[AT] Spring is coming - shop thoughts

[Robinson]

	I haven't even cured my heating problems in my shop
yet but it is "FINALLY" getting around to more normal
temperatures here (upper 30s to low 50s) and I am
thinking toward spring.   :-)   One of the first
things that comes to mind with spring and summer is
trying to work in the shop late in the evening and
having the unwanted company of 8 trillion insects. It
is not too bad in mild weather as I can just leave the
doors shut but when it gets warm and I want
ventilation it is another matter. I have decided that
this is the year that I install screens on at least
part of the doors. I'm just going to make simple
wooden full length screen doors for the walk doors but
I have one 10' x 10' overhead door that faces west
that I don't use to enter or leave the shop but I do
often open it for fresh air. Most of our breeze comes
from the west. I decided to just build in a screen
frame in that opening outside of the door. That way I
can still open and close the door. Since my shop sits
within about 70' straight back from the "T" road
intersection I want to make it so that people on the
road can't see in and see my tools all hanging there.
Out of sight out of mind. I think I am going to build
horizontal slatted louvers about 4" in width across
the door. That will also discourage someone that might
just walk up and cut a big open screen and walk in.
	Those louvers may be a bit expensive but so far I
haven't come up with anything effective that is any
cheaper. I might even use the louvers on the screen
door for the walk door that faces the road. The
louvers should also allow me to keep the rain out on
most rainy days and still have the door open.
	I got to thinking about them a number of years ago
while using a restroom built that way in one of our
state parks...   :-)
	I mentioned my heating problems, I think I have found
most of my answer. It is going to be a little
expensive initially but will work out well for my
particular situation. We replaced our wood stove in
the house this winter with a corn/pellet stove and we
truly love it. The 2003 corn crop was already fully
committed but we plan to burn corn next winter. The
savings are not huge when buying pellets but are OK.
Since I grow corn that is a natural for me. Still not
free but very affordable. I have decided that I will
install another such stove in the shop for the 24 hour
heat and keep the large wood stove that I am using
now. I burn a little of everything in the wood stove
including used oil. It will be fired up during any day
that the lowest setting on the corn/pellet stove isn't
enough.
	The pellet stoves also lend themselves very well to
adding a hot water loop both for domestic hot water
and hydronic heat. They will fit very well into my
ongoing project of a hot water heat system going to
several buildings around the farm including two
houses. I have no illusions of it heating everything
except in very mild weather but it should almost
eliminate monthly heating bills for most buildings for
most of the fall and spring. It should reduce them
measurably in very cold weather. One great thing will
be that in mild but chilly weather I would heat
everything with just one stove. The water is heated
without any particular reduction in heat output
locally from the stove since it is basically stack
heat heating the water.

Just rambling...




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Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net