Heating/Cooling Garage based shop - Upper Midwest

[Charles scozzari]

what about cooling and humidity control?

Im on a slab so cooling is no problem. Have no problem with humidity. All my machines ,tooling and metal stock stays rust free.

 

[projectnut]

Nice shop and equipment. It looks like a fairly large basement. Is it? I spent some years in large power plants and around boilers - a lot of heavy things in tight spaces. One thing I learned from that time was that you can put almost anything almost anywhere with enough determination, rigging and experience. Good job!

The basement is roughly 30'x 70'. The shop occupies about half of it. The other half is a laundry room, pantry, utilities, and storage. I could expand into the storage area, but then I'd have to throw out all those valuable possessions I haven't seen in over 30 years.

 

[Charles scozzari]

The basement is roughly 30'x 70'. The shop occupies about half of it. The other half is a laundry room, pantry, utilities, and storage. I could expand into the storage area, but then I'd have to throw out all those valuable possessions I haven't seen in over 30 years.

I have a really small shop area. My most used machines which are the Bridgeport with a 42" table, Nichols horizontal mill, R/Fu radial arm drill, a 1440 lathe along with tool storage are in a 10'6" x 16' room. It's tight but it works for me. Adjacent to that in what was the one car garage is my welding and assemble area. So for me I can't accumulate things I don't use there. I have a third room on the other side of the house with all the things I just can't part with. My wife now would like me to clear that room and make it a den. I know I most likely will never use much of it but I am having a hard time with her request.

 

[woodchucker]

I have a really small shop area. My most used machines which are the Bridgeport with a 42" table, Nichols horizontal mill, R/Fu radial arm drill, a 1440 lathe along with tool storage are in a 10'6" x 16' room. It's tight but it works for me. Adjacent to that in what was the one car garage is my welding and assemble area. So for me I can't accumulate things I don't use there. I have a third room on the other side of the house with all the things I just can't part with. My wife now would like me to clear that room and make it a den. I know I most likely will never use much of it but I am having a hard time with her request.

Hoarding stuff is a problem most of us face. We tend not to let go, and when we do we then need what we let go. I have chased my tail looking for something I knew I had, only to realize I got rid of it. Good luck maybe get a container for all your keepers?

 

[tailstock4]

I use two 96% furnaces for heating my shop. These are pretty efficient and quiet. I was able to install them myself after consulting with an HVAC professional. It wasn’t really that hard and you can save quite a bit of money that way. You just need to make sure the discharge registers and ducting are of adequate size and number – not too large or small.



As far as humidity in the shop, it is all about dew point. We have a lot of humidity in eastern Oklahoma especially in the spring and summer. I use an infrared thermometer to take the temperature of my two largest and heaviest machines at their bases. If they are a couple of degrees above dew point, I know I can open the shop. If not, I run the heaters, no matter the time of year, to raise the machines’ temperature above the dew point. By following this I don’t have any problems with condensation on machines.

 

[jocat54]

I'm in Texas, so can't really compare weather but wanted to say that mini splits work really well. I DIY installed a 18000 Btu (Really very easy) and it has worked great even when we got to 9 degrees. It even cycled set at 65. Shop is well insulted.

 

[jareese]

I have a really small shop area. My most used machines which are the Bridgeport with a 42" table, Nichols horizontal mill, R/Fu radial arm drill, a 1440 lathe along with tool storage are in a 10'6" x 16' room. It's tight but it works for me. Adjacent to that in what was the one car garage is my welding and assemble area. So for me I can't accumulate things I don't use there. I have a third room on the other side of the house with all the things I just can't part with. My wife now would like me to clear that room and make it a den. I know I most likely will never use much of it but I am having a hard time with her request.View attachment 436984View attachment 436985View attachment 436986

Nice Shop!

 

[jareese]

I'm in Texas, so can't really compare weather but wanted to say that mini splits work really well. I DIY installed a 18000 Btu (Really very easy) and it has worked great even when we got to 9 degrees. It even cycled set at 65. Shop is well insulted.

9 Degrees in TX?!

 

[matthewsx]

For my Michigan garage I just have a small Mr. Buddy infrared heater and a window AC.

 

[Swarthy]

Buy an old oil furnace. they go Cheap ($600) when they run a new gas line down a street everyone throws them out, you can get a oil tank with it. Install it in a small side garage, use a car battery blanket if it gets to cold for the motor to turn over. Then get a hvac guy to put AC in it. (same price as a split unit) The fan filter is nice to keep the shop air clean so you get very little dust.

Then walk around in your tee shirt all winter long, (big furnace made to heat a house in a small garage) If you can afford it, the AC in the summer is great.