Living in northern New England, winter temps regularly get well below freezing. I currently have a 1 car garage raised up 5 feet or so to prevent flooding where I shape my boards. Because its raised I can get underneath and insulate the floors, then insulate the walls / ceiling. With some electric heat do you think it would get warm enough to glass? Or am I just wasting money to only get it up to 50 degrees F? I know ski patrolling our uninsulated top shacks can get up to around 45 at the top of a mountain with good electric blowers, so maybe there’s a chance it’ll get up to 70 in my sheltered (and slightly warmer) yard with insulation?
I can’t guarantee it but I glass during Winter here in NZ where it can be around 40-50° in your degrees! I use Epoxy and sit the resin containers in warm water before mixing. I often sit my mixed container in warm water while I mix etc as well. I might put an oil/radiator heater on for 1/2 an hour before I start to knock the chill off and leave it on for a hour or so after. That tends to set the process off and after that it will cure even if it does get colder. You should be able to make it work depending on resin type etc.
1 Like
Can you build a small glassing room inside the garage? Much easier to heat a small room. I have a 9x13 foot shack, well insulated, it heats up with an electrical radiant heater enough for glassing with epoxy in winter (so. Calif)
Another way you could tackle it is to build a board “coffin” that you can heat and put the board in to cure. That way you’re only heating a small space and it will be easy to get a suitable temp.
1 Like
I’m in New York and work out of a similar set up, an elevated shed. I left the floor un insulated( but blocked from wind) and insulated the walls and ceiling. With an electric blower the room will warm up but could take a couple hours plus in the dead of winter. I generally use the blower to warm it as quick as possible then use an electric oil filled radiator to maintain the heat. January, February and most of march require a bit more effort to be productive.
1 Like
Use UV PE resin and your problem is pretty much solved. I’ve glassed in my unheated shed with the temps in the low 40s. The closest thing to heat I have is the four 60 watt lightbulbs that light the room.