How cold is too cold ?

[MJC]

Depends on what your doing. Below 40* and my welding gas regulators freeze causing irratic shielding gas flow, not to mention welding 40* material isn't good... Conventional welding methods and suggested starting parameters are assuming room temperature enviroments.

Another thing I noticed is machinery is effected by cold weather, especially the knee on bridgeport mills. Below 50* and they get tight, act like the knee gib is out of wack.

I keep my shop at 55*, forced air furnace, after about 1/2 hour of working, it goes up to about 65* with 2 or 3 millls running at the same time and the air compressor turning on and off as normal. A little cold at first, but warms right up, no problems with welding and no problems with the machines.

If it was up to me? I would keep it around 40* because I HATE paying the natural gas bill. I would rather be cold than pay $300/month for natural gas for November thru March.

Torpedo heaters were not any cheaper. Seemed like it until I added up all the reciepts for diesel fuel, and definatly would have been more expensive this year.

 

[realred2]

Damn, my house is kept between 60-65F. The garage is great at 35+, 40 would be great for me. I can wear a sweater and jeans and be fine doing work in the garage.

And if it was just me I would have the house at 58. But I gotta keep the Kitties and the Puppy warm, and maybe the G/f too.

 

[krooser]

I worked in unheated garages in Wisconsin winters for over 30 years.

Sure I had a couple shops with wood stove that took an hour to heat up the shop. And I used torpedo heaters and small infra-red heaters, too.

But, after all those years, I got tired of being cold so I pulled the trigger and installed a radiant tube heater.

Now anything less than 75 is cold for me... and I love it.

 

[Deltarat]

I like to work in a T shirt. heat 64 in the winter and the air on 60 in the summer.