Pres Posted February 5, 2023 Report Share Posted February 5, 2023 Hi folks, nothing new in the pool so I will pose a new question. Lately, I have been thinking about the Winter weather, and though it has been relatively mild, the sudden chills like Christmas weekend, and the last couple of days do concern me. Mostly I shut down in the shop until April, using some heat then when I am working. However, all Winter long I shut down, let things freeze and then in the Spring have to reconstitute the glazes, and wedge throwing clay, to get back to work. It works out, as the brick garage is a beast to heat, and only has electric. So I wonder what others do to compensate for winter weather. QotW: What are your Winter strategies for working in the shop or on pottery? best, Pres Hulk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 5, 2023 Report Share Posted February 5, 2023 Not what I do but a quick thought, those Thermal jackets which have heating coils in them, crock pot of warm water for throwing. Insulated mats to stand on. Found if my head, neck back are warm I can withstand a lot. Old days, gas kiln working away in corner, bliss. Nothing like a bitta wedging to warm the body..... But, needs serious responses as stopping work for months not good. Hulk and Rae Reich 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 With wind chill we hit - 40 the other night at -17. Very windy! I was really glad I had taken my Thermal-Lite shelves inside from the non-insulated screen porch! It has not been this cold in NH in the 22 years I've been up here-the lowest previous was maybe -28 w/wind chill. I'm able to block the snow drift from coming in but I wonder about the effect of such cold on the kiln (L&L 23S)? I have a kiln load ready to go but I assume I should not be firing it! For some reason my studio (former bedroom) stays warmer than the rest of the trailer so I don't alter what I'm doing indoors. Rae Reich and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 (edited) The Studio space here in Los Osos (Central California coast) sometimes gets into the 40s F during the wet season (aka "Winter"), which is workable with adequate clothing, protecting the feet from cold concrete and heavy alloy castings (the foot pedal sucks the heat right out ya foot, I'm telling you!), warm water in the bucket, and clay brought inside the night afore. Mostly it's more like 50s F in the mornings though, and quite often we'll see 60s before noon, in which case I'll roll up the door to let some heat in. Where we're going is a different story, as it's cooler in Winter, and much hotter in Summer four hundred miles North of here, and inland. A heat pump is very likely in my future! Meanwhile, our Son's house is more comfortable. We've remodeled three bedrooms, both bathrooms. The exterior walls are cement block, which doesn't insulate well. We added R13 foam insulation and sheetrock on the inside. R13 isn't a lot, but it's a big improvement from R2 or whatever cement block provides. It's much quieter as well. Framing the wall, pulling new electrical, fitting the foam board, then sheet rocking, finishing, and painting are a bit of trouble, but it's not overwhelming. The windows slowed us down some. The foam board has gone up, it was about forty-five dollars a sheet. Lumber went down some, was up to fourteen dollars each, then back down to about eight; we used 2"x4"x8' pressure treated for framing, which we ripped down to 2.75". Edited February 6, 2023 by Hulk comma, detail Rae Reich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 babs, i want one of those heated jackets!! are they only sold in timbuktoo? can you walk around or are they plugged in to the wall? my studio has two huge radiators and the oil fired boiler in the back corner. one radiator is next to the french doors and the other is a taller one in the opposite corner. it has been too cold and i have not felt well enough to work out there except for a few small things. yesterday the sun was out all day, i had forgotton what sunshine can do to perk me up. the bay window makes it a pleasure to do small hand work like sifting through all the collected papers and business cards of potters i meet. i think i filled an outside trash can with useless stuff. i had no idea how many brushes i have until i sorted them out. and i do not paint! i turned up the thermostat in the studio to 68 and with the sunshine, it was a comfortable place to work. cleaned most of the work table down to the tyvek surface and finished it today. there are so many things in that space that i brought up when i sold the florida place. things seem to multiply in the corners when i am not looking. once the space is cleaned up, the floor washed and the bottles of test glazes are disposed of, i plan to make pots. lots of pots. hope the sun will shine again, i missed it for almost 2 weeks recently. it is good to have 2 thermostats for 2 zones, the house can stay just a little warm while i work and the studio goes down to 64 when the sun goes down. Babs, Rae Reich, Pres and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 6, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 What I wouldn't give for 40 right now, but we get a warm spell next week. best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 8 hours ago, oldlady said: babs, i want one of those heated jackets!! are they only sold in timbuktoo? can you walk around or are they plugged in to the wall? my studio has two huge radiators and the oil fired boiler in the back corner. one radiator is next to the french doors and the other is a taller one in the opposite corner. it has been too cold and i have not felt well enough to work out there except for a few small things. yesterday the sun was out all day, i had forgotton what sunshine can do to perk me up. the bay window makes it a pleasure to do small hand work like sifting through all the collected papers and business cards of potters i meet. i think i filled an outside trash can with useless stuff. i had no idea how many brushes i have until i sorted them out. and i do not paint! i turned up the thermostat in the studio to 68 and with the sunshine, it was a comfortable place to work. cleaned most of the work table down to the tyvek surface and finished it today. there are so many things in that space that i brought up when i sold the florida place. things seem to multiply in the corners when i am not looking. once the space is cleaned up, the floor washed and the bottles of test glazes are disposed of, i plan to make pots. lots of pots. hope the sun will shine again, i missed it for almost 2 weeks recently. it is good to have 2 thermostats for 2 zones, the house can stay just a little warm while i work and the studio goes down to 64 when the sun goes down. They are available all over. Dr google thermal heated jackets, rechargeable, up to 10hrs,can get sleeveless ones or full jackets. Some washable. I wear homespun and knitted sweaters with sleeves to elbows, snug as a bug, but Mediterranean climate here so no sub zero days Rae Reich, LeeU and Hulk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 10, 2023 Report Share Posted February 10, 2023 thank you, babs. will check it out. i do not buy online but have a neighbor who might find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted February 10, 2023 Report Share Posted February 10, 2023 I get some heat from the house it is enough to keep things from freezing. I have one of those radiator looking electric heaters, first thing I do is turn it on in the morning. I also turn on a couple of small fans to move the air around. I am unable to warm it enough to work out there when it is 0 and below outside. I catch up with chores in the house on those days, fortunately the southern part of Kansas only has 2 or 3 weeks of intense cold each year. I know that doesn't sound that cold to some but we get strong winds with it. Even people from colder states complain about the cold weather here. Denice Hulk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly in AK Posted February 11, 2023 Report Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) My studio is the garage of my house, heated by regular garage heater (a radiator with a fan). I keep it around 50° when not working and crank it up when I’m there. Heats up fast. The humidity is really low here in the winter, if I leave the heat on things dry very quickly (sometimes that’s a strategy). I put in a shop sink a few years ago and that’s been wonderful, I don’t have to trudge back into the house for a bucket of warm water. I think the biggest change in winter is some things become so impractical I can’t do them. I can’t run a hose outdoors, so anything requiring a big wash down is out. Mixing new clay waits till summer. The studio doesn’t get a proper cleaning until I can raise the garage door, then I flood the floor and squeegee out the water. I don’t even like to vacuum without the garage door up. Mixing batches of glaze is easier in summer too, that’s preferred. If it’s colder than 20° F firing the gas kiln is out (I have some tricks for emergencies, but it’s way too much work to do regularly). And then there’s the snow. It’s my never ending opportunity for exercise. Edited February 11, 2023 by Kelly in AK Hulk and Pres 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 11, 2023 Report Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) Turn on the heater (natural Gas) let the shop warm up and go to work. For me my winter break ends on Valentines day-back to a large wholesale order.This is my biggest transtion year on my slow down plan. Sold a single burner Gas kiln today (west coast I have been storing for 35 years (never used) part of my downsize plan as well. Filled a Suburau outback with it and shelves. Got the studio wet mopped/wet dusted all shelves and vaced it up with whole studio vac. system. Brought in 1,000 #s of clay to heat it up before Tuesdays work schedule. sunny and 61 today as the rain stopped. Colder nights now but only in the 30s.Perfect climate for clay work Edited February 12, 2023 by Mark C. Hulk and Pres 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2023 Ohhhh so nice to have 60's, will be a while before I'll see that. Putting new heater in the shop this weekend so that I can work. best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KachemakKaren Posted February 12, 2023 Report Share Posted February 12, 2023 I live on the north Olympic Peninsula where winter is cold and damp. My studio is a room in our unheated garage. We hung an infrared electric panel heater with a thermostat that keeps the room about 67F and put stall mats on the concrete floor where I work for insulation and comfort. The walk through the cold garage to get to the studio and use the sink is the worst part of the setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted February 12, 2023 Report Share Posted February 12, 2023 I throw and build inside. Small room, easy to heat. Even with the continual below 0 weather we have had this winter. However, the glazing, and firing happens in a detached workshop. My area of the shop can be closed off and warms up quickly. But like @Kelly in AK mentioned, big cleanup is an issue in the winter, so I do the best I can with wiping things down. I do need to mix glazes but have been waiting for sunshine, no wind, and a slightly warmer day to do that outside. We have so much snow this winter, I can foresee us taking off for a month when it all begins to melt in order to get out of "mud season". Trying to build up inventory before that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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