Keeping Warm from Woodworker's Journal Blog
Over on the Woodworker's Journal Blog, field editor Chris Marshall recently reminisced about the cold old days in his Minnesota shop and sang the praises of his current furnace. With the official onset of winter, he also asked readers to share their methods for keeping warm in the shop. - Editor
“I take my furnace for granted. Although I leave the heat off when I'm not working, my little forced air furnace can bring the temps up from the mid 30s to a balmy 62 in about 15 minutes flat. It's a wonderful luxury, and it isn't much bigger than an air conditioner. Years ago, when my shop was a one-car, then a two-car garage, I wasn't so lucky to have that furnace. I used the little blow torch heater you see above.
“How do you keep warm in your shop during the cold months? Wood-burning stove? Propane heater? Some sort of electric solution? What do you recommend, and what have you shucked for a better way to keep from freezing?” - Chris Marshall
Readers had a variety of suggestions for keeping toasty. - Editor
“I do have the great pleasure of having a heated and cooled garage. It is still cold. There is only one duct in there and it's about 55 with it being about 25 outside. I'm thinking about adding another duct on the shop side. So if you have duct work running thru your garage, add a duct in your garage, and just shut it off when not working out there.” - Tim
“I use that little propane torch thing also, hooked up to a 100# tank. I keep a sharp eye on it. Don't care for that open flame either. “ - Jim Brown
“I have insulated my shop with a minimum of 3 inches of foam board (inexpensive if bought from a roofing supply house, and they will cut it whatever thickness you want). I use an electric heater, 1,500 watts keeps it about 60 degrees. I have a picture window and a 8' X 3' half glass door.” - Larry Ray
“For years, I have heated my shop with an 1896 Round Oak brand cast-iron potbelly stove I bought at an auction in July (always the best time of year to buy heaters of any kind).
… with wood plentiful in my backyard I can heat my 20 X 40 shop to a comfortable 55 degrees on even a near zero degree day. Plus I get the added benefit of a great conversation piece as guests admire my restored antique while I work on their piece of furniture.” - Tom Reagor
“I use basically the same torpedo heater as above except it uses Kerosene. I wired a 120-volt thermostat that was designed for baseboard heaters and control my heater with this. I generally set the thermostat for about 55 degrees and keep plenty warm. “ - Ben Wilson
And, of course, a comment that this isn't an issue for everyone.
“I had a chance to move to the San Diego area years ago, and we did. We go to the snow (a couple of inches in the mountains yesterday) or the beach. I am insulating and drywalling, but it's to keep down the summer's heat.” - Luke Johnson
Quick Release Band Saw Tensioner from WoodCentral
The original poster in this discussion wanted to know if he could make his own quick release mechanism – a question that not only brought him an answer, but also sparked a small debate about whether or not to leave the blade tensioned. – Editor
“I have been making a lot of bandsawn boxes lately, it seems. I got tired of turning the knob for the blade tension all the time so looked in the catalog for one of those quick release outfits made by Carter, etc. After seeing the price $150 plus shipping I was thinking of making my own. Has anyone made their own quick release mechanism, any ideas or advice on this?” - Jared
Here was the first response.
“The blade can remain fully tensioned all the time without causing trauma to the machine.” – Clint
And a couple of reactions to it.
“Are you nuts? It doesn't hurt the band saw, but it definitely hurts the performance and life of the blade. If all you are doing is crude cuts, I'll agree with you. If you are making precision cuts or resawing for veneer or turning thins, for example, I'd say you are dead wrong. Not only won't you get acceptable cuts, but when doing that kind of work you tend to buy premium blades. Leaving tension at full would be like using a fine table saw blade (for example, a Forrest) to cut plywood. I ain't gonna' do that.– ebd
“I'll (respectfully) disagree with Clint on the ‘need’ for de-tensioning a band saw blade. BS blades heat and stretch, then cool and shrink much the same as chainsaws (I de-tension them as well); any weakness in the blade (weld or links) will be amplified, and the BS blade's gullets' geometry will be altered. Keeping tension on a blade also tends to push the tires out of round, producing that thumping sound until they readjust. . Both JET and Suffolk Machinery (Timberwolf Blades) say to take most (but not all) tension off the blade at the end of a session.” – Mark Mandell
He did also get some responses on building his own quick release mechanism.
“They're not really very difficult to make at all, and you could look at the JET lever tensioner for inspiration; just Google "bandsaw tensioning lever" images. It could be done as easily with 1/4" aluminum plate. You'd need to buy a drill and a jigsaw, however. The hardest part is getting the lever to stop just past the top of the cam. Make that part adjustable if you can; it saves experimenting with hole location. I say do it, do it, do it! The worst that can happen is you'll have some fun in the shop. A little metalworking know-how would do woodworkers a world of good in the area of jig-making in general.” – William Falberg
One respondent, in fact, found an old photo – and, in addition to mentioning it to the original poster, was inspired to build his own.
“The lever swivels out as you detension the blade so the lift block slides off the platform. There are two nuts and a washer set above the lever. Personally, I would put a piece of steel or heavy washer glued to the wood to help protect it…. I'm almost through building the one I sent. I turned the handle a little because I'm a woodturner and that's what we do. … I made an L shaped arm to make it easier to adjust and need to turn the knob and put a screw through it and I'll be done.”- John Lucas