Too hot to

[pflaming]

Consecutive triple temperature days greatly impede shop work, so early next morning, say 2:00 a.m. I’m going to work in my shop. The required tasks are not noisy so should work ok. Anyone else work in those early morning hours?  

[plymouthcranbrook]

In a word, No.

[Jerry Roberts]

The guys who pave the streets with blacktop . 

[Plymouthy Adams]

 they were gloves and ski masks and usually identified by a crowbar in their hands...

[Dodgeb4ya]

Morticians work into the wee hours on cadavers at times?....

[Andydodge]

Years ago when I was young and silly I certainly worked into the early hours on the car.......I remember getting the 318 Poly installed and started finally early one morning, must have been 1 or 2 am.......we, myself, my brother and a mate had been working on it, I was 19, my brother and the mate would have been 17 so we were all bright eyed and bushy tailed.........lol...........anyway the engine was ready to go......and we started it up........no front sheet metal and no exhaust manifolds let alone an exhaust system and there were flames shooting 18" out of each exhaust port and the NOISE!!........YIPPEE!!!!......at 1 or 2 am.......... it was marvellous.....well at least WE thought so, my parents came down from the house which was above the garage and the source of the noise and politely asked that it stop............lol...............o/k.......so we did with smiles all round..........yep.............thinking about it, just typing this out makes me smile still, 45 years later.........I might not be young any more but silly?..........yep can still smile at that thought............regards, AndyDouglas    

[casper50]

I am retired but stay on the night shift schedule that I've worked for the last 15 years.  The wife is still on night shift.  Only bad thing is no one is open to run down and get a part.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I've been up for three hours....after a bit of coffee on the veranda, getting things prepped for a possible inbound rain....I have been in the shop for an hour and a half, bending, cutting and welding metal.  I bet you our west coaster guy is not even out of bed yet...

[Plymouthy Adams]

6 minutes ago, casper50 said:

I am retired but stay on the night shift schedule that I've worked for the last 15 years.  The wife is still on night shift.  Only bad thing is no one is open to run down and get a part.

 

I know what you mean there.....I have a list I make as I go along....when I run to town, it is often multiple shops I stop for my needs.  Even at that, you may or may not find what you looking for.  

Edited August 14, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams

[casper50]

I usually don't find what I'm looking for up here in Alaska.  Usually have to order.

[Plymouthy Adams]

In a manner of speaking, that is pretty much getting to be the norm as stores cut back on shelf inventory.  At one huge swap meet I used to attend, vendors you always bought from and could count on now showing up with a catalog only, no inventory...want your money today, ship when they get home?...there is approx. 6 week back to back circuit in our area they do the  course before going home.  Now they may be calling in the orders from on the road, but I like it in my hot little hands and why I would attend the meet.  I can stay at home and order things all day long.   But with shipping cost ever on the increase.....the swap meet may again be coming back for popularity.  Something has to give is all I am saying....

[pflaming]

57 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

But with shipping cost ever on the increase

 

Thus the value of a parts car. 

[Cold Blue]

I've got it made in the shade. My garage is air-conditioned!!

[Plymouthy Adams]

yeah...my garage is a bit large for that.....cost enough to cool the house.....BUT....when working the smaller items I do have the machine shop air conditioned....

[greg g]

Getting new windows in the garage next week.  They will open to accept an ac unit.  Got an old one that will fit.

[Veemoney]

My shop stays pretty cool and most think it is air conditioned when they come in. I only run a dehumidifier at times when the humidity gets around 80%. I put in a ceiling at 10ft with 6 inch insulation and have 4x8ft doors in the ceiling I open if I want to vent or move things into the attic to store them.  

[hi_volt]

My garage isn't air conditioned, but at least gets a good cross breeze with the big fan I have at one end.  I usually do most of my shop work from about 6am to 11am this time of year (on my days off).  It can get a bit uncomfortable during the monsoon season here.

[Los_Control]

I simply do not do my best thinking at 2:00 am

I do have to deal with a Shepard & a Rottweiler at 2:00 am ... then lately have some idiot kitten I have to deal with .... somehow I do sleep.

The dogs sleep with me ... now the stray kitten thinks it wants to sleep with me.

 

West Texas it does get hot, We let it roll off our back like water on a duck.

 

[pflaming]

Los, watch the cat, they’ve been rumored to start shop fires! 

 

[Veemoney]

Some equipment like lasers and CNC can act up at temps over 100 and shut down when they reach their threshold, then your done for the day with that equipment. I worked all over and here are some of our lessons learned that we would apply when feasible:

• Shade and insulate to the extent possible especially on partly cloudy days when temps swings can change quickly.
• Create small climate controlled areas to work in, you would be amazed at what putting up a circular wall of plastic and a portable air conditioner will do in an opened area. 
• If possible have cool rooms for workers to cool down in after working in high stress heat. 2-3 hrs work to 1-2 hrs cool down depending on temps and work required  
• Cold air displaces hot air as most know that have multi-level homes and can be used to your advantage.
• And if you can't cool the area then barring ice vest or supplied are suit devices those gel-filed bandanas that you wet down and wear around the neck work like a radiator to cool your blood as it moves past them and are pretty cheap and reusable.
• As others mentioned adjusting the work schedule to take advantage of cooler night time temps when possible. 
• Have plenty of fluids available with electrolytes to replenish the body at the work area or close by. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

as above but we folks that are a bit beyond the age for the daily labor workforce....make them rest and cool down period a bit closer together.  The last line above....live by it, literally, stay hydrated.  Drink long before you get thirsty if in the heat.

[MackTheFinger]

Reminds me of a poem a wild old bricklayer shared with me. Censored for family viewing it went like this.

"When the weather's hot and sultry, that's no time to_______________"

"But when the frost is on the pumpkin, that's the time for___________"

Use your imaginations to fill in the blanks or PM me for the rest. It's risque' but hey, whaddaya expect from construction workers? ?

Edited August 16, 2019 by MackTheFinger
speling

[MackTheFinger]

6 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

 Drink long before you get thirsty if in the heat.

 

When I was working outside all the time I'd suck down gallons of water a day, never use the restroom or whatever; and at the end of the day produce a couple of ounces of what looked like slightly dark Orange Crush. My head always felt funny, too....

August in '71 or '72, I was laying up a fireplace through an attic and had a tuna salad sandwich for lunch. By 14:00.. WOW!!  I can still taste it. I wouldn't bite Charlie Tuna if he bit me first..  ?

[pflaming]

When I was 13 Dad let me drive tractor for dry land farming. We had two alike tractors implements and two brothers. We spent all summer in the sun on those tractors. We took a gallon of water twice a day. Gunn’s sacks wrapped around crock jugs. 

 

I should be dead from skin skin cancer by now! 

[Dan Hiebert]

Slow moving cold front coming through, 64 degrees here right now, it may get into the low 70's later in the day.  Leaves on some of the maples are turning orange already...  It was a scorcher here this summer, hit 90 three times  in July!  No AC  in the house, or the garage/shop, not worth the cost for the week it gets a "little miserable" up here.  I can put a shop fan at the back of the garage that pulls cooler air through the shaded back windows, and blows over the cool slab of the floor, makes it comfortable on the 80 degree days.