How do you work outside in the winter?

[Jacob]

Some hilarious replies here, thanks for a laugh! The most probably answer is doing it indoors, but the times I've used my scroll saw indoors the air got really dusty. I had the Dyson hooked up as well as I could to the outlet thing, but finer sawdust comes off the surface. How do I fix that?

Dust sheets?

 

[marcus]

I'm sure that the productivity gain from having an indoor workshop where you could leave your stuff and keep it organised would more than pay for itself. If I needed a workshop and someone offered me a one at that price I'd bite their hand off to get it....

 

[Gaz]

You've got to go inside, that's all I can say really, apart from Milwaukee sell heated jackets!!

 

[heatherw]

I laughed at the idea of buying a cheap van, but yes, or a cheap caravan? We got one for 100 quid once, and you could take out a lot of the interior furniture (tho not too much cos it stiffens it up and makes it towable) to make space to work in. as they usually have some kind of kitchen worktop anyway it should be ideal, more light inside than a van so you can see what you're doing and it might even come with a heater though you have to be careful with heaters and fine sawdust in enclosed spaces, it can be explosive.

 

[brianhabby]

And you don't have to pay car tax, insurance or MOT on a caravan.

Seriously though, as others have said, you shouldn't balk at paying £130.00 per month rent. If you have a viable business then that cost should easily be taken care of. If not then maybe you need to rethink all your costings and prices.

Also, gloves - of any flavour - are a definite NO NO when using your saws, if a blade catches a gloved hand you could find your hand pulled into the blade and not being able to do anything about it, whereas if you catch your bare finger on a blade you have instant notification and can pull away.

Just my thoughts, whatever you decide best of luck with your endeavours

regards

Brian

 

[LBCarpentry]

I laughed at the idea of buying a cheap van, but yes, or a cheap caravan? We got one for 100 quid once, and you could take out a lot of the interior furniture (tho not too much cos it stiffens it up and makes it towable) to make space to work in. as they usually have some kind of kitchen worktop anyway it should be ideal, more light inside than a van so you can see what you're doing and it might even come with a heater though you have to be careful with heaters and fine sawdust in enclosed spaces, it can be explosive.

Having your tools stolen is one thing. But the chance of someone rolling away with your entire workshop would push any man to suicide!

£130 is cheap! Why don't you find someone who is willing to go in with you? Someone who also wants a workshop or just a place for storage?

As for working in your flat, I'd love to see the face of your missus as you put that one out there. Plus it's working from home. Chocolate biscuits and unlimited coffee? I'd achieve NOTHING

 

[heimlaga]

The temperature in winter is not the main problem. I would say that the rain and slush and gales will be far worse. Dry calm cold is rather comfortable. At roundabout -15 degrees celsius the grease in machinery bearings will become pitchy and bearing life will get shorter and machinery will have a hard time getting up to speed. Below -20 degrees celsius conditions will start to feel feel a wee bit harch and productivity will go down to almost nothing at -30.
Thick gloves are of cause mandatory to avoid instant frostbite and later surgical amputation but one gets used to working in gloves.


England is rather famous for it's calm and dry winters :roll: .......so I strongly suggest that you rent a shop. A shop is heated mainly to keep wood and machinery warm and dry because humans are built to work in much more adverse conditions than machines.