In the early stages of buying the official restoration-mini garage

Started by 94touring, October 11, 2015, 07:49:10 AM

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94touring

Thought about painting over it, but it's so expensive I couldn't bring myself to it.


94touring

Preparing for winter and getting the heat situation taken care of. Last winter bought a 60k btu propane forced air heater which is great, but I want something electric to turn on and leave on.  I can still use the propane heater to rapidly increase temps till I heat myself out.  I suspect it will also work great for pumping the paint booth with heated air during painting.  Anyways I ordered a 26k btu wall heater for the far wall and a patio heater to mount toward the center of my work area where I'd spend most my time wrenching. 

94touring

Let there be light!  14k lumens in the center now and a light on the wall too.

MtyMous

Makes all the difference in the world having good overhead light. And that wall light will be awesome for detailing.

94touring

Heater test day.  32 degrees outside and the shop is at 71 inside with my radiant heater and electric box heater.

Edit:  hit 81

MiniDave

Measured at what height? My feet are always cold this time of year......but I like the shop at about 60* if I'm going to be doing anything strenuous at all.
Complete failure at retirement - but getting better!

1972 Mini Racing Green
1972 Mini ST hotrod
2017 Audi Allroad - Glacier White - His
2018 Audi Allroad - Floret Silver - Hers

94touring

Chest level.  We ended up turning it off because it became too hot.

MiniDave

How long did you run the heat before it became comfortable?

Yeah, I run mine for about an hour every three hours or four.....if it's really cold like it's been - low 20's. Plus my garage doors don't fit well and there are large gaps so if it's windy it gets cold again quicker. We're expecting zero this weekend.......

I think I need some insulated footwear.

Complete failure at retirement - but getting better!

1972 Mini Racing Green
1972 Mini ST hotrod
2017 Audi Allroad - Glacier White - His
2018 Audi Allroad - Floret Silver - Hers

94touring

Today was the first trial run so not sure how long it took, but it wasn't long.  I  probably need to get a thermostat for it at some point so it shuts off. 

94touring

This morning it's 25 outside and on the middle heat setting on the 7500watt selection it keeps it at 70 in the shop. 

94touring

Well as the morning has gone on the temp crept up to 76.  Need to get a thermostat badly.

Jims5543

Sitting here with the AC on in my office trying to comprehend this. Like I told Dan yesterday, I am not bragging, with a heat index nearing 90, I am over the hot and want some cool weather.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride! -Hunter S. Thompson

94touring

Day 3 of this heater.  24 outside this morning, 56 inside. Firee up the heater and after 20 minutes up to 67.  I did discover it has a built in thermostat.  Once the temp gets to where it's comfortable you turn the temp knob down till the unit clicks.  It doesn't turn off but the heat part kicks off, the fan still blows.  Then it clicks back on once the temp drops.  Since it's hard wired I pull the breaker before I leave for the day.  I wired it into the same breaker as the ac unit so once summer hits I'll just need to unwire it to run the ac.

MiniGene

Heat!  A great addition!  I remember my garage in Colorado getting so cold in the wintertime--it made it zero fun to work out there.  I always wanted to get a good heater but didn't want to really invest since I didn't own the place (just rented.)

94touring

Yeah it's awesome.  I run it about a third up the heat dial to keep the place at 70.  I also started running a box fan in the far corner because the heat gets trapped over there and eventually sweats me away from my work bench if I'm working there. 

John Gervais

Oh, that sounds rough...

I stand on a sheet of cardboard with a small rectangle of closed-cell foam sleeping pad on top of it and try not to move off of it.  My feet still get colder than ice cubes, even with thick wool socks and hiking boots, and I have a hard time reaching into small spaces from the heavy sweatshirt layered atop a wooley-booley fleece, atop a heavy wool shirt, atop a wool (river-driver) shirt, atop a t-shirt, atop the long underwear.  Leg's are similarly insulated, longjohns and heavy overalls and of course, a wool cap.

What you really need to get is an artificial palm tree in there -   77.gif
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

Lol.  Yeah and beach music and Pina colladas with little umbrellas. 

Once it gets below 40ish or so the compressor that sits outside in the side garage struggles to start first crank of the day.  We ended up strapping a shop light against it to heat the block. Does the trick nicely on cold days.  Otherwise it trips the breaker trying to turn over.

John Gervais

What's going to happen when it gets really cold?  Is the lamp going to be enough to keep the compressor warm?
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

We hooked it up when we hit the 20s.  It doesn't get much colder here.  It turned right over.  It starts to limp once it gets in the 40s and the week of the 20s just couldn't turn over.

MiniGene

I remember a long time ago I was sent to my first permanent assignment: Tinker AFB right outside Oklahoma City.  It was January but being born and raised in Alaska I thought, "No way Oklahoma going to be cold" and I didn't pack more than a wind breaker.   HOLY SHEET WAS I WRONG!!!  I froze my ass off!!!!!!  :-[

94touring


MiniDave

You can buy an oil heater for the compressor, plugs into 110V, that should let it turn over OK - ask Justin about them. They have a thermostat so only run when it gets below a pre-set temp.
Complete failure at retirement - but getting better!

1972 Mini Racing Green
1972 Mini ST hotrod
2017 Audi Allroad - Glacier White - His
2018 Audi Allroad - Floret Silver - Hers