October 10, 201312 yr comment_8343 It's getting chilly.How many of us have heated shops? Not many, I'd assume, heat them 24/7. Some lucky guys don't need heat in the "winter" where they live. For those of you that must contend with well below freezing temps, how do you handle storage of your adhesives and, how about those glue ups? I know that Titebond l, ll and lll will get lumpy if frozen. Titebond says that that's ok, though. Just agitate it and use it. Personal experience bears this out, though only in temps around 5 deg. overnight. And, since my shop is heated now 24/7 (due to our water system being housed in the shop) I'm not sure about set up times in the cold. Anybody have any experience to share along those lines?Epoxy mixes to be stored in a warm environment. But, System 3 advises that it can be used after freezing if it's warmed in a bucket of hot water. They don't recommend making a practice of allowing it to freeze, though. Setup time for epoxy gets longer as the environment it's in gets colder. And, my experience is that the bond is not as good. I suspect it's because it's thicker and doesn't penetrate well. I have no cold weather experience with hide glue, pot or bottled, or any other brands of glues. Does anyone have any info about other glue's cold weather characteristics/cautions?I never liked moving adhesives into the house. Before we started heating the shop all night, I had made a large "cooler" with 1 1/2 thick insulation foam board. Just a 30X30X24 high bottomless box with a loose lid. I hung a 25 watt bulb in it. The lamp had a reflector on it so it never contacted the foam or the adhesive containers. I used construction adhesive to hold the box together. If we had an old chest freezer or refrigerator, that would have been ideal. However, with the coming demise of incandescent lights, even that might be problematic.How about the rest of you guys? What tips do you have for working with and storing adhesives in the winter?Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton Report
October 10, 201312 yr comment_8348 No heat in my shop either. Here in Mt. we're already below 32* at night so all my paint and glue has been moved to the basement. During the winter we have a baseboard heater we use to keep it around 54* both to keep the pipes from freezing and keep my wife happy when she does laundry. The cloths dryer has a diverter on it to add some heat.Whenever I'm doing a glue up or painting small things, I move the wood down there for about 24 hours to get the chill off. It gets to be a pain going up and down the steps from the shop but to tell you the truth, I can "work" longer when I'm warm!If I have to, I have a small heater for the shop and lots of heavy jackets and thermos to wear out there!Harry BrinkBulldog WoodworkingMontana Report
October 10, 201312 yr comment_8347 Guess I'm lucky with the basement shop. Rarely gets colder than the mid 50's. Glueing not a problem but I do use an electric heater when finishing (water base only). Lew Kauffman-Wood Turners Forum HostTime Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins! Report
October 11, 201312 yr comment_8346 An old refrigerator with a 100 watt bulb is a good place to keep all your glue and finishes.course, a metal box would work, or a metal lined wood cabinet with the 100 watt bulb. Report
October 11, 201312 yr comment_8345 GeneI'm in the same spot you are. In my main area I run 2 electric heaters. It normally stays around 64 degrees with out the heaters. I bring my glues and such up to my dining room in a box for use. I keep my thermostat at 67 degrees. I have to allow extra time for glue ups and finishing in the colder months. I do keep 2 fans running all year round though. I believe the air circulating helps. Just my opinion though. If I have something that needs to be done quick, I bring it up and place it over one of our hot water registers over night. Protected of course.Wayne MahlerGod bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free. Report
October 11, 201312 yr comment_8344 I guess I'm one of the odd balls because my shop stays heated in the winter. When I built it , I heavily insulated and use baseboard heaters. It drops to 62 at night and I bump it up a tad during the day. Needless to say the TB stays fluid all the time.Ron DudelstonSite AdministratorAbove and Beyond WoodWorks Report
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