Too Cold in the Workshop?

This topic has 8 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 23 December 2025 at 18:42 by Nigel Graham 2.

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20 December 2025 at 22:05 #829511
Chris Crew
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@chriscrew66644
If it’s too cold to go in the workshop here’s a few pass-times to watch:-

Enjoy!
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21 December 2025 at 05:25 #829526
jimmy b
Participant
@jimmyb
I downloaded those this week!

I now have a very cosy shed, thanks to having to move my 3D printers in.

Lowest temp recorded so far this winter is 18°c, highest is 28……

Jimb
21 December 2025 at 11:20 #829541
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
It has been said before; insulate, walls, ceiling and if possible floor. Whatever heat is then provided will not leak away so rapidly.

As an example, a shop, 10′ 9″ x 6’9″ externally, with 50 mm glassfibre in walls and ceiling needs about 10 minutes with a 2 Kw fan heater to reach 20C. The heater then only cuts in after long intervals.

When it is frosty, a 80 watt tubular heater, under the steel fitting bench provides a very low level of background heat; enough to just keep the chill off things and prevent condensation.,

And your presence adds heat to the shop

But do do allow for a little ventilation, to get rid of the moisture that you exhale

Howard
22 December 2025 at 13:43 #829665
bernard towers
Participant
@bernardtowers37738
As Howard says and after all if you cant get in the workshop in the winter what’s the point as there is other distractions in the good weather.
22 December 2025 at 15:45 #829669
Graham Meek
Participant
@grahammeek88282
The videos bring back fond memories of my apprenticeship days. I think it was every Friday morning the first year apprentices would leave the training school and head for the Dowty Sports and Social Club at Staverton. There we would watch that weeks broadcast on Engineering Craft Studies, on the massive screen in the club.

Some of the names of my fellow apprentices had escaped me in recent years, but they came flooding back with this post, so thank you for posting. (I have taken the precaution of writing them down this time).

Regards

Gray,
22 December 2025 at 16:21 #829672
Nealeb
Participant
@nealeb
Some years ago, I started running my 3D printer in my garage/workshop. Went out to use it one cold evening and the printer would not print. No obvious problem – could load a print file, but it would not start to print. Eventually I looked at the code (old RepRap printer home-built including homemade hot end but had used standard open source code) and found that before starting a print, it did a quick sanity check on the hot end and if the temperature was outside reasonable values, it decided that there was a hardware problem and just stopped. I think that the lower threshold was something like 5C – it was a bit cold in there that evening. I just gripped the hot end for a couple of minutes in my hand which brought it above the critical temperature and it all ran fine. But after that, the printer came indoors where it (and its successor) stayed ever since. And I turned on a bit of background heating in the garage as well (previous houseowner had fitted a couple of radiators to keep his Porsche comfy during cold weather…) which has kept condensation off the machines as well.
23 December 2025 at 14:02 #829716
Dalboy
Participant
@dalboy
I don’t allow the cold to stop me working in the shed. Two 80w greenhouse heaters keep it above freezing. I clean up the following morning after the previous daytime in the shed that helps warm up so it is comfortable to working. Videos I keep for the evening
23 December 2025 at 16:13 #829727
jimmy b
Participant
@jimmyb
I just run a 3kw radiator from autumn to spring. just set the thermostat to keep a “reasonable” temp in the shed.

Due to my ongoing illness, I’m keeping it to 18C. Previously it was 13C min.

I’ve been tracking the cost this winter, so far it’s about £0.07/hr (£0.13/hr with 2 printers running, but as they make money, the £0.06/hr cost is very good!).

It’s well worth the cost to me!

Jimb
23 December 2025 at 18:42 #829730
Nigel Graham 2
Participant
@nigelgraham2
I have noticed that provided it’s not too cold, a session of milling seems to warm my den slightly.

I think the tubular heater the right approach to mine but I am not convinced of the electrical feed, installed by a previous householder.

Years ago I knew someone who kept his 7¼” g. loco in a small wooden shed – just an ordinary garden type – with an old blanket over the whole engine and an inspection-lamp with 40W incandescent bulb under the firebox.

One day we were tickled to find a mouse had discovered this, and built a cosy nest on the softly-warm footplate!
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