How cold is too cold?

[Ken Kirkley]

And yes, I know for most of you below 50 is too cold.;)

I live in Minnesota and my shop is in my insulated, yet unheated garage. Generally, the temps stay in the 35-45 degree range which is fine with me. During extend cold snaps (say from December through April...), it can get down in the 20's. It's cold,but I can still manage a couple of hours messing things up out there.

My question is, when it the working environment is in the 20's or 30's, does it affect my stored lumber, my equipment, anything I should or shouldn't do when it is that cold? I already due all my glue ups in the heated basement after the wood has been inside awhile to get to room temp, so that is not an issue.

I haven't really accomplished any major projects in the winter, just wondering if I try, will the cold ultimately mess it up?

Thanks!!

[Ron Carlton]

Remember to not drink the whiskey when the beer is frozen, eh. It can mess you up!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Anytime it drops below 70, it's pretty darn cold. Too cold to do anything. I just watch TV. Or visit SMC. :)

[Scott Schwake]

I've gotten in the habit of storing all my rechargable batteries in the house during the winter, somewhere I read cold temperatures are hard on them. I also bring in my glues, finishes, caulks, etc.

[Myk Rian]

Anytime it drops below 70, it's pretty darn cold. Too cold to do anything. I just watch TV. Or visit SMC. :)
You would never survive in Michigan. :p

[Maurice Ungaro]

Aside from storing your batteries inside, you should keep your glue inside as well. As for finishing, you might as well save those projects for when the temp gets warmer.

[John Michaels]

The change in humidity can really mess with wood. If your shop is unheated I assume the humidity is very low when it's cold out. Then when things warm up the humidity rises a lot.

[Chris Kennedy]

I lived in Michigan and Northwest Pennsylvania. I am currently in Virginia, and it gets nowhere near as cold, of course, but I am not scared of the cold. I have an insulated shop with only a space heater for heating. When it drops below 40F, I start to wonder about working in the shop. My glue and finish doesn't behave properly, and I have to wear gloves (which is a bit of safety no-no, but it doesn't stop me from certain tasks). My heater can make the shop bearable, but much below that and the cast iron on my table saw gets too cold to deal with.

Of course, the portable tools are easier, but have you seen the profile a router leaves if used while you're shivering?:)

[David Christopher]

Anytime it drops below 70, it's pretty darn cold. Too cold to do anything. I just watch TV. Or visit SMC. :)


I agree with Kyle

[Paul Ryan]

Ken,

I am with ya, where are you located.

I work in the shop anytime it is 20 or warmer. Mine is unheated (long long story) A side from the usual batteries, glue, finish, blah blah. It is just business as usual. Cut up what you need to glue and finish in the basement. When it is cooler below zero my dust collector takes forever to get up to speed. But I have never had any problems working in the Minnesota winter tropics.

[David Peterson MN]

I also live in MN. I keep the shop as warm or warmer than the house:D My wife loves that! I love being able to walk into the shop at any time to work. And with off-peak electric heaters, it is reasonable to keep the shop heated like that.

[Jason Hanko]

I hear you, Ken. I guess my situation is the opposite of yours - I have a heated but un-insulated shop (free-standing 2 car garage). When I want to work I turn on the furnace and can have it up to 60° in about half an hour. But the rest of the time its at the mercy of the outside temperature - brr.
Im way too lazy to store my glue/batteries inside tho, so I made an insulated light box. Works great.
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=101839&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1227497107

[Leigh Betsch]

I'm with you MN guys. I lived in MN for 15 yrs. Now I live in South Dakota. The temps the about the same (unless you live in Int. Falls) so that's not much of a problem but I gotta keep the windows closed else the wind starts to move my table saw around. But it's better than when I lived in ND where the wind was so fast that I think it could blow right thru glass.

I keep the shop 65 degrees in the winter and 75 in the summer, cost of doing business, ok the cost of a hobbie......

[Brian Ashton]

When I lived in that sort of cold (I live in the southern hemisphere tropics now) I always took the glue(s) home so they wouldn't freeze but that's about it. If your glue(s) freeze they're no good anymore but you only find that out when they fail on a project... And... it doesn't take all that much in the way of minus temps to freeze pvc glues...

[Glenn Vaughn]

What is considered cold depends on what you are used to. I liove in Colorado and 20 degrees is usually wool shirt weather (unless the wind is blowing).

I was in Fiji last June at the start of their winter - the equivalent of December here. The temps were in the mid 70's to low 80's. I was in shorts and t-shirt - the kids in the village were wearing ski-jackets and wool caps and complaining of the cold.

My son had been attending school there a couple of years before. When he arrived it was 85 degrees and he complained about the heat. After 8 months he was wearing sweatsuits when it dropped below 80.

[Dan Mitchell]

I'm in Seattle, we're having a pretty mild winter (saw wood ;-) but even in the worst of times, it's still warmer than some of you guys are used to. Still, it can be cold enough in my shop to see your breath. I've been doing a fair amount of work out there this winter, really for the 1st time, and one thing I've found that REALLY makes it much more pleasant is a pair of fingertip-less gloves. I made mine out of a pair of unlined leather "roping gloves" from HF, and I just can't get over how much of a difference they make. Just really makes it much more pleasant to be around/touch all the cold cast iron, etc., while still enabling the necessary fingertip dexterity. If you roll-your-own like I did, be sure to put a couple hefty stitches on each seam at the cut off ends, to keep them from unraveling. I used dental floss for that purpose.

[Karl Card]

It is not whether I can work in the cold it is a question of is it really fun. Hell no. At least not to me. I can deal with 40 ish and above for a short time but when I really have a good time and actually making something nice I like it around 55 to 65. When I was younger it may not have bothered me but now I hate the cold..

[Myk Rian]

I bought one of the elec. heaters from Greenhouse super store.
If I put it on the lowest setting the garage stays at 35º or so. I don't want it to freeze out there. I turn it up to 50º or so when I'm working out there.

[Al Willits]

MN here, I keep the shop at about 38 degree's during the winter, I find epoxies, paints, finishes and such don't like cooler temps, even when the shop gets into the 50's.
So I wait till the furnace has warmed the temps up to high 50's at least before doing any of that.

Humidity is a problem with static electricity at times so I humidify when necessary.
Also working on tools like table saws, joiners and such isn't much fun when the metal is about 40 degree's.

So, depending on what I do, I work in temps of mid 50's to mid 60's.

Nice to go out and turn the thermostat up, go back in the house for a cup of coffee and come back out to a warm shop.

AL

[Zach England]

You all are masochists.

[Leigh Betsch]

Some of those MN guys actually jump in a frozen lake with thier chisels and knock out a few dovetails every winter just for fun.

[Howard Acheson]

>>> If your glue(s) freeze they're no good anymore

Here's the word from Titebond of the subject.

QUOTE

Can Titebond Wood Glues Be Used After They Have Been Frozen?

Yes. While freezing is not recommended, extensive testing indicates that the
glues can be frozen and thawed up to five times without compromising
performance. If your glue has been frozen, let it acclimate to room temperature
and shake/stir to original form.

CLOSE QUOTE

Of course, the adhesive, wood and air temperature must be above 55 degrees for the adhesive to dry and cure properly and attain maximum strength. TBIII can be used down to 47 degrees.

It's still best to keep the adhesive from freezing.

[Dave Lehnert]

>>> If your glue(s) freeze they're no good anymore

Here's the word from Titebond of the subject.

QUOTE

Can Titebond Wood Glues Be Used After They Have Been Frozen?

Yes. While freezing is not recommended, extensive testing indicates that the
glues can be frozen and thawed up to five times without compromising
performance. If your glue has been frozen, let it acclimate to room temperature
and shake/stir to original form.

CLOSE QUOTE

Of course, the adhesive, wood and air temperature must be above 55 degrees for the adhesive to dry and cure properly and attain maximum strength. TBIII can be used down to 47 degrees.

It's still best to keep the adhesive from freezing.

Glue kinda get thick when it's frozen. Glue is cheap. If it gets frozen I spend the $2 to get a new bottle.

I never had a problem with battery in my unheated shop. In fact my battery seem to last longer than what I read others experience on here.

[Ken Kirkley]

This is great info. I always keep paints, glues, etc. in the basement, so no problem. I was mainly wondering if there were inherent dangers/risks cutting and building in the cold. Haven't had any problems yet, but also haven't tried anything big.

I'm originally a Florida boy, so 10 years ago I would have thought this thread insane. Now I've acclimated and working in a 35 degree shop isn't so bad...

As for jumping in a lake - still too much Florida in me for that, in fact, I won't get in one in July!

[dan sherman]

I don't like doing being in the shop if it's below 45.