Cupboard Heater

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Waka

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Next project for the workshop is a row of cupboards at the back id the work bench for my limited nimber of planes and attractive goodies.

As my workshop gets fairly cold in the winter I thought i would put a smal heater in the cupboard to protect the tools against the damp.

Anybody got an idea of the type/make I should be looking for.

More to the point has anyone done this and does it work?
 
Waka,
Can't help with suppliers but it certainly works. In days of yore in the tropics, wardrobes etc were equipped with small heaters at the back in the bottom, they were assembled inside a brass tube and held with a couple of brackets. You may even find something similar in Nigeria!
 
I have got one of these in my shed, just comes on when the temp gets below the adjustable level. Or you could have a small tubular heater linked to a frost stat.

Biggest problem is your breath or the moisture from turning green wood condensing on the cold metal & causing it to rust.

Jason
 
jasonB":1ch6hmyy said:
I have got one of these in my shed, just comes on when the temp gets below the adjustable level. Or you could have a small tubular heater linked to a frost stat.

Biggest problem is your breath or the moisture from turning green wood condensing on the cold metal & causing it to rust.

Jason

Is their a risk of sawdust buildup on that? Leading to a fire risk? I put a small radiator in my workshop, and went for one without any exposed heater elements to try and minimise this risk?

Adam
 
Waka

I haven't tried it myself but I've heard of people using a low wattage light bulb inside tool cupboards to provide just a wee bit of heat. HTH
 
Thanks for the responses guys, I already use an oiled filled one for the workshop but thought I'd go that little bit further and do the cupboard as well.

Jason":9qr8f7e4 said:
have got one of these in my shed,

Looks abot the right size Jason but from what I can tell its not of the oil filled variety, as Adam says coukld cause problems with sawdust build up.

Chris":9qr8f7e4 said:
wardrobes etc were equipped with small heaters at the back in the bottom,

takes me back to the days when I lived in Singapore. Your right Cris i do remember these, I'll have a ferret around out here although I'm not hopeful.
 
It wasn't a build up of big shavings, it was fine saw dust which circulates whenever you have machinery going, and over a period of time settles. If its on a heater element, then I was always lead to believe that was a fire risk.

Adam
 
jasonB":8nqdkaar said:
This& thisshould do the job, don't forget to put the stat outside the cupboard.

And too keep the big shavings off this :D

That looks just the job, won't have to worry about keeping the shavings off becasue it will be inside the cupboard mounted vertically. The cupboard is going to be about 7 feet long so I might put one in at each end.

Jason, enlighten me why the stat has to be outside the cupboard?


Adam":8nqdkaar said:
It wasn't a build up of big shavings, it was fine saw dust which circulates whenever you have machinery going, and over a period of time settles. If its on a heater element, then I was always lead to believe that was a fire risk.

Adam, you are correct dust build-up in the workshop can be considered a fire hazard, thats why it is prudent to use oil filed heaters, there is negligible chance of ignition with dust build up on the outside of these.

It is the exposed element type that are the problem. These tubular ones will be ideal for inside a cupboard and the 60W should give enough heat to protect the tools.

Thanks guys.
 
Reason for not having the stat in the cupboard is that the cupboard will soon warm up and the heater go off when the temp in the rest of the workshop will be quite low. Although I suppose as its only the tools you are keeping warm will save wasting heat.

I just hope you guys turn off your oil fired heaters when using contact adhesives and know of the combustability of materials when in the form of airbourne dust with naked flames about.
By oil do you mean parafin? as I thought this creates more moisture when burnt

Jason
 
Cambourne Pete":3bvyv75f said:
Waka, don't forget to include well positioned gaps to allow for air to circulate within the cupboard when the doors are closed. Being the pro you are I know there wouldn't normally be any gaps.

Hadn't really thought about putting any gaps in it, just thought I'd rely on the space between the door openings.

Chris":3bvyv75f said:
No worries. The heated air will expand and blow the doors off their hinges

Now that would be a first with a 60W heater :oops: :oops: :oops:
 
jasonB":2e2q6273 said:
I just hope you guys turn off your oil fired heaters when using contact adhesives and know of the combustability of materials when in the form of airbourne dust with naked flames about.
By oil do you mean parafin? as I thought this creates more moisture when burnt Jason

The ones I was thinking of are not oil fired, but a sealed unit with oil inside, which acts as a heat distribution medium as it circulates round, just like having a normal radiator, only sealed, filled with oil, and a heater element inside. This way, no area that can be touched is ever burning hot, like in a bare element electric fire. They are safe for children, and workshops! So its "dry" hot air thats given off.

Adam
 

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