Working in an Unheated Shop
One of my biggest struggles when I started out a year ago and even up until now was dealing with an unheated shop in Southern Ontario. In the summer it’s no big deal when I’m able to open the door and let the air flow but in the cold winter months I find it hard to stay outside for much more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Luckily because of this I’ve been able to put together a few tips on how to deal with such a situation.
My first tip would be to buy yourself a good outer shell. I’ve been wearing the same Dickies overalls and coat for the past couple years now and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I usually like to just wear the overalls by themselves but when it’s really cold I’ll throw on the coat too and at that point my biggest problem becomes my hands or feet getting cold but never my body. I highly recommend investing in something like this as your first line of defence!
While we’re talking clothes I should mention my favourite thing I’ve bought in the past year: my Milwaukee heated sweater. Oh boy does this thing make a difference in the cold. Paired with my overalls and coat I can bump that half hour usually up to a comfortable two hours or more. While the sweater itself is comfortable and warm, the battery powered heater is where the value really lies. The heat lines run across the front and up the back. With three heat settings you’ll have the ability to change the temperature on the fly with the press of a button. I find that on the highest setting the battery will last around 2 hours, medium is usually around 4 and the low setting supposedly should last about 8. I don’t often find myself using the low setting but the other two get used quite often! A major upgrade to go along with this would be a second or even third battery to keep the good times rolling. I was able to pick a second one up at my local TSC for half price and it has made a big difference. There is also a jacket option that I've linked if you'd like to check it out.
Next would be a good pair of gloves. Some people don’t like gloves while working with spinning tools which makes total sense but in the sense of finding some heat, I would get some. I currently use a pair I grabbed from work that seem to be doing just fine but I’ve heard good things about Firm Grip Gloves and hope to invest in some in the future. Anything is better than nothing to take the bite off your hands to start though.
What would have to be my number one basic heat tip though relates to hands and it is to buy a box of Little Hotties and use them like your hands depends on it, which they just might. When I used mine for the first time around Christmas I knew I would not go another winter without a box or two of these. Activated by air, you just need to cut open the package and shake for a minute before they start heating up with an average temperature of 137 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s warm. Throw these in your pockets, gloves or shoes to keep these distal areas warm where your blood will not flow to as efficiently as you get colder. When I bought my box of 40 it worked out to about $0.36 per one pair, you can’t go wrong here. The fact that these things last for about eight hours too is something I find amazing and definitely helpful.
If anyone else has some heating tips or other questions I'd love to hear them, shoot me a message and we'll talk! Otherwise, stay warm out there.
