Ok, Here's a Weird Question..

[jojo]

So I'm in Northeastern PA, and it's cold here. My shop is in a 12 x20 wooden shed, which is sort of insulated (just the four walls, not the ceiling or floor). So in the morning before I have breakfast, I turn a couple of space heaters on, and in about an hour it's bearable enough to work in (but not what you would call toasty). 
Overnight here it gets pretty cold...sometimes as low as -10 degrees. My question is: Is the cold bad for my sewing machine? Can the type and amount of oil that it uses freeze?
Thanks in advance,
Jo

[Darren Henry]

I had a similar situation when I was back in Kenora Ontario. [We get some cold up here too  ;D] My shoe repair was set up in my "workshop" at home while my upholstery shop was up in the old choir loft of the old church that my friends had the sign shop/home in. Partially insulated is being generous. Vinyl siding on strapping (no sheathing) some fibreglass and a bit of poly on most of the walls and ceiling. I'd thaw it out with a blueflame heater a couple of nights a week to run off the shoe repair and what ever "honey do" projects I had. My patcher is a treadle but my finisher(s) suffered no ill effects from the frost/thaw cycles, although the room had to around 15 ºC (mid fifties ???) for my glue to work well and the motors get up to speed without tripping the breaker.

[zanepurcell]

my main concern would be the constant condensation cycle it goes through. An iron object, especially cast iron will retain hot or cold longer than the air around it and condense. That will lead to surface rust and light rust leads to heavy rust. You contact surfaces are probably oiled well enough to not rust. The inner timing belt probably wont like the temp cycle either, and could prematurely wear.

Zane

[jojo]

Darren, I wouldn't trade my cold weather for yours! And yes, I've noticed the glue thing too.
Zane,  I never thought of these issues. Thanks for bringing them to my attention. The machine is only a year old, so it is concerning. Come summer I will insulate the ceiling and floor and maybe it won't get quite so cold at night. Already looked into running a gas line to the shed, but am thinking it will be too expensive. The shed is 40 feet from the house.
:(