So we have a pretty cold shop, our glassing is done in a seperate building where we can keep it warm, however another part of our shop is used for repairs and its so cold and costs a fortune to heat. I am switching over to UV Resin for all of our repairs however cold resin still sucks, I have two dispensers for my repair resin that are 2 Gal square aluminum boxes with taps at the bottom. I am thinking about placing a heating pad below them with plastic in between to keep the resin drops off.
i have this problem, i currently have the resin in the big board oven as there is space, but i also use a cool box, and to heat both of them i use a flat flexible reptile heater pad,from ebay, ultra thin, really cheap, really safe and really low power. i have a 4 watt which is doing the job right now ! i just try to stop my resin getting too cold, i am looking in to the best way of warming my epoxy before use and have purchased an infa red thermometer to check the resin and other chemicals, the prob is here i need all my paints and everything to be protected from the cold, so i need a lot of insulated space!
I buy reptile tank heaters. They sell them at reptile supply stores or pet stores. They are really flat and fire proof. They also come in many temp. settings. I just plug it in at the beginning of winter and leave it on till spring. I buy 5 Gal. containers of lam resin during the winter months. I just set it over the heat pad. Mine is set permanently at 86 Degrees. Keeps my resin in the 70’s all winter. Works good to keep my Surfacing Agent warm with no clumps. Pretty inexpensive too. About $20.00. Mine is 6"x6" and set to 86 Degrees. They are meant to put under aquariums so it is fire safe. A lot cheaper than a drum heater. Heat the room and it’s almost like summer. (Almost)
I also have a hot box that I use for drying my airbrushes that I also use to dry laminations and hot-coats. 4’x8’x1" foil covered foam sheeting. With a small space heater installed. Works good.
I took an old cabinet and lined it with insulation (EPS) foam. Then just stuck a light socket in there. Vary temp with the wattage of bulb. Like now in dead of winter I have a 75 watt rough service bulb in there. Thermometer in the box stays close to 70 while air in the shop is at or below 40. Used this method for years in wooden boat building. Just have to try to heat the room up before a lam or hotcoat so the resin isn’t shocked by temp. differences.
