People in cold country

[imapseudonym]

In VT, we know temperature swings. Especially in the spring/fall.

I keep moving blankets (like those gray ones Uhaul uses) over the cast iron machinery in my garage shop and only had a problem when an unknown hole in one of the blankets left a spot on the tablesaw exposed for a while.

[ScotchPine]

Thanks, neighbor. 
 


We'll be in Nebraska City, and will go before retirement if I can get a job at Offutt (which I'll start seriously looking for in a few months).  I've had a Farenheat wall unit in two previous shop spaces, both larger than what I'd be walling off in NC, and that's probably what I'll do again.  The thermostat did a good job holding whatever I asked for, and I'll be insulating way better up there than I did here in Texas.

Nebraska City is a great town to retire in.  Cost of living will be low and you can still get houses and property for a reasonable price.   I am in Papillion NE just north 60 miles and have had a shop setup for about 15 years.  As mentioned before the humidity is high in the summer and you do have to watch for surface rust from that but if you use the tools and oil them its fine.  I do not cool my shop, someday, but do heat it.  I use a heater that plugs into a 220 volt outlet that heats my 3 car with 20 foot ceilings just fine.  When I get home from work I turn it on low and then make dinner once dinner is over the garage is heated nicely. 

Scott

[toolmiser]

I live in Wisconsin. I have a basement shop. Do I wish I had one at ground level-yes, but it's not going to happen. Basement does have some perks-heat in winter, natural cool in the summer, but I prefer not to do woodworking in the summer. I never have to wait for it to warm up. It can make noise, but I don't get a lot of complaints. I am cheap and would do a lot less if I had to heat a separate building. Of course it would be about 3 times the size of my current shop, and it would have more windows and a wood floor.

[Halfathumb]

I tried that once, didn't work out very well. I started thinking of things to do instead, nothing caught my attention. I even tried cooking but discovered the world is a better place if I stay out of the kitchen, the food was horrible. Slowly but surely I found myself reading about ww. At least I got new tools.

[BloomingtonMike]

If you are building it new this is easy to me. Radiant floor heat and insulation (xps under floor and closed cell in walls and ceiling preferably). I am heating 2560 sqft one zone with mine. If you are attaching to the house you have other options too. Start reading at garage journal.

Here is a video.on the panel.i bult and use. I am il so not as cold but it would be unuseable without heat

https://youtu.be/YESiqIKpLYk

[KC]

If you are building it new this is easy to me.  Radiant floor heat and insulation (xps under floor and closed cell  in walls and ceiling preferably). I am heating 2560 sqft one zone with mine. If you are attaching to the house you have other options too. Start reading at garage journal.

Here is a video.on the panel.i bult and use. I am il so not as cold but it would be unuseable without heat

https://youtu.be/YESiqIKpLYk

Thanks, Mike.

[tablesawtom]

I live in north central Iowa And since my shop is about 44 by 44 in an old brick building with no really good way to insulate it.  I more or less don't use it from the middle of November to middle to end of March. I do have a small mini lathe and a few other things to keep me occupied in the winter.

Anyway if you don't at least keep you shop heated to at least ( and I am guessing here) 55 degrees you are asking for trouble. The national bureau of standards is to put an item in a controlled environment of 68 degrees for 24 hours before measuring it. Different materials, steel , brass and such expand or contract differently at different temperatures. One can walk into a shop that is at 10 degrees below and turn on the heat and if the furnace is big enough, get it comfortable in a short time. 

But bearings on table saw arbors and cutter heads on other machines do not warm up as quickly do to mass and location. Not to mention electric motors. Stuff designed to operate at 68 degrees or higher do not like cold temperature in the long run. Ans example would be if your air compressor has 30 weight oil in it for the summer it will not start at 10 degrees.  Oil is two thick.

There is more to consider than just humidity and rust. Notice the rest who responded somewhat heat their shops and rightly so. Bearing tolerances in relation to temperature is often overlooked.

Tom

[AHill]

If you are going to construct a new garage, insulate the exterior walls. That will go a long way to keep it warm in the winter. I have also taken the rigid foam insulation from the big box stores and cut out panels that attach to the interior of my individual garage door panels. Huge difference. You don't need to heat the garage like the interior of your home. Just enough to get above freezing and keep your hands warm enough to safely operate your machinery. Electric overhead radiant heaters are most efficient. Mr. Heater Big Buddy is an indoor propane heater that can also keep things warm. If you plan on any finishing work, you'll need additional heating or you can construct a temporary shelter that can be heated enough to allow application and proper curing of finishes.