So stinking hot!

I feel your pain.

My large shop does not have AC. I was literally drenched in sweat last weekend.

When it's that hot, I try to drink AT LEAST a gallon of water a day.
 
Jason Fry said:
Just so this thread isn't just me whining, anybody got serious tips for working knives in the heat?
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For most of my life I have been acclimated to very hard work in hot weather, perhaps because I used to live in Libya. I worked Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in stifling 102F heat installing OSB (wafer board) underlayment on my sun room. I took 10-minute breaks now and then, and kept working. At the end of each day, I was sweaty, dusty, and exhausted, too tired to think.

From this weekend I learned that it is counter-productive not to take at least one extended break during hot weather. Take an hour off for lunch and eat a good meal. You'll get more done in the long run by getting adequate rest.

When I was a teenager, my father worked on the oil fields in the Libyan Desert. One day after lunch, he went out into the desert to walk. Before long he was lost among the undulating sand dunes. They all looked the same. He staggered into camp 45 minutes later and told me later, "No one in camp knew how close I had come to dying." He learned the hard way in the Libyan Desert how easy it is to underestimate the effects of heat exposure.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com


Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
 
MDQBox said:
If you want to spend the money, get one of those portable air conditioning units. I used to have and use one in my garage in Southern California. They work pretty good.


I should mention that I also installed a solar powered roof mount venting fan. That really helped a lot. Plus it won't cost you anything to operate.
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Window units are cheap! I work in a 1700 sq foot shop at temps between 65-75 year around.
 
We have had one of the coldest wettest summers to date, and they seem to be getting worse. I used the airconditioner for a few days early on in july, but its been wood stove weather for the most part through most of July and August is like late September so far. Will gladly trade some of our cold n wet, for your hot weather.
 
Arnold Howard said:
When I was a teenager, my father worked on the oil fields in the Libyan Desert. One day after lunch, he went out into the desert to walk. Before long he was lost among the undulating sand dunes. They all looked the same. He staggered into camp 45 minutes later and told me later, "No one in camp knew how close I had come to dying." He learned the hard way in the Libyan Desert how easy it is to underestimate the effects of heat exposure.
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Since we're sharing stories, when I was stationed in 29 Palms Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center in the California desert. During one of the exercises, a marine who was on guard duty wasn't properly relieved of his post. That is to say, everyone forgot about him and he was left out in the desert over the weekend. He unfortunately died, and needless to say heads rolled.

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So there IS an advantage to being a small fry working out of an apartment!!! I knew there was a plus somewhere, somehow!!!
 
All of the stuff the other guys said, plus one I picked up from Lin Rhea via a video. Wear a headband. A bandana works fine, though there are nicer ones out that there work even better (I like Halo headbands personally).

It might look silly but it keeps the sweat out of your face and actually can help cool you off once it is pretty soaked. I wear one when running, and would probably have quit running altogether if I hadn't figured out sweat bands. I learned that a big part of my perception of hot and sweaty was just annoyance at having sweat in my face.
 
We have a couple neck coolers from when my son was deployed to the sandy part of the world, you soak em in water and they evaporate all day.
I learned when I used to do tree work in the midwest that shining a garden hose on your throat is the quickest way to cool off, the neck cooler does it too.

PS. I bet 50 in the morning sounds good to you in Texas, but in August? Here in the Puget Sound the moist air moves in off the water in the wee hours and it gets an odd kind of muggy and chilly, then the fog doesn't burn off til 11- I'm out there in my shop in the woods in a sweatshirt and shop coat, with gloves on...it'll get warm later on.
 
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2 things to keep in mind... To cool off our bodies sweat, and our blood vessels close to the skin dilate in order to attempt cooling down our blood that carry heat from our organs (why we turn red). So besides drinking plenty of cool water another thing that helps is cooling your pulse points every once in a while. Like the temples, wrists, neck for example. So in a sense it helps to cool you down from the inside out. :D
 
I don't have a workshop. I cut 3 blanks out of .140 1084 with a hacksaw. Two had 7 inch blades and 4.5 inch handles. The other had a 5 inch blade with a 4 inch handle and a blade like a SOG Seal Pup. And by that I mean very curvy. Tomorrow I get to start grinding with a 1 x 30 belt sander. It's been a cooler SC summer. Highs in the mid 90's and 60% to 80% humidity. All I do is drink lots of ice water. The bad part about South Carolina is the Mosquitos. I wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt to protect me. Needless to say in jealous of you people with your fancy band saws and big grinders.
 
I know right. If I spend the money to get a Knifemakers membership, my next purchase will definitely be a portaband.
 
Get a heavy cotton T-shirt. Wet it down, wring it out, put it on. Get a cotton bandana handkerchief. Wet it down, wring it out, put it on. Repeat as necessary.
 
We have cool suits we wear occasionally at work that is a vest with a cooling line running through it like a radiator and recirculating lines attached to a pump and an ice cooler. They aren't cheap and a window or portable AC unit would be an easier fix.

However, you could do something similar for cheaper with this:

http://www.glaciertek.com/RPCM_Cooling_Vest/Work.aspx

Also the bandanas have been mentioned, these work very well:
http://www.polar-products.com/index.php?p=view_category&category_id=2

I'm in Mississippi. It's hell hath no fury hot in my garage and these help quite a bit on the cheap.
 
Ice water enemas or.....
Walmart. Window A/C unit. $120.
It's not rocket science.
 
In temperatures like this I just take of my shirt and let nature's evaporative cooling take effect. I stop constantly toweling myself and let the sweat do the work of cooling me down. If you have a good cross breeze to work with it can be pretty bearable once you get over the dripping. Do that and drink water like crazy.
 
Patrice Lemée;12496437 said:
I installed one this year and should have done it a long time ago. :thumbup:
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Bill DeShivs said:
Ice water enemas or.....
Walmart. Window A/C unit. $120.
It's not rocket science.
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Best thing I ever did (the AC, not the enema ::))!

Talking about everything except Forging, I try and do all that in the Fall, Winter and Spring. I am much more efficient in the AC, plus (and a Big Plus) all knife making supplies and materials keep better in the Cooler Drier climate.
 
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