Caught a trespasser in the shop.
What did you do to / in your garage / shop today?
- Thread starter Zorba
- Start date
TNHEADDUCK
TJ Enthusiast
replaced my 25 year old T12 fluorescent lights with some 15000LM LEDs, it is amazing how much crisper the light is with the LEDs. I put them on 3 separate runs because they are so brite you don't really need them all on at the same time.
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RFAASRMA
TJ Enthusiast
Hold on now…it may not be dead. It could be playing “self”.
Took advantage of the snow day and got some stuff up off the floor
Sanding the next set of railings, they just don't stop.
Yeah. I just replaced three fluorescent lights with six 90 watt leds. Frickin daylight in my shop now. Just gotta work on some heat.
Added a filter to my parts cleaner because the four-year-old, $12/gallon solvent was extremely dirty:
I ran it overnight, and it’s already gone from opaque to translucent!
I ran it overnight, and it’s already gone from opaque to translucent!
Thanks, but I can't take credit (see below).
Years back, I found this paper using Google and bookmarked it (I have project after project on the homestead, and it took me years to get to this one):
https://iwrc.uni.edu/sites/default/files/AddingPartsWasher.pdf
Unfortunately, it doesn't give any part numbers. I have some experience with tractors (personal) and heavy equipment (business) and somewhere over the years came upon "knowledge" (quotes because I don't recall the original source, which may have been wrong) that hydraulic oil filters have a finer opening size, so they filter particles better (and plug sooner, as a result.) Assuming that's true, I bought a hydraulic oil filter (called a "transmission filter") instead of an engine oil filter. I won't know if my decision to go with a hydraulic oil filter will be a wise one until a use it a bit. I can tell you that running the pump recirculating overnight, the results were pretty visible - the solvent went from mud to tea. It's still running as I type this. I plan to run it into a container, clean the sludge out of the tank this weekend after recirculating for a bit, put it back in, and recirculate it further, to fully clean the solvent. I need to add some additional solvent after that to top it off due to years of evaporation (incidentally, that is what started this project - my cheapness to avoid replacing all of the solvent).
Here is the filter holder and filter I chose:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XONTH0/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CSD4CG/?tag=wranglerorg-20
For the filter holder, there are several variations with port locations and number of ports, and there seem to be two main manufacturers of inexpensive offerings: Derale and Hayden. Derale has a web page showing the options:
https://derale.com/product-footer/f...10-28-09-53-271133946423/remote-filter-mounts
Hayden doesn't have a web page that shows them, but I found three part numbers in my search: 240214 ("for Chevy V8"), 240291 ("universal, but not for Chevy V8"), and 242106. Since finding info on the Hayden ones was difficult, I went with the Derale.
My Chinese garbage arrived today, One of them diesel heaters all the vanlife people have been preaching about.
trying my luck with heating the roughly 700 sqft 2 car insulated garage. intentions are to only use it when needed while in the garage working on whatever may need repairs during the winter.
just needed a piece of junk pine, 2 wall brackets, hvac ducting and a few fasteners. the sheet metal hvac ducting piece was just cut to length and bent around all the perimeters for a little rigidity. its long enough to tuck up into the sliding window's upper channel then slide down and rest in the lower but yet still a bit tall to essentially lock itself in with just 1/4" holding in the top channel still.
project isnt complete, its one of them kind of jobs you start working on too late and just try to get it to the point of functional. its gonna rain all day tomorrow so I have a project to finish any point in the day.
my pine shelf saw hole cut appears to be correct diameter as it doesn't get warm around the perimeter of it but the side of the hole where the heaters 90 bend in the exhaust gets a little warm. planning on cutting that side to make a U shape cutout to reduce chance of overheating the wood.
seems to blow out pretty hot, only ran it for about 20 minutes. the key thing is trying to make working in the winter reasonably pleasant.
trying my luck with heating the roughly 700 sqft 2 car insulated garage. intentions are to only use it when needed while in the garage working on whatever may need repairs during the winter.
just needed a piece of junk pine, 2 wall brackets, hvac ducting and a few fasteners. the sheet metal hvac ducting piece was just cut to length and bent around all the perimeters for a little rigidity. its long enough to tuck up into the sliding window's upper channel then slide down and rest in the lower but yet still a bit tall to essentially lock itself in with just 1/4" holding in the top channel still.
project isnt complete, its one of them kind of jobs you start working on too late and just try to get it to the point of functional. its gonna rain all day tomorrow so I have a project to finish any point in the day.
my pine shelf saw hole cut appears to be correct diameter as it doesn't get warm around the perimeter of it but the side of the hole where the heaters 90 bend in the exhaust gets a little warm. planning on cutting that side to make a U shape cutout to reduce chance of overheating the wood.
seems to blow out pretty hot, only ran it for about 20 minutes. the key thing is trying to make working in the winter reasonably pleasant.
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Had to pick up one of these little jewels on the way to work this morning, theres no room under the dash where I mounted the GMRS radio to get a drill in there so I tried double sided molding tape but it doesn't hold
did a mild test run of the $100 diesel heater in the garage today. not really cold enough to need it yet though
-Outside temp when started was 38F and climbed to a high of 39F (cloudy overcast all day, light breeze)
-Inside temp of garage when started was 54.8F.
-Temp was measured about 4' off the floor with thermocouple wire "floating" in the air not touching anything on the workbench on south side of garage (other side of vehicle), heater output was blowing directly to center of garage between the 2 vehicles.
-Consumed about 3/4 gallon of diesel during test @ $3.86/gal so about $2.90 grand total cost of the test.
heater was set to highest heat setting & temps were checked hourly from start to finish (watched with a camera in the house so it wasn't really left unattended)
54.8F @ 10:25AM
58F @ 11:25AM
opened garage attic folding drop down stair about 11:30 for about 10 minutes to seal half inch gap around perimeter of framing, felt warm air sucking up through hole during sealing off the gaps.
60.2F @ 12:30PM
62.2F @ 1:25PM
63.4F @ 2:25PM
63.4F @ 3:25PM
All in all, it's not the optimum heater for the job & it's not necessarily cheap to run compared to other options out there, but in my case I dont really have other options and dont want propane heat moisture in my working space. if you had a small single car insulated garage this heater might have decent potential. but the intended use is for when needed and not to maintain daily heat in the garage & its Chinese and uses fuel so I wouldn't recommend leaving it unattended... I have a fuel rated extinguisher near by.
I have a second diesel heater in the mail & I think running 2 heaters will more than likely be able to take the edge off for a grand total of about 34k BTU output. winter time here has some nasty wind, its like im in a wind tunnel with the open fields behind me. I can feel within the house when the wind is blowing as the cold air drafts past me while watching tv. advantage to the wind though is that I can blow the leafs in the driveway in the fall and they magically disappear across the road and sometimes the snow on the driveway clears itself.
variables I have fighting me
- yes garage is fully insulated with vapor barrier. but there are drafty gaps at the bottom of the insulated garage doors
- windows are single pane glass
- concrete floor is cold
- alot of cold steel in garage, 2 cars, lawn equiptment, tools and such.
- no box/oscillating fan circulating air within garage
overall its a fun project to play around with and keep me entertained, worst case is that I will have 2 ice shanty heaters.
edit.. verified size of fuel tank
its smaller than what I thought and used less fuel than I originally stated. volume and price fuel consumption is fixed now.
-Outside temp when started was 38F and climbed to a high of 39F (cloudy overcast all day, light breeze)
-Inside temp of garage when started was 54.8F.
-Temp was measured about 4' off the floor with thermocouple wire "floating" in the air not touching anything on the workbench on south side of garage (other side of vehicle), heater output was blowing directly to center of garage between the 2 vehicles.
-Consumed about 3/4 gallon of diesel during test @ $3.86/gal so about $2.90 grand total cost of the test.
heater was set to highest heat setting & temps were checked hourly from start to finish (watched with a camera in the house so it wasn't really left unattended)
54.8F @ 10:25AM
58F @ 11:25AM
opened garage attic folding drop down stair about 11:30 for about 10 minutes to seal half inch gap around perimeter of framing, felt warm air sucking up through hole during sealing off the gaps.
60.2F @ 12:30PM
62.2F @ 1:25PM
63.4F @ 2:25PM
63.4F @ 3:25PM
All in all, it's not the optimum heater for the job & it's not necessarily cheap to run compared to other options out there, but in my case I dont really have other options and dont want propane heat moisture in my working space. if you had a small single car insulated garage this heater might have decent potential. but the intended use is for when needed and not to maintain daily heat in the garage & its Chinese and uses fuel so I wouldn't recommend leaving it unattended... I have a fuel rated extinguisher near by.
I have a second diesel heater in the mail & I think running 2 heaters will more than likely be able to take the edge off for a grand total of about 34k BTU output. winter time here has some nasty wind, its like im in a wind tunnel with the open fields behind me. I can feel within the house when the wind is blowing as the cold air drafts past me while watching tv. advantage to the wind though is that I can blow the leafs in the driveway in the fall and they magically disappear across the road and sometimes the snow on the driveway clears itself.
variables I have fighting me
- yes garage is fully insulated with vapor barrier. but there are drafty gaps at the bottom of the insulated garage doors
- windows are single pane glass
- concrete floor is cold
- alot of cold steel in garage, 2 cars, lawn equiptment, tools and such.
- no box/oscillating fan circulating air within garage
overall its a fun project to play around with and keep me entertained, worst case is that I will have 2 ice shanty heaters.
edit.. verified size of fuel tank
its smaller than what I thought and used less fuel than I originally stated. volume and price fuel consumption is fixed now.
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Not sure where you are located but if you ar close to any of the stations in the pic below you could save some money on diesel. TSD logistics fuel card pricing.
interesting thanks, Ill look into this.. if not for me for the tractor at my dads place. im currently getting .10 off gasoline with Walmarts 30 day trial of Walmart plus (amazon prime competitor) its valid at a few major gas stations and Walmarts Murphy station. gonna cancel before the trials up though.. dont use enough gas to pay for the plan to get any real sort of deal out of it & also dont have amazon prime.
we have off road diesel here somewhere around town too, ive seen it but ive not looked for it since getting this heater & I have no other diesel equipment at home thus not really paying attention to it. its taxed less than road diesel though im sure you've seen it. dyed pink rather than the standard green/yellow color.
found out the fuel tank is smaller than what I thought it was, used less fuel than I initially thought. ive edited my test info/data post.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
I made a couple of very basic/simple racks for wheel storage:
