Keeping woodshop (garage) above dewpoint

[Cecil]

Has anyone heated their wood shop just enough to keep it above dew point?  I should then be able to program a Raspberry Pi to run the heater, based on humidity, to keep the evening condensation off my tools.  I could even connect that to the internet and begin heating the wood shop prior to my arrival home, thus having a wood shop warm enough work in, while not throwing away a good tool budget on fuel costs.

In a previous thread, about a month ago, I asked if anyone used a Raspberry Pi in the wood shop.  I think I just found a use for one :-).

[Phil Thien]

Makes sense to me!

[daddo]

There might be a difference between the surface temp of the cast iron and the air. The cast iron cools and heats more slowly, so temp differences will be tricky between the two.
You could play with sensors for the air VS the cast top surface temps and run time VS humidity VS dew points.

Or just keep the cast warm with portable lights.

[WilliamHodge]

Run a dehumidifier.

The waste heat from running the dehumidifier heats the shop. The dehumidifier pulls moisture out of the air, and also all the moisture absorbing wood in the building and racks. Pointing the warm dehumidified air at a cast iron machine helps store the heat. Dehumidifiers have a built in humidistat, so you don't need to set up sensors and controls.

Running the heat with a Nest thermostat might be enough to make you enjoy managing the shop heat remotely.

I turn the heat off in my shop at night. This morning it was minus 3 outside, and 41 inside. I turn on the gas and electric heaters, then get on my bike on rollers and ride for 30 minutes. The exercise warms me up while the shop warms up. The bike has made a big difference making me tolerate indoor 55-60 degree temperatures.

William Hodge

[daddo]

I keep my shop between 45-55 degrees when it's cold outside. I haven't noticed any moisture problems. I too get myself moving to warm myself. I certainly enjoy 45 degrees more than the 100 degrees in the summer.

[BrokenOlMarine]

I have had too many surgeries to tolerate cold well. (Arthritis)  I also have enough metal in my right leg that the xray looks like an erector set.
When we had the new shop built, we had it well insulated, and my guy installed the climate control system that has been very efficient. (I think the brand is Daikin) I have the temp set at 68. It adds about $30 a month to my bill.  I could turn it up and down, up and down, but the savings wouldn't be that much.

[Cecil]

William - The dehumidifier makes sense.  That is easy to accomplish too.

Jim, it is 2*F here today.  will be -20*F before the middle of Feb.  Heating my shop to 68* would be much more than $30/mo.  Besides, I am a hobbyist and I don't work in the shop every day.  I do hear what you are saying about the leg.  I have heard the same from many people.

[MarkSingleton]

Insulation is the single best thing to do for your shop.
No matter where it is.  Always there, always working
and you only pay once.   Of course if you have a shop
that is already standing, insulating it can be more work.

I keep a small fridge in mine and the heat off of that
keeps it tolerable as far as warmth and the dew point.
I live in a pretty mild climate though, as compared to
others here.

[Splinter Puller]

Has anyone heated their wood shop just enough to keep it above dew point?  I should then be able to program a Raspberry Pi to run the heater, based on humidity, to keep the evening condensation off my tools.  I could even connect that to the internet and begin heating the wood shop prior to my arrival home, thus having a wood shop warm enough work in, while not throwing away a good tool budget on fuel costs.

In a previous thread, about a month ago, I asked if anyone used a Raspberry Pi in the wood shop.  I think I just found a use for one :-).

Sounds like a lot of temperature changes and cycles.  When I built my workshop I negated the need to worry about such things by simply super insulating it.  Now I keep it set at 63 (at head height - infloor heat so the floor is probably around 70-75) all season long.   My wife sometimes comes out of our house into the shop just to warm up.  She does not think its funny that our shop is warmer then the house.

I built it from 2x6 exterior walls (r-21) then lined the entire inside envelope with 2" extruded (r-12 and a full thermal break between the studs and the inside sheathing).  In the attic is 20" of blown in insulation (r-60 or so).  The heated floor sits on 4" of expanded (r-18).  Snug as a bug and no dew or condensation issues. in fact, with floor heat if I park my snow blower or snow covered ATV in the shop it thaws quickly without any water on the floor after a bit.

[tomsteve]

i think i read somewhere that a ceiling fan to keep air moving helps keep moisture off of tools.