I'm freezing by butt off. Suggestions?

[MBTcustom]

I know lots of you are going to be calling me a wuss, but here's the problem: When I'm buffing out guns and working in the shop, there is not a whole lot of movement, and whirling machinery is always going, which makes baggy clothing a bit of a concern. My buffer is powerful enough to do some serious damage, and my lathe could turn my upper torso into hamburger if I got wrapped up in it (17" swing).
The lack of clothing, coupled with the sedentary nature of this business, along with the fact that I am working with steel, using tools that keep the air moving constantly, makes gunsmithing a painful proposition.
I'm using a sunflower propane heater, and it works well, but it's draining my propane tanks, and sucking profit right off the top (what little there is). Every time I turn around I have to drop another $60 to fill my bottles, and that right there is getting old.

I'm trying to come up with a cheaper way to stay warm, but the problem is that I have no space! Im doing this whole operation in a single car garage, and the buffing/bluing operation is in a 10X16 divided shed out back.
I'm thinking about putting in a small pellet stove in the buffing room (if I can find one cheap)
but as you can see, there isn't a whole lot of room.
Attachment 90773
The main shop is where I'm working most of the time, and there is even less room in there. You see the workbench on the left, and the milling machine on the right. One of the locals is standing there in the middle. She just showed up one day and wouldn't leave LOL!
Attachment 90774
Point is, I'm packed in here like sardines and I need a cheap way to stay warm.
I may not get anything done this season because I can't afford it, but I think that during the summer I might get a good deal on any sort of heating apparatus that I would want.

I was just hoping that you fellers could offer some suggestions for a portable heat source that I can heat the place with for less than $10 per day.
Thanks!

[imashooter2]

Insulation is what you need.

[Pb2au]

A few thoughts;
1) Do you have natural gas in your home now? In Ohio, natural gas is (relatively) cheaper than propane and electric. If yes, perhaps you can plumb your workspaces with gas and install heaters that run off it.
2) How is your electric cost in Arkansas? Same idea as above, but utilizing electric heaters. I installed a 220 1ph unit in my Father in laws garage and it doesn't do too bad.
3) In my dad's workshop, (we rebuild horse drawn carriages) he found on older oil fired furnace. It is about the size of an old school upright radio. We burn kerosene in it and it does a darn good job. You will have to watch craigslist and the like for them.
4) Look for the old school military heaters. Like this;
http://video.sportsmansguide.com/v/1...-stove-heater/
They are simple affairs that burn wood or gasoline, kerosene, and even diesel fuel.
5) Waste oil furnace. Google that and have a look.

I hope this helps

[Pb2au]

Insulation is what you need.

Beat me to it!!
Lots and lots and lots of insulation.

[Miller]

Insulation is what you need.

My thoughts excactly. Also some tight fitting long underwear. Look at ski clothing, I have multiple layers that are forum fitting and not bulky.

[Garyshome]

Lots and lots and lots of insulation. In the walls and roof!!!!!!! Wood stove? Ain't nothin cheap now a days.

[CastingFool]

I don't think pellet stoves are the way to go. I have one at home, and all it is, is an expensive space heater. Plus you have to be on the lookout for the pellets to be on sale. You can get them cheaper if buying by the ton, but I don't have space to store 50 bags of pellets. A small wood stove would be the way to go, if you have a place to get free firewood.

[jsheyn]

Good insulation and quality wool clothing! Pair that with either a wood or propane heater and your gonna be sweating

[xman777]

Check into a used oil heater and then get all your friends and family to give you their discarded motor oil. It warms my shop nicely for free.

[flounderman]

You can go with a setup where the woodburning stove sits outside and pipe the heat in. you can have a return pipe back to the furnace and use an exhaust fan in the return to keep the fan from being in the heat. They make commercial models but it wouldn't be hard to improvise. The kerosese nipco heaters will take the chill off but you couldn't use them for long in a closed area. Insulate the ceiling, at least. You lose more heat out the top than on the sides.

[Mumblypeg]

MY shop is a 20X24 building with 9ft ceilings . The walls and ceiling are well insulated. I have a 220 electric heated that I got at Northern tools, it strait wires in. It will get toasty in there in just a few minutes and has a thermostat. Don't know the exact cost but the power bill is not much. It hangs from the ceiling and is out of the way.

[atr]

Insulate and seal the doors/windows.....
try using an electric powered oil filled radiator...
also....high wattage overhead lights (300watt) will generate alot of heat and will provide great lighting
forget about wood stoves unless you want another job cutting/splitting wood....and wood stoves are dangerous in a small machinery filled space...YOU DON'T WANT TO back into one when its hot and the general fire hazard is not worth it.
atr

[Artful]

Cheapest quickest way is to heat you! not the shop.
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Long-Underwear-Reviews

you may also want to look at heated vest or socks (electric battery powered)
Also remember you loose a lot of heat out of your head - put on your Santa Hat!

[dragonrider]

As others have said insulation should be your #1 priority. When that is done your heating requirements will be smaller. Should you want a small pellet stove here is one solution that takes no floor space.
http://www.amazon.com/Stove-Company-.../dp/B0044726Z2

[375RUGER]

I would get me a little pot belly wood stove. If you can manage a supply of free used oil from somewhere, put a 1" steel plate in the stove and rig up a copper tube to drip the used oil onto the plate when it gets hot. That burning oil will be like free heat.
I'd think a used pot belly could be had for $100 or less.
You could also fashion a wood stove out of a 15gal barrel if you can find them.
I heated a whole single wide trailer with one of these, many winters ago:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5468_200395468
and saved hundreds of dollars on propane.
I gave it to a buddy of mine and he is heating his house with it this winter and saving ME a bunch on propane, otherwise you could have it.

Pellet stoves are convinent but cost more to operate than solid wood, in most cases.
According to the United States Department of Energy, the average cost of a cord of firewood or a ton of wood pellets is $190. But for a true comparison of the costs, you have to look at not just the price of the fuel but also the heating value of the fuel, also measured in BTU, and the efficiency of the heating appliance. Using averages for all three, the Energy Information Administration's Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator estimates it costs $15.15 to produce 1 million Btu using pellets and $9.09 using solid wood.
.
My solid wood cost is way less than that because I get it for $50-90/cord and burn about 2-3 cords a winter heating a 2200sf house.

[bangerjim]

Insulation! My backyard shop which is 12x18 where I do all my loading both winter and summer has R38 in the ceiling and R19 in the walls. I mainly insulate for the 115F summers! My little 8K BTU A/C will take it from 95 to 80 in about 30 minutes with an outside temp of 110.

Here in AZ we are seeing 76 today! (normal 65) I have a small old Munkey Ward floor heater (1200W) that I use in the morning to take the edge off , but the shop does not get below 58 normally even if the night before is in the mid 30-40's) .

With a good blanket of fiberglass wrapped around you workspace and all the cracks filled with caulk, your temps will level out and any heat ($$$) you put in will stay a lot longer!

banger

[btroj]

Insulate man, insulate. You are trying to heat the world, keep the heat in the shop where you need it.

[AlaskanGuy]

Whatcha need there is a toyo or toonami fuel stove... Runs on diesel, and very very warm and efficient.... Most folks around here have them.. Takes just about 5 gallons to heat the place for 10 days... And the heat is dry... Wont add humidity like propane..... Take it from an alaskan, we are experts on keeping warm... This is what they look like...Attachment 90804

Of course your fuel consumption will prolly be way less then ours.... As right now it is -3..... Starmac is prolly sitting at about -40 right now ....lol

[paul h]

Heating a small building is a real challenge as most heaters are sized for larger spaces and you'll completely blast yourself out of there with even a small wood stove. Not to mention not only do you need the space for the stove, but also clearance around the stove.

Insulate first and that should dramatically reduce your fuel consumption. Other then that, you'll need to balance out the cost of a new heater vs. fuel savings for the propane heater. I'd venture to say many other heat options will take several years to over 10 years to pay off the investment in fuel savings.

[gnoahhh]

Is the garage attached to the house? If so, why not run an extension of whatever heats the house out to there? Ie: a duct if it's forced hot air, or a pipe to a radiator.

I had a cabin in Pennsylvania that was heated by a Kerosun wall unit. It burned kerosene, took in fresh air and exhausted both to the outside. No smell whatsoever, and was extremely efficient. It was about the size of a suitcase. Kept the place toasty warm for pennies.