Air Conditioned Shops

opaul

opaul

KNIFE MAKER
I've been making knives out in an enclosed lean to off my shop. Hot, cold, and uncomfortable on most days (winter, summer).

It's been sweltering here in NC the last month so I'm moving all my knife making equipment inside my 12X16 wood working shop. I got most of it moved today.
Here is the best part, I bought a small ac window unit and got it installed today. It is going to be great in the summer and warmer in the winter.
I'm going to try my best to keep it dust free and clean ( ;)) After watching Slavik Tely, I've got a high bar to reach.
Anyone else have a air conditioning shop?
 
I do by way of purchase. We were looking to move closer to my son and daughter as I neared retirement.
We found a place with a doable house on acreage. The lady had lost her husband but remarried. I got a cabinet maker and upholstery shop. Front room is 20 by 40 and. Back room is 15 by 30. Air conditioned propane heater, lights, 220 plugs everywhere and plenty of 110 outlets. Lights are three different banks in front room and two in rear.
Funny thing I use a floor fan and no air if under 100. Heat is a milk house heater in winter. My water pails have never frozen in 0 degree winter. Needless to say insulated unbelievable.
 
No but wishing I did! Our heat has been in the high 90's already this year and the heat indices (factoring in the humidity) has put it in the feels like of a 103 -109, and July and August hasn't got here. I have had to resort to some late nights. The problem with that is the temps haven't been dropping till around midnight and that is my bedtime if not before. LOL
 
I'm in a 113 yr old mercantile building (general store) 10 ft ceilings...gets warm but never uncomfortable. I have AC next door (I split the floor plan in half and the youth ministry gets all the AC and I get all the heat...we blow it back and forth depending on the season) I've got about 1500 sq ft on my side, open layout...my air compressor is in the basement so I don't hear it. The CNC equipment and HT furnace is a 1/2 level down in the old three car garage...everything up front is mostly knife making. I may put a window AC in this year...or not...depend if I get miserable, so far for two years it's not been bad...I think the high ceilings help in the summer...and not in the winter. I have a big shop heater in here from the '60s...it blows like gas is free...
 
I've got a widow unit in my shop but I haven't turned it on in probably 20 years. I work out side for my regular job and where I'm at it's in the 90s by 10:00 in the morning with humidity in the 90s.
It's hot as all get out in my shop but I have a couple fans running and I've learned to tolerate it.
actually it's the mosquitoes I can't put up with but I think I've got that beat with the new bug juice I'm using.

To look at it another way.....it's NEVER been to hot to work in my shop, but there's been a few times when it was so cold I've had to give up and go inside. I go along with the old china guy that said.....I'd rather sweat than shiver.
 
bladegrinder said:
To look at it another way.....it's NEVER been to hot to work in my shop, but there's been a few times when it was so cold I've had to give up and go inside. I go along with the old china guy that said.....I'd rather sweat than shiver.
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You see, I am the opposite anymore, I can always add more clothes but I can only take so much off till the neighbors begin to complain! :)
 
C Craft said:
You see, I am the opposite anymore, I can always add more clothes but I can only take so much off till the neighbors begin to complain! :)
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Me too Cliff...and they complain quicker every year..dunno why...i'm used to my 57 yr old flab...lol
 
mike miller said:
I do by way of purchase. We were looking to move closer to my son and daughter as I neared retirement.
We found a place with a doable house on acreage. The lady had lost her husband but remarried. I got a cabinet maker and upholstery shop. Front room is 20 by 40 and. Back room is 15 by 30. Air conditioned propane heater, lights, 220 plugs everywhere and plenty of 110 outlets. Lights are three different banks in front room and two in rear.
Funny thing I use a floor fan and no air if under 100. Heat is a milk house heater in winter. My water pails have never frozen in 0 degree winter. Needless to say insulated unbelievable.
Click to expand...
My shop was a cabinet shop too. I haven’t needed the AC in it yet. Stays comfy now I just need a LayZboy to sit in and think
 
I've got an 18' X 42' metal building I put up to finish cabinets in with central air and heat. Since I started this hobby, I've converted it to a knife shop, and it's not big enough.
 
My clean room is in my house so its always cool or warm. My dirty room is in my shop and its 12' X 20' and I put in a window unit that heats and cools. It keeps it comfortable year round. Filters need changing pretty often and I clean the coils twice a year. I also strap a filter to the back of a 20" box fan and run it when I'm not in the shop to collect airborne dust. It may sound silly but it does a great job. I have to change those filters every coupla weeks too. That's how I know its working. They get dirtier than the A/C filters.
 
I retired from the D.C. area and moved to Kentucky in 2015. The house we purchased ended up being perfect for my shop. The previous owner was a Ford Mustang fanatic and put an addition on the house so he could work on his car. The addition included a two car tandem garage. It has three windows that helps with the lighting and it's heated and air conditioned. All-in-all, I'm very happy with it.
 
I have a garage shop and its hot. No a/c but I have strategically placed fans moving air through, the only problem is that its still 98 degree air. Cold is never a problem I Forge until lunch time during the winter so that takes care of cold.
 
I have two shops.... a "hot" shop, where all the forging takes place. It is equipped with gable fans that help a bit, but no matter it still gets pretty toasty, even in sub-zero outdoor temps. My finish shop has a large swamp cooler installed, and will generally keep the inside temp about 10-15 degrees below the ambient outdoor temp.
 
GeneK said:
I've got an 18' X 42' metal building I put up to finish cabinets in with central air and heat. Since I started this hobby, I've converted it to a knife shop, and it's not big enough.
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Excellent!! (there's never enough room when the business is growing!)
 
Anyone from Montana knows about the wind...lol. when there is no wind hello mosquitoes....

My roll-up door is facing the wind (west...that where it comes from most days..) I have a 4 x 8 door at the other end. If I remember to wind tunnel it in the morning it stays pretty cool in here. Once the outside begins to heat up I shut doors and windows...and it's not too bad..I hate running the AC for $$....
 
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