Winter shop temperature

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
JAB1

JAB1

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
204
Location
Utopia, Texas
Does it hurt to let your shop get down to say.....25 degrees F? I know that heat above 85 degrees in the shop is not good for solvents, paint, refills, etc.....but, what about the extreme cold? Do some of you let your shop drop down into the 20s at night and, if so, any detrimental effects?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I don't know the complete answer to your question, but I do know freezing paints and finishes isn't going to help them. Alcohols,thinners, mineral spirits and such do just fine.

I have some of my flat work stuff set up in my father-in-laws unheated shop, and to combat the cold I have a small deep freeze chest with a thermostat like they use in greenhouses... the thermostat is connected to a 25 watt light bulb... I set it to 50 degrees and it cycles on and off as necessary.

I also make certain that all of the cans and bottles I have stored in there aren't leaking any fumes because that could be dangerous.
 
THere was a case last year where the PR blanks were shattering from thermal expansion as they were being turned from being cold. You may need to bring your blanks up to a warmer tempeture before you turn them.
 
I'd say 25 is to cold for most of your liquid products. I know wax starts to separate when frozen and then thawed. I don't know what freezing would do to dyes, stains and items such as BLO or Mineral oil.

Freezing the CA is a lot different than cooling it in the frig.. Just my humble opinion.
 
Last edited:
Mark nailed it on the CA. Other liquids could pose a problem. Another issue could be your wood. If you go out and turn on a heater and bring the temp up to a comfortable level, the wood will start to expand and contract with the temperature changes. This can cause you plenty of problems down the road. Any time we get wood, we let it sit in the shop at least a week before we do anything with it so it has a chance to stabilize to our temps and humidity.
 
JAB1 said:
Does it hurt to let your shop get down to say.....25 degrees F? I know that heat above 85 degrees in the shop is not good for solvents, paint, refills, etc.....but, what about the extreme cold? Do some of you let your shop drop down into the 20s at night and, if so, any detrimental effects?
Click to expand...
Allen, Long time no see. You have been hididng form us. As far as i know we are going to be in the same shoes Wed. morning. I have heard about CA, but as far as other stuff like paint and that as long as they are tightly closed you shouldn't have any problem. just make sure that youdon't touch any metal first thing in the morning so youwon't get he freeze burn.
Good to see you on line after almost 7 or 8 months.
 
Allen, my painter friend tells me that oil base paint probably will stand temps below freezing fairly well inside your shop. Water based finishes on the other hand are another story. The water will freeze causing seperation that is all but impossible to recombine without equipment. Styrofoam coolers with a small light bulb should keep everything good in your area. YMMV
Charles
 
MesquiteMan said:
Mark said:
Freezing the CA is a lot different than cooling it in the frig.. Just my humble opinion.
Click to expand...

Respectfully disagree. I keep all of my CA in the FREEZER until ready to use. No issues whatsoever and it keeps MUCH longer.
Click to expand...

Be sure to let it come to room temp before opening it. I seal mine in a glass jar and keep it in the freezer, but always let it come to room temp before opening the jar.
 
sbwertz said:
MesquiteMan said:
Mark said:
Freezing the CA is a lot different than cooling it in the frig.. Just my humble opinion.
Click to expand...

Respectfully disagree. I keep all of my CA in the FREEZER until ready to use. No issues whatsoever and it keeps MUCH longer.
Click to expand...

Be sure to let it come to room temp before opening it. I seal mine in a glass jar and keep it in the freezer, but always let it come to room temp before opening the jar.
Click to expand...

Looks like I am just in an argumentative mood tonight but really, I'm not! I also respectfully disagree with this as well. I have taken CA straight from the freezer and immediately used it on pens without any issues at all. I did not let it warm up or anything and do it all the time. Your mileage may vary but I know what my experience shows.
 
When it comes out of the freezer, is it just really thick, or is there no apparent change in consistency???
 
I'm a "direct from freezer" CA user, never had a problem. Whatever the stuff is made of doesn't freeze, thin CA is still thin immediately out of the freezer, thick is still thick.
 
Cold should not have any effect on CA except maybe causing it to cure a little slower, YMMV.
It's the moisture that may condense on the inside of the bottle if you open it before it comes to room temp that will start the hardening process.
 
Mine is usually barely above freezing during the winter. Finishing is a challenge, but other than that I just turn on a propane heater so I can work without wearing a parka.
 
I keep the CA from Monty in the Freezer -- good for a long time. Reaction time increases as temperature decreases, but it is good to go I refill the 2 ouch bottles from large containers straight from the freezer -- and start using it. This is still thin (not a significant visible change in viscosity).

Note to self -- order another pint or two from Monty -
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom