhering 1/2" sheetrock to them
(which is the standard for protection) could be done, but the panels
would NEVER be in alignment.

I think the foil faced bubble insulation is less noxiious, but I still
have soft walls. (Not ready for a padded cell....yet).

If someone has some experience they can offer, I'd appreciate any and
all stories.

Old Guy



On Nov 21, 4:17*pm, Doug Winterburn wrote:
Old Guy wrote:
Hi,

I've got about what you do, 12' x 24' metal storage building, with an
overhead door, two windows, a hand door, and lots of leaks.
And I live in Minnesota, where it does get cold.

I haven't found a way to insulate the shed without building a wall
inside the existing walls, which looks like more $$ and time than I
want to put in.

Rigid foam panels glued on with construction adhesive, the kind that
comes in caulking gun size?

"Old Guy" wrote in message

There's the same set of problems with adhering foam panels, even with
a foil facing. They give off some stuff that you don't want to
breathe when there's a fire.

************************************************** **********

You mean if your shop is on fire you're going to stand inside and watch it?
Head down wind and inhale the aroma?

Ed,

No, not intentionally.

But I won't build a hazard to myself or others.

Old Guy



On Nov 22, 9:53*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Old Guy" wrote in message

There's the same set of problems with adhering foam panels, even with
a foil facing. *They give off some stuff that you don't want to
breathe when there's a fire.

************************************************** **********

You mean if your shop is on fire you're going to stand inside and watch it?
Head down wind and inhale the aroma?

On Nov 21, 7:41*am, Old Guy wrote:
Hi,

I've got about what you do, 12' x 24' metal storage building,e more $$ and time than I want to put in.

" I bought
4 infra red heat lamps and
a small radiant propane heater
a pair of flannel lined jeans ($50) and
insulated shoes from LL Bean ($70) and
a stocking cap. *Add
a chore jacket,
a sweatshirt and
a pair of gloves
4 rubber mats ($20)"

Wow, sounds like you spent a lot of time and money insulating yourself
and on five heaters. And will spend considerable $$ on electricity and
propane.

All that worry about the fumes the insulation might give off in case
of a fire is interesting. My worry would be the burnt tools before the
nasty gases. A fire would seem even less likely in a well-insulated
shop where small safe electric low-draw electric heaters could create
a comfortable environment. Tractor supply has stall mats on sale for
$29 (4'x6') (Black Friday) that will insulate and provide comfort and
are durable as the dickens - can go on dirt or gravel as well as
concrete, of course).

If the shed is sound, you can use 1 x 4's to "frame in" for the
insulation as they are not bearing walls. Or 2 x 2's and use that two-
inch thick foam board and construction adhesive. If you are a
woodworker with the tools, none of this should be a larger effort than
dealing with cold steel handled tools and all that bulky clothing.

You can also consider adding to the exterior of the metal shed - wrap
it in Tyvek - or equivalent, sheath it with oil-impregnated sheathing
wrap it again with Tyvek and add vinyl siding. Either way, you want to
create a relatively tight envelope for you and your tools. ZTHen a
smaller heater will be "killer."

In my reading round. I discovered the notion of carrying the walls down with
a flared "skirt" of concrete sheeting, lined with rigid foam and buried a
foot or so into the ground. This is the new thinking in Scandanavian
building, apparently.

The skirting traps geothermal heat and directs it upwards, and all things
being equal this raises the cold weather building temperature by around 16
degrees.. (presume F, not C)

That's a pretty compelling argument, don'tya think?

I suspect that wooden floors would be better than concrete, but that might
just be "common sense" kicking in where it shouldn't (like "heavier objects
obviously hit the ground before lighter objects" type common sense,)

Bored Borg wrote in
.com:

In my reading round. I discovered the notion of carrying the walls
down with a flared "skirt" of concrete sheeting, lined with rigid foam
and buried a foot or so into the ground. This is the new thinking in
Scandanavian building, apparently.

The skirting traps geothermal heat and directs it upwards, and all
things being equal this raises the cold weather building temperature
by around 16 degrees.. (presume F, not C)

That's a pretty compelling argument, don'tya think?

I suspect that wooden floors would be better than concrete, but that
might just be "common sense" kicking in where it shouldn't (like
"heavier objects obviously hit the ground before lighter objects" type
common sense,)


Would you happen to have an internet site or two to share with us? My
sister's garage is due for replacement next summer, and free heat is
always welcome inside a building.

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Nov 23, 4:59�pm, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
Bored Borg wrote eb.com:





In my reading round. I discovered the notion of carrying the walls
down with a flared "skirt" of concrete sheeting, lined with rigid foam
and buried a foot or so into the ground. This is the new thinking in
Scandanavian building, apparently.

The skirting traps geothermal heat and directs it upwards, and all
things being equal this raises the cold weather building temperature
by around 16 degrees.. (presume F, not C)

That's a pretty compelling argument, don'tya think?

I suspect that wooden floors would be better than concrete, but that
might just be "common sense" kicking in where it shouldn't (like
"heavier objects obviously hit the ground before lighter objects" type
common sense,)

Would you happen to have an internet site or two to share with us? �My
sister's garage is due for replacement next summer, and free heat is
always welcome inside a building.

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I wold be interested in that information as well. Please email me at

Most stuff on the web is concerned with active systems - digging bore-holes
and pumping ground heat up into buildings. There are brief mentions here and
there of insulation for passive gains, but I'm finding them hard to track
down as it's stuff I came across while word-association surfing and didn't
bookmark anything.
However...

The main reference was from the book

Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders (Paperback)
by David Stiles (Author), Jeanie Stiles (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Sheds-Do-Yourself-Backyard-
Builders/dp/1554072247/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227509805&sr= 8-3

but it was only a paragraph or two and a line drawing

33*new*from*$9.96 -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-
listing/1554072247/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

My scanner's dead, but I can copy out the relevant words if that's be
helpful - ???


More 'techie" geothermal heating - requiring drilling and pumps - is
mentioned briefly on:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/adaptat...l_energy.shtml
http://www.tnddrilling.co.uk/

and wikipedia has some stuff.


I found this rather interesting, though it's pretty involved:
http://www.thenaturalhome.com/earthtube.htm

There's a mention
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9...+an+Afford ab
le+House+By+Fernando+Pages#PPP8,M1

- scroll to page 57

I hope that's useful. Sorry I haven't got a simple reference or all-in-one
page for you. I think this is a case of hitting on the right google-words
serendipitously. and so far I've not been very successful.

It seems you can install a full heating system which would run at about 1/3
cost of a conventional system but the installation costs would be high and
the return period similarly high.

The compromise effort would be to firstly "trap" a building's warm footprint
and secondly, to pull ventilation in through ground or sun-warmed pipes.

My simpler take on this would be to stick a maze of black-painted pipe behind
a sheet of glass (in the sun) and pull all your shop's air in through that
maze, OR, if you have enough sunlight, knock up a solar panel from a radiator
(black,) under glass, feeding a heat exchanger (coil of copper tube)
surrounding your vent intake.

My father has run a water pre-heater panel for about 30 years. It won't get
water _hot_ but it does prevent it from getting cold. Even in England Lat 52
ish, it helps, most of the year round. These things do work; not
spectacularly, but effectively

Bored Borg wrote in
.com:

*snip useful references*


I hope that's useful. Sorry I haven't got a simple reference or
all-in-one page for you. I think this is a case of hitting on the
right google-words serendipitously. and so far I've not been very
successful.
*snip: more good suggestions*

Thanks for the info. I'll pass the ideas on to the ones that are doing the
deciding. It might be worth a bit of research, even if it only makes a 3
degree difference.

Puckdropper
--
On Usenet, no one can hear you laugh. That's a good thing, though, as some
writers are incorrigible.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

I don't think you're asking for the impossible. No mater what source of
heat you choose, the first step should be to make the shop reasonably
tight and at least minimally insulated so that heat isn't lost as fast
as you add it.

I have an obvious bias toward solar heat because it doesn't have any
operating costs and because (at least during the day) it's already warm
whenever you want to use it.

I have photos of a solar-heated shop building at

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html

It's larger than your shop, so just imagine it scaled down to the size
of yours...

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

In article , Morris Dovey
wrote:

KIMOSABE wrote:
My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

I don't think you're asking for the impossible. No mater what source of
heat you choose, the first step should be to make the shop reasonably
tight and at least minimally insulated so that heat isn't lost as fast
as you add it.

I have an obvious bias toward solar heat because it doesn't have any
operating costs and because (at least during the day) it's already warm
whenever you want to use it.

I have photos of a solar-heated shop building at

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html

It's larger than your shop, so just imagine it scaled down to the size
of yours...

If space is so critical, start with the bubble foil insulation. It is
not what I would use for a permanent installation, but at least it will,
if properly installed - reduce air leaks. Put in on all the walls and
the ceiling, use the metal (6N28) tape to seal the seams 3 passes on the
seams works best (first right down the seam, the second to one side
hitting on the tape and the bubble wrap, the third on the other side)
and all the staple holes. Make sure it is air tight. Then weather strip
the door(s) and caulk around the windows - I assume they are single pane
- so use the winter insulation kits from the borg or wally-mart. Once
that is done, you can use radiant electric heaters (Lee Valley has a
nice one that is reasonably priced) that mount to the ceiling - 2 -1500
watt systems should do a reasonable job of heating the place up. The
silver walls will also reflect your lights, so it will seem brighter.

When the weather is better next spring - rebuild the place - 1 foot
larger in each direction so you can afford to put 6 inches of insulation
in the walls and at least a foot in the ceiling. I would use the DeSoto
method of heating...unless you are always going to work in the late
evening.

Cheers

Doug

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:38:17 -0800 (PST), KIMOSABE
wrote:

My home shop is squeezed into a 9 x 16 wood shed.

I can't do much in the winter because NJ is just too cold. I need to
heat it up now and then and am looking for suggestions. I tried a
small 1500 btu Pelonis electric/fan heater the other day and that was
about as effective as puppies' breath.

So, any thoughts? Space is at a premium. I'm stepping around and
over stuff as it is now.

I'd consider some sort of propane or kerosene heater provided it
wasn't a space hog or just too much of a fire or carbon monoxide
hazard.

I may be asking for the impossible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


Temporary measure - pile up (rectangular) straw bales round all the
walls and on the roof. Bond foil covered insulation to the outside of
the door. Hope no one sets fire to it. Heat with electric fan
heater.

Permanent measure, insulate the walls roof and floor with the best
insulation you can afford., probably better to rebuild from scratch
with *at least* 4 inches of insulation in the floor, walls and roof.
Heat with (air) passive solar collectors in a south facing wall.

Insulate correctly and you wont need a wood stove or the other dingbat
ideas often floated around for workshop use - they cause many more
problems than they solve.


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