I was reading the thread posted by DennisG in the Anvil section called "When the snow flies" and thought I would ask somewhat the opposite question. (Hence the name of this thread)

For and to those of us in the warmer, much warmer, climates where it stays hot much longer in the year, how do you keep cool enough in your smithy when it's already 90 plus degrees before you start your forge?

My reason for asking is this. I recently moved to a different house with enough of a yard to put up a decent sized shop/smithy. I would love to put in a window ac unit for the really hot days, when there is no breeze to speak of. I know I need ventilation. For those of you with air conditioned shops, how do you keep the ac going without losing it through ventilation?

Mitch hydration hydration and wall that open up really helps create shade. You will have to come down and check out my shop you can see it in my video at www.nokomisforge.com

Edited September 21, 200916 yr by Francis Cole

I'm sure this thread will be helpful in areas that the snow flies too. Beating the heat is a big deal. I've been in very few shops with both AC and welding. Those have been warehouse sized operations with the exhaust for the whole building going through welding. I've been in no shops with ac and large heating operations being performed.

I have toured a few dozen manufacturing operations, but touring is not the same as working in or designing a building.

Phil

I live in the southern part of Arizona and it is dry here most of the time. By dry I mean low humidity so that gives us an advantage over the fellows in the South where humidity levels equal the temperature. We get to use a wonderful thing called an evaporative cooler. Water is run over aspen pads and air is drawn through the wet pads. The water evaporates and cools the air. This only works where there is a wide difference between the relativity humidity and the ambient temperature. The closer the numbers get the less evaporation takes place and the less cooling is offer. In some parts of the summer we have humidity in the range of 7% so cooling with a swamp box is great. They move lots of air and can put out air in the high 60's range. When our humidity rises in late summer they are still good as just movers of air, no water on the pads. However when it is a 112F or above, for me at least or was, it is just to hot to work at the forge.:cool:
P.S. I don't think these will work in Florida. Maybe just on giant fan moving air at about one air change ever 5 minuets.

Thank you Gentlemen for the replies!

Trez, yes, I would like to come down & check out your shop sometime. I've seen your videos, very nice.

Phil, didn't mean to imply that it doesn't get hot anywhere but here. I know that it does. Maybe what I'm looking for isn't practicle. Just do what Trez said. Open air & fans.

Bentiron, I have a swamp cooler type fan at my office shop. It's about 4 ft square. It helps....... a little.... But you are right, it's best for moving air most of the time.

This is a good time to research alternative building techniques / smart architecture.

One way to help slow the heat down is with a thermal mass. Walls made of straw bales (not hay) can be a few feet thick which will slow the infiltration of heat inside the dwelling. Rammed earth / earth berm is another way to go. Large overhangs to shade the structure, doubled roof with air gap, and other things can be done to help out. The biggest problem you may have to deal with is the humidity, and hurricanes. For FEMA approved hurricane shelters look into monolithic concrete domes, they are some of the only buildings left standing after a severe storm.

Insulation, insulation, insulation. If they say R33 is good enough for the roof-triple it. It does work, although some folks have to get over the idea of what a structure is "supposed" to look like. I am looking into putting my entire house underground, since my basement is nice year round. Even when it is 112 outside. You could do the same depending on your water table. I really don't have to worry about that here since I live in the driest area of the United States.

There are several websites out there that can give you some ideas. Some may cost more to build depending on what you can do, but save a lot of energy making up for the initial cost. Others can be very inexpensive to do yourself.

Thanks for the info Biggundoctor. Some very sound ideas. I will keep them in mind.

As far as the water table goes, I get water at around two feet more or less. So NO basements!

MRobb, Forget the AC tried that here in NC. Only works in the office. All the yrs in FL
(18+) in welding shops. Best option was a hurricane fan blowing about rib high back to front. Worked in one shop that had AC(only over 90) Large comerical unit large power bill.
Ken

You need to:

• Insulate your roof to within an inch of its life to stop extra heat from the sun.
• Install a sola pergola to the north (or south for you upside down people).
• Grow a grove of deciduous trees to both the east and west to stop morning and evening sun heating your walls.
• Have walls that open up to allow maximum air exchange (huge windows/doors).
• Have vents at the highest point in the walls that open up to let out the hot, light air.
• Have high ceiling/roof to allow the layer of hot air to rise above your head while it is waiting to get out the vents/windows. Ten foot roofs would not be ridiculous.
• Lay a concrete slab for thermal mass but not under your forge as it will absorb the heat then re-rediate it into the shop for hours.
• Have moveable heat barriers between you and the forge to stop radiant heat getting to you.
• Install fans down low, not ceiling fans as they will push the hot air back down on you and you want that to stay up above you, to move air from you, past the forge and out the windows.
• Install a hood over your forge of some sort to directly trap and extract the hot air off the forge. Get it out quickly!!
• Drink LOTS of fluid (non alcoholic).
  

Pretty basic environmental building for hot climates.

Cheers

Edited September 22, 200916 yr by rmcpb

not sure for smitty but down i south texas the old dance halls had high roofs with big vents and wide low porch/awnings so as to allow a good draw. for me in houston texas i dont fire up till after dark. and lotsa water

Thanks again everyone for the advice & help! You have all provided many good points to consider. I appreciate it. It may be a couple of months off, but I'll post pics on what I end up with.

Feel free to keep the advise coming!

Reading this thread I noticed how much the suggestions tended to mirror traditional local building practices; so one suggestion is to track down shops from 100+ years ago and then factor in the ability to have electric fans....

Exp: High ceilings, wide porches, chimney effect ventilation, etc

I live in the desert SW as well and when I planned my shop I did it with 2 10'x10' roll up doors oriented on the ends of my shop along the general wind path

On days with no wind I have a Squirrel cage fan pointed where I stand in front of the anvil or postvise. When I get the new addition set up I will be putting in a swamp cooler.

Edited September 22, 200916 yr by ThomasPowers

Thomas,

I find it amazing that we think all this enviromental building is "modern". They used to do it in the old days then people decided they could have any building they wanted with air conditioning and technology took over. Now we are just going back to the ideas that were developed over the past several thousand years. Nothing is new in this world :)

If you have upper venting don't be too quick to rule out a ceiling fan, maybe several depending on the size of your smithy. They can be reversed and they do a good job of moving warmer (or cooler) air either up or down depending on your needs. We have several in the house and switch them seasonally. They pull the warm air down in the winter and circulate the cooler air up from the AC in the summer. They make a big difference in the utility bill and they can be relatively inexpensive. A downside is that they do get dirty.

Bill

Putting walls on the sides that your breeze comes from that have roll up doors can give you a nice cooling effect. I am not sure you are in an area that only has the breeze from one direction like I do here in Utah (the mountains here make the wind only come through in mostly one direction) but it is a thought. Even hinging the walls so you can swing them open could be a very cheap alternative. Possibly with a wheel to support the wall weight. Eh, just a thought. May not be practical for you.

I made one of my walls a door so the whole side of the shop opens up I can back the truck in to unload

Thanks to all for your great ideas & tips!

Mitch