billp Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I don't know about the rest of you folks but here in Tennessee it is really getting hot. Yesterday in my little 10' x 12' metal smithy it got up to 107f with the outside temp in the low 90's. This is even with me using 3 fans to help keep air moving. Even tried forging in shorts but don't recomend it nor will I do it again either. May look at taking a few of the panels out of the middle of two walls to vent better for the summer. Might even try working early in the morning and or late in the evenging and at night. Just one more problem to solve as I need to spend even more time in the shop now than ever before, trying to build inventory to start my little business. Thank goodness I have a small pool to jump in and cool off when ever I need it. BillP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 around here it's called the slack tub,but you don't hurt yourself in the heat,stay hydrated and stop when tired,jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 My dad's barn was much like that and he put sprinklers on the roof and that cooled things off quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gking Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I am in south Louisianan and when it not raining it is hot. i dint have a shed yet (just got the paperwork done so i can build one)so i forge out in the sun. I keep an igloo cooler full of cool water while i am out there forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Is your roof insulated? If not the radiant heat from that will really heat load your shed. Also, eves to the south and west will help keep the sun off your walls. Plant shrubs along the sunny sides to protect them further. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I'm quite a bit further south than you right now and last temp I saw was 23 degF with a 33 mph wind! (of course it was at 16568 feet in altitude, about the highest I have ever stood on dirt!) When I'm in NM I can use a swamp cooler and I have both 10'x10' roll up doors open for ventilation too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 It's getting warm here too, 98F yesterday and going to get hotter next week, 105F, it's a dry heat though, less than 10%RH. I don't know how you fellows in climes with higher humidity stand it, I'd up and die, no kidding, not having the sweat dry off on you would be awful! :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinityblacksmithing Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 We had a heat wave last week here in Ontario Canada with temps above 30 degrees celcius( I think about mid 90's). While I was forging the shop was at about 115 F. The only thing that keeps me going is lots of cold water and a box fan sitting right beside me just far enough back from the anvil to not cool the metal while I'm working on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Might even try working early in the morning and or late in the evenging and at night. Thank goodness I have a small pool to jump in and cool off when ever I need it. Forging after dark, the fire gets even more intense as there is no background light. Use LOTS of 500 watt lamps and protect your eyes. Forging while laying down in the pool is an interesting concept. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medieval Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Here in Oregon we have been experiencing a cold wet spring with more than twice the normal rainfall in May. I doubt that anyone local would bitch about dry weather. Forge in the morning and go riding the motorcycle in the afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM454 Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 I live is Southeastern Tennessee and it was smoking hot here yesterday. My little forge it out in the sun as well. I tend to (try) get up early. Everything is in the shade here early in the morning. I have a 12 year old cousin who comes and watches/helps from time to time. He got to sweating rather badly and said it's hot. I told him it's just starting to get hot. Give it a month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 I am in Connecticut, and just moved last week from my house to a town house. My busiest moving day it was over 95F... high humidity... I looked like I had been hosed down.... after dark I cooled off and dried out.. before I took a shower I was crispy with salt... I also work outside with my forge, and have taken it on laps around a tree to stay in the shade.... savage amusement sometimes but I love it.. Why is it this hot so early? What kind of summer is it going to be? Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRobb Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Those of you blessed with low humidity (and temps), enjoy them. I live in west central Florida. It's already getting quite hot. Out humidity on dry days is usually around 70 to 80 percent. It's starting to rain more and getting closer to rainy season. The temps and humidity only goes up now. My shop is inside, so I don't have to worry about the rain, but do crank up the fans. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Yesterday it was 100 and with two forges running in the shop it was about 125 and I have a swamp cooler running also. Like Bentiron say's " It's a dry heat " it still hot. Forcast is 107 for the weekend. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billp Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 I will say the dry heat is much better then our very humid weather here. It is a real pill and even worse the more south you go. I have family who live in West Texas and they would almost die when they came to visit in the summer. In my younger days I worked 24 years on a truck line dock loading and unloading trucks and it was a killer. Had on a black tee shirt one day when someone asked where had I been as I had big white strips going round my chest, salt stains from sweating. Right now I am working on building a stand for a large fan I got from my wife's father's old shop and picked up the pipe today for it. I'll put that bugger in the door way and hold on if it gets to bad, it's about a 18" or 20" fan with a good size motor on it. But what is a swamp cooler sorry kind of new one on me? Wetting the roof down sounds like a great idea to me too, I'll have to try that. But no I can't insulate the roof unless I put some type of fome on it's just to low at about 6' high at the highest point, good thing I'm only 5' 4". All in all a lot of great ideas you folk keep cool, as if a blacksmith wasn't one of the coolest persons to be already. BillP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Swamp coolers pull air through wet pads to cool it by evaporation. Works best when relative humidity is under 30% In NM many people use them instead of "refrigerated air". One nice thing is that they generally move a LOT of air. I think mine uses a 1/3 hp motor on it's squirrelcage. Another nice thing is they are dead simple and every store around here stocks parts for pretty much a complete rebuild save for the frame! when it's single digit RH they will make you shiver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billp Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 Swamp coolers pull air through wet pads to cool it by evaporation. Works best when relative humidity is under 30% In NM many people use them instead of "refrigerated air". One nice thing is that they generally move a LOT of air. I think mine uses a 1/3 hp motor on it's squirrelcage. Another nice thing is they are dead simple and every store around here stocks parts for pretty much a complete rebuild save for the frame! when it's single digit RH they will make you shiver! OK that makes sense, with our high humidity I can see it working better for you then us in the South and the reason why I have not heard of them, thanks BillP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Swamp boxes are cool except they use a lot of water. Here in Phoenix the city is trying to discourage the use of them but when it's my electric bill is differ. My electric bill in June with swamp box is around $165 and in July when I switch over to air conditioning it runs about $385, big difference. My water bill with the swamp box is around $200 a month and without about $125. However when I can produce 65F for the whole house and have the kind of comfort that comes with the amount of air that flows through it you just can't compare the two. I get to sleep with a light cover on for May,June and then again in September and October for very low prices. With AC the house is 80F and if I want to feel air move over my body I need to sit in front of small fan. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 It's 92 degrees and 66% humidity in NE Georgia. As much as I enjoy my time at the anvil, I think I'll pass for now. Those areas of the country, that have single digit humidity, sound like a very nice place to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Summer is here. It is 109 now with 13% humidity with a 9mph wind, and will probably get to 111 by 4pm. The low last night was 83. During the summers I use a swamp cooler to keep my power bills around $40, with the A/C it jumps to $150. During the summers I sleep on a hammock that is strung up on the porch. I am hardly home during the week, so it isn't worth running the A/C to cool an empty house. Once the sun goes down it isn't that bad, so when it is still 100 at midnight it feels OK to be outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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