beamansw Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 We live in a 1921 Colonial Brownstone that were General's homes at the Mitchel Airfield here on Long Island..... Well the wife and my daughters really need more space for their crafting and I'm strewn between 3 of the 6 rooms in the basement. I'm working to move all of my tools into just one big room and out of both the laundry room area (where the girls crafting stuff is) and also out of the large room where drunk Marines can sleep it off if need be. So I'm moving it all to the super large furnace room that has enough space to house and make available all of my tools (wood/mechanical); while just like any other basement this room in particular remains warmer and drier than the others because of the furnace. Any thoughts on how that will affect moisture stabilization and lumber twisting? How concerned do I need to be with those things that I make being brought up into the house and then them twisting after assembly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattvan Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I've been working and building projects next to my furnace for years and have had almost no issues with the stock being effected by it. To help contain the sawdust from spreading all over the house I usually keep the door to the shop closed also. This means my shop area is the warmest spot in the house. Still no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 i would give your wood time to ajust the furnice room could be considerably drier then the rest of the basement so plan in advace if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattvan Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 In the height of winter, I don't add a significant amount of acclimating time to what I already do. The furnace room is typically warmer than the rest of the house, but not enough to make a dramatic difference. If your house is extremely dry from the heat, then it's possible to add a humidifier to help with the issue, but I have yet to run into the issue in all my years. Properly dried wood from your lumber dealer will have very small changes in moisture content, a few degrees up or down. Swings like that are normal throughout the year anyways. My biggest concern in a furnace room is dust collection. Bad dust collection can easily mean it's spread throughout the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beamansw Posted January 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Thanks a bunch Matt.... I have the doors closed when working and when I say furnace, I mean radiated style: you know the 150 gallon bung tank hanging from the subfloor feeding 19 radiators in a house of 74 windows. There is no ductwork anywhere in the house.... I will remain ever vigilant with regard to dust, shaving, chips, rags, and accelerants though. I don't want to lose everything or a life because of carelessness in the fire safety area. I'll look into the humidifier idea, thanks a bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 I wouldn't worry about this. My basement shop is pretty close to our furnace, and I don't worry about the temperature/humidity thing at all. The way I look at it, people do woodworking out of their garages or relatively poorly heated and insulated stand alone shops all the time, and the temperature and humidity swings there are far greater than what you'll get moving from one part of your basement to the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 No wood issues with a furnace for me, either. The only issue I've seen involves bicycles. The motors on the furnace (burner & circulators) generate ozone, which rots bicycle tires rather quickly. I've reorganized several times, and can offer a suggestion. Put the machines in the other room, and work an assembly / hand tool bench into the shared area. You can work WITH them, for more together time. Another point... Here in Connecticut, I also have radiated hot water heat. It's a good thing... There are no air ducts to blow dust all over the house! It's not a bad idea to ocassionally blow off the burner air intake area with compressed air, as dust can ocassionally restrict intake air to the burner, causing it to run rich and coke up the flue. If this happens, your neighbors may think you've chosen a new pope! Next time you have your annual burner cleaning (you do that, right?) ask the tech where you should blow off to prevent issues with dust. My burner guys were not at all worried about fires, only lowered efficiency, and were happy to show me where to dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 spent the day reorganizing/cleaning and building in my shop put in some wood storage shelves, news paper roll rack for my assembly table.....tomorow working making me a suport for a boom arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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