[PinkFloyd]

Some of you may, or may not, know that I recently moved to the most northerly part of the UK and let me tell you it's bloody baltic up here (and apparantly it gets a LOT colder) so much so that my fingers couldn't move earlier on they were so cold.

I'm ok in the house but the workshop needs some seriously powerful type of hot blow system, the little 3KW fan heater I have on the bench is as good as useless up here unless I position it 12 inches away from my hands and, even then, not much good.

It's not so much cold at the moment but constantly pishing down with rain and gales (imagine vertical rain with 100mph winds you'll get the idea) and it really does get up about your hollyhocks and has a tendancy to make your bones seize up. Soldering is a nightmare as dexterity is compromised due to stiffness of body parts, plus I'm having to run the iron into the red zone to compensate for the conditions............

Anyways, that's the problem, now to find a solution that will help me fend off these climatic conditions. Was in a furniture shop today and the geezer was running one of those jet blower gadgets off a gas tank..... seemed pretty effective but almost set fire to my jeans when I got close to it... I'm looking for that kind of heat but don't want something that'll roast my chesnuts at 50 yards.... A nice, comfortable heat without it being oppressive / scorched like a lobster is what I'm after.

Recommendations welcomed.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Up here in New England, I built a small 1000ft cottage on 4 acres with a wood/coal stove, Russo by name. It has a hi-temp glass door front...Point being, beginning in november thru May 1st I have heated with coal for aprox. usd 400. per season. Coal is pleantyful and inexpensive here as I might expect it is in Newcastle...

I bet alot of the old timers up there heat with coal pink! I like having a hotter spot at the hearth to really warm up after comming indoors in the mid of winter up here!

This all goes also, for a shop ya just use less coal, in a smaller stove....

PM with specific questions Pink, I owe ya one on the HEED ;-}

Good Luck~

 

[Uncle Erik]

Those propane tank heaters are pretty effective. When I lived in central Oregon, I kept one of those in the garage for working on the truck. The garage was freezing, and that helped a lot. Be sure you have adequate ventilation, though.

You might want to try adding insulation to the shop, as well. If you don't care how it looks, it's relatively easy to add quite a bit to the walls and ceiling. Seal up everything, too. Cans of expanding foam and silicone caulk work great for sealing places up. Good way to keep out insects, as well.

 

[mbriant]

About 20 years ago I came close to purchasing a beautiful and very functional wood-stove/fireplace made out of soapstone blocks....the theory being that the soapstone would hold and release the heat over a long period of time, saving you the grief of getting up in the freezing cold middle of the night to load up with wood again. They had about a dozen different designs which went together like a Lego set. The problem was that it came from Sweden ( I think ) and cost quite a bit. If they're still available they'd likely be much less expensive where you are since the stone blocks wouldn't have to sail across the Atlantic.

 

[puiah11]

Coal isn't very health friendly sorry to say.

I would get a space heater like the industrial ones

http://air-n-water.stores.yahoo.net/elutheatbyda.html

 

[grandenigma1]

I am sure a pair of these would help keep things nice and warm.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by puiah11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Coal isn't very health friendly sorry to say. I would get a space heater like the industrial ones http://air-n-water.stores.yahoo.net/elutheatbyda.html

Out in the open pastures of the rural landscape the small amount of pollutants exhausted for the amount of btu radiated makes it an excellent choice. It is slow burning and low maintenance on its own unattended can burn 12-14 hrs giving off an even heat.

Oh yea, your space heater fuel has an unhealthy aspect to it also, when you consider the ends used to attain it, as in the Mid East.

Coal is hyper pleantiful here in the U.S. and I perdict it should and will be used increasingly for electricity production when incorporated with updated technology making it more so echofriendly....

But to suggest a small home or workshop out on the range, should not use it due to its unhealthy aspect is shortsighted at best!

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Coal is pleantyful and inexpensive here as I might expect it is in Newcastle...

I believe he's at the top 'o Scotland.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaceman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe he's at the top 'o Scotland.

I think he was referring to the coal to Newcastle thing I have coal here but no fireplace outside (and no chimney) otherwise I would use coal. Think I'm going to go with:

 

[puiah11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh yea, your space heater fuel has an unhealthy aspect to it also, when you consider the ends used to attain it, as in the Mid East.

Electricity is not soley generated by Mid East oil. I admit the OPEC cartel is evil.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Coal is hyper pleantiful here in the U.S. and I perdict it should and will be used increasingly for electricity production when incorporated with updated technology making it more so echofriendly....

Coal is one of the most human unfriendly energy sources. Burning coal produces Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2 (g)), Methane (CH4 (g)), Carbon Monoxide (CO (g)), and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2 (g)).

--

I admit that a clean energy source isn't really available except perhaps nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, and wind.

I also admit that using a electric heater will cause other areas where the energy is produced to become more polluted (energy production center).

I guess it's an ethical question about wether to use coal and risk your own area or import energy and use electric.

 

[Girlsound]

 

[daycart1]

Big power tubes, LOL!

How many BTU on that neat Andrews blower deal?

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daycart1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Big power tubes, LOL! How many BTU on that neat Andrews blower deal?

yeah, some of the mcalister amps look like they produce enough heat for a small room!