Protecting glue against the cold?

[matt]

I've kept my glue in a polystyrene box in my unheated and detached garage for the last few winters (along with sealants and similar). They still seem to work OK from one season to the next.

The box is, however, both bulky to have in the garage and not really big enough to store everything in a easy to access way.

Sooooooo... I'm wondering whether I should bother? I have a kitchen cupboard in the garage now and I'm wondering whether I should simply put the stuff in there?

What do you do?

 

[bluezephyr]

I was told once to put a light fitting in a box with a low wattage bulb just to keep the temperature above freezeing or 5'c, cant remember, never did and didnt suffer because I didnt.

There are the low wattage outhouse heaters that look like a metal tube, dont cost alot to run, could be worth it.

 

[tekno.mage]

I bring all my water-based glues & finishes into the house when the temperature is going to be below freezing for any length of time. They are in a plastic crate and clutter up my scullery in the winter - but as the temperature in my unheated workshop (barn) last winter went down to -12 centigrade last winter for several nights in a row I'm glad that I did.

I have a max/min thermometer in my workshop so can keep an eye on the overnight temperature - the last couple of nights of hard ground frost didn't drop the workshop temperature below 0 centigrade - so my water-based stuff is still out there.

My current problem is a nice new leak in the roof - right over the bench next to the pillar drill - botheration - so it's an annoying drip, drip, drip into a bucket on the bench until the weather improves enough to go up there and fix it.

 

[9fingers]

I've kept my glue in a polystyrene box in my unheated and detached garage for the last few winters (along with sealants and similar). They still seem to work OK from one season to the next.

The box is, however, both bulky to have in the garage and not really big enough to store everything in a easy to access way.

Sooooooo... I'm wondering whether I should bother? I have a kitchen cupboard in the garage now and I'm wondering whether I should simply put the stuff in there?

What do you do?

I feel that your success to date has been mainly due to luck. Insulation will only delay the drop in temperature and any protracted cold period will find the contents dropping to the outside temperature.

Taking the glues indoors seems the best bet to me - even if they are stored under the bed or wherever else you can find space.

Bob

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Taking the glues indoors seems the best bet to me - even if they are stored under the bed....

Just be careful you lift the lube and not the glue....

 

[pren]

Weirdly, I've just made a heated cupboard for all the glues and sealants we use at work. Last year, the mastic tubes stiffened to the point that they had to be put in hot water for half an hour before they could be used.

I used some off cuts of the insulated panel we make the caravans from. 3mm fiberglass + 30mm foam + 3mm fiberglass. The cupboard was made large enough to take a full box 24 glue tubes as well as a days supply of various sealants and caulks. About 900mm high by 400 x 400 wide/deep. A compressable window seal and a latch keeps the hot air in/cold air out.

The heating comes from a 60w bulb fixed at the bottom, protected by a cage. The sparkie tied a thermostat into the equasion so the cabinet stays at around 10degrees. Can't say how he did it / what he used - electrickery isn't my department. :lol:

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've kept my glue in a polystyrene box in my unheated and detached garage for the last few winters

You're very lucky that the glue hasn't gone off. I keep mine in the house.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Jonzjob]

I had a 2 bottle set of Z-Poxy 5 min epoxy resin that went fairly well solid after a bitterly cold winter a couple of years back, not the hardner just the resin, and I phoned a place in England that I knew sold the stuff to see if I could buy just the resin. I was told that I problably wouldn't need to. Just put both bottles in a small sausepan of boiling water for 15 mins and that should revive everything, no gaurentee though! I did and it did and the last time I used said epoxy was this afternoon! (Thinks! Must see about ordering some more!)

So, now when it gets cold it comes in to our boiler room for the winter!

Cyano is a different matter. That is best kept in the fridge. Mine is in our fridge in the garage out of the way of SWMBO!! I haven't had any problems with it since I started doing that..

 

[devonwoody]

Besides glues I found that rubber belts also suffer if left in the workshop over winter and temperatures drop. This year I have removed some, particularly the SIP planer/Thicknesser.