Protecting freeze-sensitive shop supplies such as rechargeable tool batteries, glues, finishes and waterstones from winter cold is a hassle. I used to carry everything back and forth from the house to the shop until I came up with this alternative.

I bought a small 2.34 cubic foot chest cooler and a 750-watt fan heater controlled by a thermostat. I mounted the cooler on a shop wall and ran a piece of Romex wire through the cooler's drain plug to power the fan. I added wire shelves from a discount store. Now I just set the thermostat to 70° when the weather turns cold, and everything inside stays toasty warm. The electricity usage is negligible — the heater runs 20 seconds at a time, a few times a day.

- Dee Allen; Newport News, Virginia

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