Shop temps and machine tools....

[Tipton1965]

The shops that I worked in were always heated in the winter. Now with the plan to get my own milling machine and lathe for my home shop it begs the question. What are the negatives of cooler shop temps in the winter as far as machine tools? My shop is completely insulated and sheet rocked so it never gets down below freezing. I do have a really nice propane heater but typically only run it if I'm going to be in the shop for awhile. Does cooler shop temps have any damaging effects on machine tools? I guess I'm concerned about rust on the ways, etc.

Thanks!

 

[FOMOGO]

Living in a relatively dry climate I don't have this issue, but I would recommend running a dehumidifier. I think this would save you a lot of grief, with the added benefit of a source of distilled water for batteries, radiators, etc. Mike

 

[DavidR8]

Unless your propane heater vents outside running it will introduce a fair amount of moisture into the air.
I use a combination of a oil filled radiator that I keep plugged in all the time and set to 55 degrees F. It keeps the chill off quite well.
When I’m in the shop I have two overhead electric radiant heaters. One is situated over the mill and lathe, the other over my tablesaw.

 

[sdelivery]

Yes, colder temps have an affect.
BUT I live and work in Ohio and many of the machine shops are cold.
Start the peice of equipment your going to use and let it run up to temp before starting work.
Humidity is a problem that is easily solved by running 1 or two box fans to constantly circulate the air

 

[G-ManBart]

My shop is heated and cooled all year, but the build was over time and for a while I had one section partitioned off from the rest of the building and insulated, but no heat or AC. I went with 2" foam board over fiberglass batts and metal liner panel for the walls. The ceiling is metal liner panels with fiberglass batts over that, then about 20" of blown cellulose. I think it's reasonably well insulated.

The problem I ran into was when there were big temperature swings...mostly in the Fall and Spring. I had a collection of restored bench vises and a lot of tools in there and the first time I went in the day or so after a big temperature swing all the bare metal was starting to rust....even stuff that had a coat of boiled linseed oil on it. It didn't even have to be very humid for this to happen...it would heat up, condensation would form on the metal and a day later everything was flash rusting.

I first added a mini-split with a heat pump and then added a radiant heat system (planned from the start for this so the tubing and manifold was already in place). The mini-split works down into the mid-teens, and then I turn on the floor heat. There are mini-splits with hyper heat functions that go down into the single-digits. Now nothing gets rusty and I'm far more comfortable. I went with a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim mini-split and I actually can't hear whether it's working or not...I have to go stand below it and wait for the vanes to point down so I can feel if it's moving air.

I only cool the shop to the high 70s in the summer and heat it to the high 50s in the winter and it runs around $30 a month in electricity. If I do a lot of welding or running my machinery it will go up a bit, but still nothing crazy. The bill goes up a bit when I run the floor heat, but that's only usually January and February. Not having all my stuff rusting, and being comfortable is more than worth it to me.

 

[Tipton1965]

Thanks for the replies guys! Yes my propane heater vents outside. My bro in law has an HVAC company. He had a customer that bought a new house and didn't want the house heated with propane. He changed to a regular heat pump for them and they just gave him the propane heater. So he installed it in my shop for the cost of labor only. So it's a pretty good setup.

And yes.....flash rust is the main thing I'm worried about. As far as running box fans to control humidity....I do have three ceiling fans that push alot of air. But I usually just run them when I run the propane heater.

 

[Superburban]

my shop is not heated. In the winter, the knee of my Van Norman 22, does not like to turn, Maybe I could run it and warm up the il enough, but I do not want to risk anything. Since the shop is cold, I do limited work any way. I can still use the spindle, and crank the rest by hand for small projects if needed. Since most of my tools have gearboxes, I try to limit everything I do, just in case the oil does not get where it is needed when cold. Ok, yea, I also hate the cold.

 

[Shootymacshootface]

My garage gets below freezing when it gets very cold out, like it is now in the NE. The only time I worry about rust is if it warms up quickly, and everything sweats. I don't keep my machines meticulously clean, so there is always some oil on the non painted surfaces, and I haven't really had a problem. Keeping tooling rust free has actually been more of a problem. I do like to run my 115,000 btu space heater for a bit before I get going down there. I am unlikely to go in the shop and just start machining things right away, so stuff does get to warm up a little anyways.

 

[Ken226]

Unless your propane heater vents outside running it will introduce a fair amount of moisture into the air.
I use a combination of a oil filled radiator that I keep plugged in all the time and set to 55 degrees F. It keeps the chill off quite well.
When I’m in the shop I have two overhead electric radiant heaters. One is situated over the mill and lathe, the other over my tablesaw.

This is the same thing I do, with the addition of a Home Depot dehumidifier.

I live a half hour from the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. 5 years so far and not a spec of rust anywhere.

 

[DavidR8]

This is the same thing I do, with the addition of a Home Depot dehumidifier.

I live a half hour from the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. 5 years do far and not a spec of rust anywhere.

I'm in Victoria so just a bit north of you. Pretty much the same conditions.