Summer in the Desert Southwest

[ken hatch]

We had a great Spring in the desert that lasted almost a month longer than normal. We've had wonderful cool, dry, nights and mornings with midday highs mostly in the mid 80's up until a couple of days ago. While we knew it wouldn't last it was great while it did. Well Summer is here, I saw 108F on the truck thermometer yesterday and it is expected to go over 110F today. I'm starting the Summer shop schedule. Up and in the shop no later than 0400, most of the time by 0300, work till 1100/1200, break for lunch, a quick dip in the pool and a nap, back in the shop late afternoon/early evening for a couple or three hours. Life is good and tools do not rust unless you bleed or sweat on 'em.

ken

[Andrew Hughes]

I know how you feel we had 60s here for at least a month the last three days have been pushing 100.
Im sitting on a pile of white pine for a farm style table.
Just drumming my fingers waiting for it to do its thing before I start.
Next week should be cooler for me.
No relief for you is there.

[Lenore Epstein]

Ugh, Utah is positively temperate compared to Tucson! As it is I spend all summer grumping about the heat because it just doesn't agree with me, but if I lived in Tucson I'd have to be a complete hermit for seven or eight months a year!

[Curt Putnam]

If your shop is in the garage, does not the stucco throw of heat until after midnight? Mine does. The overnight low happens at dawn. So at 1939 hours it is still 85° and about 15% RH. What changes do you make to your glue ups and glues during the heat - and the cold of winter.

[Jim Koepke]

What changes do you make to your glue ups and glues during the heat - and the cold of winter.

Sometimes I will bring things in the house to glue.

Last time I did a project when it was too cold to glue the dovetails were made tighter. It is still in use and still hasn't been glued:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hop-for-Gluing

Around here I keep an eye on the changes in the weather between winter and spring. We will have a cold spell and then a warmer humid spell. That is when I need to go out to the shop and dry off all the tools with moisture condensation.

jtk

[Lori Kleinberg]

I'm already wishing for winter!

[ken hatch]

I know how you feel we had 60s here for at least a month the last three days have been pushing 100.
Im sitting on a pile of white pine for a farm style table.
Just drumming my fingers waiting for it to do its thing before I start.
Next week should be cooler for me.
No relief for you is there.

Andrew,

It is known as October .

ken

[ken hatch]

Ugh, Utah is positively temperate compared to Tucson! As it is I spend all summer grumping about the heat because it just doesn't agree with me, but if I lived in Tucson I'd have to be a complete hermit for seven or eight months a year!

It really isn't bad except for Monsoon and Monsoon cools the days off but because of "high" RH the nights stay warm. the rest of the year our RH's are in the 10% range and as soon as the sun goes down it starts to cool. You just have to take what the WX Gods give and change the way you work and play. BTW, many years ago I ski bummed the SLC area for several years, flight instructed during the Summer and skied all Winter it was a great life. but even I had to grow up.

ken

[ken hatch]

If your shop is in the garage, does not the stucco throw of heat until after midnight? Mine does. The overnight low happens at dawn. So at 1939 hours it is still 85° and about 15% RH. What changes do you make to your glue ups and glues during the heat - and the cold of winter.

Carl, except during monsoon our RH's tend to be lower so it cools quickly once the sun goes down.

ken

[ken hatch]

I'm already wishing for winter!

You sound like MsBubba ,

ken

[ken hatch]

Sometimes I will bring things in the house to glue.

Last time I did a project when it was too cold to glue the dovetails were made tighter. It is still in use and still hasn't been glued:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hop-for-Gluing

Around here I keep an eye on the changes in the weather between winter and spring. We will have a cold spell and then a warmer humid spell. That is when I need to go out to the shop and dry off all the tools with moisture condensation.

jtk

Jim,

Rust in the desert is not a problem, if it were my tool kit would be much smaller than it is.

ken

[Marty Schlosser]

I guess we've got it pretty well made compared to those of you living in hot summer climates. Here in central Canada (Kingston, Ontario) a "hot" (to us...) summer day is 90F. Right now, at 8:30am is's 66F and forecasted to top out at 72F.

Of course it's much colder in winter! But for me that's not a problem as I have a basement shop with radiant floor heating, and of course our home is air conditioned so I don't have to do anything unusual to enjoy a wonderfully pleasant climate, year round.

[ken hatch]

I guess we've got it pretty well made compared to those of you living in hot summer climates. Here in central Canada (Kingston, Ontario) a "hot" (to us...) summer day is 90F. Right now, at 8:30am is's 66F and forecasted to top out at 72F.

Of course it's much colder in winter! But for me that's not a problem as I have a basement shop with radiant floor heating, and of course our home is air conditioned so I don't have to do anything unusual to enjoy a wonderfully pleasant climate, year round.

Marty,

I've done both and I'll take the Southwest deserts year around over the North year around. But then I'm an old desert rat.

Reminds me of a cool morning in The Sudan, maybe 60 to 65F, and all the linemen were huddled around the GPU's radiator exhaust trying to get warm. It all depends on what your body is use to.

ken

[ken hatch]

If your shop is in the garage, does not the stucco throw of heat until after midnight? Mine does. The overnight low happens at dawn. So at 1939 hours it is still 85° and about 15% RH. What changes do you make to your glue ups and glues during the heat - and the cold of winter.

Sorry Curt, I missed your question. I make very little change because we really do not have Winter and most of my glue ups are with Hot Hide glue. In the winter the "open" time is a little less but that is about it.

ken

[Bruce Page]

We had a cool spring up until a few days ago. Now we're in the mid 90's. My small swamp cooler for the shop was able to keep the temp ~ 80°yesterday. That and a big fan and I'm good to go.