Glenn Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Woody, I would prefer not to, as I got a face full of cold slack water. Thank goodness for safety glasses. I still made a quick trip to the sink to wash out my eyes, but it took a hot shower to wash off the ode-da-la-slack-tub fragrance. Wife said to take my clothes outside and leave them outside till laundry day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merl Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I have the same problem of slack tank freezing and water supply hose freezing as well. I use one of the floating stock tank heaters that cycles on and off to keep the water at 40F. This tends to cause lose due to evaperation so I replenish with snow. I also like the idea of the plastic barrel half with the gravel in the bottom to keep the hot steel from touching. I have a sheet metal tank for a slack tub that I just had to patch a rust hole in. I have a number of the plastic barrels that I could try out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I've also seen a lid with a 40w light bulb in it, uses less power than the stock tank heater and it's cheaper, I think I might try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Well here in OZ this last week we had the other problem , keepin' water in the slack tub ,, temps of over 40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt in NY Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 A stick of wood left in the tub is easily pulled out of the ice, unless it gets super cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olcarguy Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Of course, you could always run your moonshine copper coil through the slack tub and solve two problems at once.....just kidding Great information here! Good idea...and you could put your kettle close to the forge fire and heat it at the same time.....:D:D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid Neilsen Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Id suggest a heated water barrel from your local farm and ranch store. We use em for our horses (it regularly gets down to around 30 below zero here in the winter in Colorado) They are really thick and made of heavy duty rubber. I have a heavy rubber/plastic slack tub in my shop and havent burned through it yet. Just be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I also use RV antifreeze, the type that is supposed to be pet safe. Of course I never let them near the antifreeze. I also don't let them in my shop because of metal slivers on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Too old for all that. plug my kero turbo into a timer/thermostat set up. 4" foam in the walls/roof. Kicks on 1/2 hour before I get out there. Kicks off at night. Never gets below 50F in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnesBeast Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I just put an old heating pad under the slack tub and turned it on. Not sure if that was electricity efficient or not, but it was easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Your slack tub's freezing? It's May 28th! Where do you live on top of a mountain? Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I read through this thread rather quickly, but did anyone mention just heating your shop so nothing freezes ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Yeah, I think that came up around the middle of the first page or maybe the second. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Heat the shop? just too easy... and who has money for that?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Yeh I like easy. Cost? About $5 worth of kero a week or fire up the gasser heat a big plate 2-3 times to heat the anvil. When you get over 60 its harder to get going when its 30-40 in the shop. Heat comes on just before opening. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 30 or 40 in the shop? Wow, that's when I take my shirt off. Actually it was in the low 50's yesterday and I lit a short hot fire in the stove to take the chill off. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I use a magnetic engine block heater. Just stick it on the bottom somewhere and plug it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon leaf Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I know its an old thread, but..... Go to a farm store and get a cow trough warmer. Cows need water all winter. You just plug it in and throw it in your tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRunals Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 would salting the water work? or would that end up being too corrosive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Salt water freezes at 28.58 degrees F. So it will still freeze just at a lower temp. The cow troth warmer sounds like a really good solution to me...personally I just use the snow. Its everywhere here and not going away anytime soon. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukellos Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 We don't have that problem here in the Phoenix, AZ area neither. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickG Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Hello I have been looking at the frozen water in our "slack tub" . After reading through the thread, I thought I would throw out the idea of using a recirculating block heater that our car has. I don't know how what areas would have these but they are great for keeping the cars antifreeze warm. Perhaps a bit of RV antifreeze and this heater plugged in for an hour on a timer??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horseshoer1983 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 block heater from a 1960's oliver farm tractor keeps my tub icefree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundsau Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 There are times when I'm not in the smithy for a few days or so and the half whiskey barrel slack tub will freeze solid. I've dealt with ice by chipping and also melting it with some hot bar stock but this year was thinking of a stock tank heater. Was thinking of leaving the heater in the water all winter but not turned on unless I'm there.. Anyone know what happens if the heater was turned on in a solid chunk of ice? Figured it might not be good for a heater with exposed elements but what about this style of heater: http://www.tractorsu...-1500-w-2170843 Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Every year about this time, this topic comes up. There is a thread somewhere about this. I'll look for it. The frozen slack tub topic was pounded on so much with ideas that all the ice broke up and thawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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