Can’t stand the heat

Regardless of what you think is the cause, there is some crazy weather these days.

We live in an area that has always experienced hot summers. That’s why California’s central valley has been one of the world’s largest tomato producers. Tomatoes love heat. But woodworkers, maybe not so much.

Cooling a woodworking shop is not so easy. Most shops are located in commercial buildings and few of these were built to be energy efficient. My shop is in a concrete tilt-up with a 17’ ceiling, 6”-thick cement walls and 3/4” plywood roof sheathing. Insulation? Not a scrap.

Running AC in a shop like this is virtually impossible. Considering our power bill as is, adding the cost of cooling would wipe us out. I did install a large evaporative cooler and it did make the shop more tolerable but the humidity it added was unacceptable. We ended up shutting the water off and just using it as a big fan.

So we flee for home when it hits a 110 and look forward to fall.

D.D.