too cold - petrel

well, the greater DC area is too cold to make much progress

so apologies for hovering over the forum....i would rather be in the garage

anyway, below is a picture of my latest rescue project....a strip built petrel kit that never got built but moved from house to house...before ending up at my place.

the first part is done now....getting the strongback and forms together.  the previous owner got a bit confused on the whole process so it was a bit of a re-build just to get to this point.   a couple of the forms were busted in its various moves as well.

all i need is 50 degrees to get rockin and rolling...but the garage didn't break 30 today...so we will have to wait.

if anybody has ideas on heaters and if they are realistic in an unheated garage (without blowing out your electricity bill)...would appreciate any advice

in the meantime...i will just dream of the boat to come....aghhh


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RE: too cold - petrel

   Well, if you want old school, start cruising eBay for something like:

Or, just grit your teeth and plug in some heaters.  The good news is it will warm up soon.  The midatlantic doesn't stay this cold for long...usually.  :-)

RE: too cold - petrel

   Temps here in central WA State have been in the mid-thirties, and I was so anxious to start my Ches 17LT kit that I bought flat bed sheets at the local GoodWill and suspended an indoor garage-tent from the ceiling rafters for the purpose of trapping heat within a smaller space.  My uninsulated two-car garage measures 28X28, and it was easy enough to staple the sheets to enclose and adjust for height and tunnel-like dimensions that measured four-feet wide and 18-feet long over my work table.  With small electric space heaters and strategically placed lights, I have successfully raised the temp 10 to 30 degrees, depending how close I focus my musty percale enclosures.   The tediousy long cure-time for the epoxy may take some of the appeal out of working in the cold, as opposed to simply waiting until Spring, but I have been neurtocially patient, especially since it has been a simple matter to monitor the project around other household chores.   

Anyway, if you wanted to try this idea, the sheets are cheap, and, be advised, are flimsy insulators, so it's tempting to draw the walls closer to the work which can be dangerous around space heaters.   Safety Phirst.

LTM

RE: too cold - petrel

   I use a vent free gas heater in my workshop. 30,000 BTU. You can get them in natural gas or propane. I got mine for $199 with free shipping.

It works great. Epoxy is so easy to work with in a warm shop.

I have a very good carbon monioxide detector and it reads zero even after a long day of working in the shop.

http://www.ruralking.com/mr-heater-30-000-btu-natural-gas-blue-flame-heater-mhvfb30tbng.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=%28roi%29+shopping+-+hardware&utm_content=hardware

Lou Farhood in frozen Michigan

RE: too cold - petrel

Depends upon the heat source. If you use a oil bath electric space heater it may heat up in March. If you use a "salamander" from the construction rental place you might melt the epoxy.  OK not that bad but you get the idea.

 

Either way you need to stop the leaks. Sheets or plastic sheeting, ie visqueen, can lower the volumn of the room and make it easier to heat. Note they do make fire retardant visqueen. See a construction supply store that sells to contractors. It is used in construction at hospitals and computor facilities. 

 

You most likely need to insulate the room. The walls at non-diy expense could be blown insulation through a hole in the upper wall area. But usually not what most would do. The ceiling if rocked just needs some layin insulation blankets spread out in the attic space. You will find this makes more cents, is ealier, and helps the heat thing more than the walls. The door is another matter.    

RE: too cold - petrel

   My garage heater Optimus is 10 years old. Flawless. I keep it at 48 in the winter. If I want to work in the garage I can blow it up to hot in no time. On snowy winters melt water is a constant battle since we have no floor drain. I am constantly sweeping it out and chipping the ice ring under the door. Small price to pay for pre-heated vehicles. I cant imagine not having a heated garage now.

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