[TheForge] Winter is coming (was: sure is quiet)

[Dave Brown]

At 08:57 10/28/02 -0500, you wrote:
>If your shop is drafty enough that you can feel the wind blow in on windy 
>days, you will probably save more money in heating than any other way by 
>simply plugging the worst of the leaks. <snip>
>
>Insulating the shop is next in line, if it's not already insulated.

Bruce,

Up here in cold and windy Green Bay, WI we are sensitive to the issues of 
air leakage and insulation.  Trust me on this one.  <grin>  What air 
leakage I have is deliberate, for the most part.  I use my coal forge much 
more than the gas forge and I need the replacement air to service the draw 
in the chimney.  The chimney draws enough ambient air along with the smoke 
and combustion gasses to warrant the "leaks".  I'm thankful that I use a 
side draft instead of a hood that would draw much more of the surrounding 
warm air out of the shop.

>Heating is third in line.  Most economical only when fuel is free or cheap.

Well, fuel isn't free for me, not to mention the fact that I don't want to 
chop and split wood.  Been there, done that.  But cheap is definitely on 
the menu for me, that's why I ended up going with a pellet stove.  I had 
the pellet stove on all night last night, set on low fire, high exchanger 
fan.  It was 28F when I got up, it was 60 in the shop.  I'm not about to 
complain.

I think I did the right thing getting the pellet stove for heat.  Heck, if 
the price of corn goes low enough I can even blend some in with the pellets 
at about a 30-40 percent rate and not have to worry about dealing with the 
clinker that 100% corn generates.

Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG