Truman Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 How do you heat your smithy? Or do you at all? I've got a fairly small (12x16) uninsulated shop with a dirt floor. I've been hoping that my NC Whisper Momma forge will be enough to keep me warm while I'm forging this winter -- and I think that as long as I'm working close to the forge, that shouldn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Where do you live? What do you consider cold during the winter? Anything below 70*F is cold in Arizona (according to Rich Hale), but -10*F can be a warm spell if your in northern Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 In the winter, as soon as I light my forge I put in a chunk of steel and let it heat up while I'm piddling around prior to starting. When the steel is hot I lay it on the anvil to get at least a little warmth started. I've heard of putting an electric iron on the anvil and also of using an electric engine block heater on the anvil. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 WARNING there is a tendency to want to close up the shop a bit more in the winter and let the gasser help heat it THIS IS A BAD IDEA. It encourages the production and breathing of CO. You should generally keep the shop as open in the winter as in the summer if you are using a gasser and put in a wood stove or other heat source for the winter that you can get IR heat from. Me I used to wear good long underwear and wool shirts and put down a piece of plywood to stand on when I lived in Columbus OH. Here in NM with a 10'x10' roll up door at either end of the shop; I'll do the same if it's windy. I have a couple of large solar panels I plan to install on the south end of the shop and then see if a large blower on them can take the place of one of the open doors and get a little heat gain. When not using the forge the steel building gets pretty cosy in the daylight. I want to put in a small woodstove for cloudy days. Preheating the anvil is a *good* idea. I have a plate of steel that I heat in the gasser and lay on the face. Probably the best idea I've heard of is Capt'n Atli's of using an old electric iron to heat the anvil, turn it on high and set it on the anvil first thing in the door and by the time the forge is up to heat the anvil should be warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Don't run the forge in a closed shop without a carbon monoxide detector. My shop is 22 x 36 with 12 foot walls and open trusses, I can get the CO detector beeping in less than 10 minutes if the fuel mixture isn't just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truman Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 Where do you live? What do you consider cold during the winter? Anything below 70*F is cold in Arizona (according to Rich Hale), but -10*F can be a warm spell if your in northern Canada. Glenn, I live in northern Vermont. Thanks for asking. We can pretty much count on 2-4 weeks of temps colder than -10*F. As for carbon dioxide ... I never really considered that my smithy was tight enough for that to be a problem. It's certainly something for me to consider. Standing on plywood sounds like a good tip. Long underwear too -- though that's kinda a given around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Carbon MONoxide! even breathing it at low "safe" ammounts it can build up in your blood as it's a prefferential binder to it over O2---doesn't turn lose once it's on. A coal forge you *know* you are breathing nasty stuff, a gasser or charcoal lets you do it without knowing! If you don't want a wide open shop you can build a box around the gasser that has good outside air supply and a good chimney and so isolate it from the shop air---you must chek that it's working right with a CO monitor though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truman Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 monoxide ... right. I misspoke. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 The shop I bought (with house detached) came with a propane warehouse heater hanging from the high ceiling at one end. It used to be piped to a propane tank just outside the block wall. I haven't bought a new tank, yet, but I mean to run an extra line or two so that I can bring propane to a forge and maybe a torch. The propane heater is vented with an 8" chimney duct. I put my coal forge under it and knocked a cinderblock out of the wall, and I'm replacing the old 8" chimney with a 12" one that goes all the way down to the missing block. I still have a few custom sheet metal bits to make for the forge hood and 12-8 reducer Tee. When finished, it'll have plumbed propane for heat and a forge, and a coal forge with a 12"x ~20' chimney. I'll put a gate in the heater tee to keep smoke out of the heater when not in use. I don't expect to need the heater that much in Maryland. There's a thermostat that can be set to just keep things from freezing. Often, one of the best ways to spend money towards being warm is to invest in insulation. I don't know how that applies to a shop with windows or a garage door open for ventillation. I'm guessing it's still worth checking out, particularly if there are a lot of times when the forge isn't running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Jacob: Plumbing the stacks for the propane heater and coal or other solid fuel forge together will NEVER pass code and it's outright dangerous. A chimney sweep buddy I asked when building our present house went into the chemistry but the short story is propane exhaust contains mostly water vapor and encorages creosote buildup. I'll be heating my shop with a large vertical stove I'm building from a piece of 24" can pile. While it'll be designed for multi-fuels, wood will be it's main course. I have a salvaged SS fume hood that'll be adapted to cover the propane forge. The difference in my shop is how the exhaust system works, it's a down draw system. There is a system of ABS pipe under the floor connecting to a 4' on center grid pattern of 2 1/8" ID. sq. sockets. The sq. tubing is 2 1/8" ID because 2" sq. receiver tubing is about 6x as expensive. The sub floor exhaust system is connected to a blower and vented outside. When in use the exhaust system draws smoke and fumes down into the floor so I don't have to exchange all the air in the shop a few times over to rid it of smoke. The gasser table's lags are 2" sq. tubing that will socket into the exhaust system and are connected to the hood. The welding / cutting table is a bar grate over a plennum and it's legs socket into the floor. If I need a scaffolding I can socket the uprights into the floor and clamp or weld whatever members to it I need. I'll be able to access the exhaust system by tapping into it from the socketed verticals. And so on. Besides removing smoke and fumes closer to the source so it doesn't have to exhaust as much good air it passes it all under the floor. This will help warm the ground under the shop and help keep the shop warmer. It will also draw the coldest air off the floor rather than the warmest air from the roof peak. My strategy for the wood stove is to keep myself between it and the forge. The stove will be placed against one wall near the center of the shop. It'll also get an aimable stack robber with a blower so I can direct heat where it's needed. CO detectors are a good idea if you have any combustion going on and a hearty must if you're running a forge of any kind. Except an induction forge maybe. Even a torch can make a dangerous atmosphere, especially a rosebud. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronPuppet Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I have a wood stove in my shop. Nothing like free heat! I have big old fans that blow the heat around the room. I scrounge all the scrap wood I see that is convenient to pick up. So far, I never have had to pay a cent to heat my shop, and now my forge is a wood burner too. I put side doors in my shop that open on the driveway. They open inward and I stand the forge just outside the doors. Works for me. Christopher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalmangeler Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I heat my shop with my propane forge. It is 24X30, 12 foot walls insulated with a vent near the top always open, a window normally open. You need the CO detecter. I also have a hood over the forge and a fan to move the warm air down from the top. The hood is to help keep the moisture levels down in the shop as propane makes lots of water. Remember that the fire is also burning up the oxegen. One of the other things to think about in the cold is that your propane wants to liquid up on you. I use a large tank outside that I heat when it is -20 or less with a manetic engine heater sold at the local auto parts store. If you are useing 5 gal. tanks you can set it in a tub of water to keep it warm, put a can of water where your forge will heat it so you can add heat as you need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Its amazing how well these little shaker stoves will heat a room, very efficent with the double heat chamber (the two in the middle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Its amazing how well these little shaker stoves will heat a room, very efficent with the double heat chamber (the two in the middle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 a better picture, from Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in Kentucky. click a second time to enlarge more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I'm fortunate with regard to winter weather - we have three cold days here a year so I just close the windows. The gaps in the door and at the roof line are sufficient to allow plenty of air to get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Frosty, I did some looking around online and haven't found much yet on hazards of combining the chinmey. I'm looking to make it safe for my intended use, and will be taking some (all?) key components with me if I move. I rarely plan on using the heater, and never if there is a coal fire. The coal fire and protective clothing in the winter will be plenty enough for warmth. If the problem comes from water vapor being brought into the mix, I'm not worried because of the difference in time. I'll have the same or greater problem from rainy days and humidity. I'll check out any resources on the subject if there are recommedations. I imagine for my criteria it will work fine, with a little extra warm-up time needed for the draft on the heater. I've already redone most of the wiring, not for code, but for safety and usability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teejay Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 My shop is 30'x30' and I use 2 wood stoves on real cold days ( Okla has lots of windy days ) When its real cold I heat the anvil with a 1/4" plate off the forge . When using wood stoves keep them at least 18" from the wall.even in a metal building we are required to have triple wall pipe going thru the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat pete Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I used to be in the HVAC buis and I will tell ya there is a problem with putting two sources in one chimney. The total btu output of both systems and or the temp must not exceed the capability of the pipe. Another problem is codes. fp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Frosty, I did some looking around online and haven't found much yet on hazards of combining the chinmey. I'm looking to make it safe for my intended use, and will be taking some (all?) key components with me if I move. Check with your local gas co. Fire marshal, etc. Don't ask your insurance Co. till you're actually ready to set it up and be careful then. I have yet to talk to someone in the heating business that would consider mixing gas or oil burners and other fuels in the flue. They didn't have a problem mixing wood, coal, etc. I'm no expert so talk to one where you live. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I heat my shop with my propane forge. It is 24X30, 12 foot walls insulated with a vent near the top always open, a window normally open. You need the CO detecter. I also have a hood over the forge and a fan to move the warm air down from the top. The hood is to help keep the moisture levels down in the shop as propane makes lots of water. Remember that the fire is also burning up the oxegen. One of the other things to think about in the cold is that your propane wants to liquid up on you. I use a large tank outside that I heat when it is -20 or less with a manetic engine heater sold at the local auto parts store. If you are useing 5 gal. tanks you can set it in a tub of water to keep it warm, put a can of water where your forge will heat it so you can add heat as you need to. Hey Mark, welcome aboard! Mark is a "neighbor" about 25 miles from me and an accomplished smith. It's good to have another Alaskan around. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Turner Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I heat my shop with a woodstove the shop is 20' X 40'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.