Neighborhood Blacksmithing

[primtechsmith]

It is tough living in a town or city limits where homes are plentiful and land is scarce. And usually when in town limits there are restrictions on things like open fires. How is it some of you "neighborhood smiths" get around the restrictions and limitations? And the irritable neighbor?

Peyton

[rthibeau]

My property and the next door neighbor's are the only original farm homesteads still left in the neighborhood. Right across the street and right behind us are developments with restrictions, as is the rest of the street down the way. I try not to be too noisy late at night - I keep the big overhead door closed - but basically, I just got lucky buying a place where I can do what I want. I couldn't have a forge probably 150 feet in any direction from the shop. My forges are inside so I don't technically have any open fires. As for the neighbors, no problems so far.

[Leah]

I live smack dab in the middle of town with all our tiny yards back to back and side by side. We can't build open fires inside the city limits. I figured it must be OK to build one in my forge because everyone builds a fire to BBQ with. I have never had anyone complain about the smoke. Once, a new neighbor did come over to see why I had built a fire in my "wood burning heater" in July. He said he thought he was seeing things when he the smoke started rising from the flue. I made him a steak turner and he went away happy. I have to admit, I worry that someday the fire department will come and tell me to put the fire out, because I am not 100% sure that I am legal. I have a big fire extinguisher by the door and my flue is tripple wall, maybe seeing something like that will help my case if they are ever called. I just kinda adopted the "don't ask, don't tell" mentality.

[BT]

Leah

That is my philosophy, it is always easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. :-)

[yesteryearforge]

A coal burning forge is no more of an open fire than a fire in your fireplace in a house / and its a whole lot safer unless your shop is carpeted and your forge has curtains on it.

[Tyler Murch]

My forge is inside of a screened-in-porch with a concrete floor located on the corner of the house about as close as I could get to the neighboors. Their house is about 40-60 yards away. The hammering is really not that loud. If you've ever checked you know that hammering nails is a lot louder than forging iron. I use a charcoal forge all the time so there is no smoke. The only noisy power tool I run is an angle grinder. I use it sparingly, and it's not much louder than a leaf blower. Never had any complaints from the neighboors.

[ThomasPowers]

I spent 15 years living in a 100 year old neighborhood in Columbus OH. My nearest neighbor had a house less than 20 *feet* from mine. The forge was either under the big old tree out back or in the detached falling down garage behind the tree (summer/winter).

I looked into the local codes and it said anything that creates fumes discernable from off the property was verboten as was open fires though there were two exceptions: heating and cooking.

I was very lucky, the nearest neighbor was retired and said that coal smoke reminded her of the old coal furnace she grew up with---no problem. To the other side we had about 40 feet to the next house (we had a double lot with our house built 1' onto the other lot so it couldn't be subdivided) It was mainly low rent housing and they generally were not interested in having the police come round...

At one point I did have trouble with an unknown neighbor calling the fire department on me any time I lit up---but by the best of good luck they did it when I was using my *smoker* to cook dinner (see exception #2) and after 3 times the fire department wedged their truck down the alley to see me cooking chicken or salmon in the smoker I think thay had the little "large fine for false alarms" talk with them because the harassment stopped!

Remember that being a good neighbor is more than just following the local codes---If someone has a young child, try to coordinate with them so you don't interfere with their nap times, same with their BBQ's or outdoor parties. Though forging usually doesn't bother social gatherings, use of grinders will.

Propane or charcoal forges are not nearly so "visible" as coal forges. A Fisher or Vulcan anvil will hold down the hammering amazingly and a muffled "By St Eloi!" when you do something you shouldn't instead of cussing will help keep a low profile.

Now on the bad side: I had a student who put a forge outside his place in a college district. Unfortunatly the prevailing wind pushed the smoke into a nearby appartment whose renter called the cops on him---they told him he needed an EPA permit to burn coal. Being a stubborn cuss he contacted the EPA and asked what he needed to do to get one. The asked him how much coal he burned in a year. he said "a couple of hundred"; "tons???"; "No, pounds". When they got finished laughing they told him not to bother them till he was in the 1000 ton range (IIRC). He asked them to put that in writing which they nicely did so he showed that to the city. Then they said he would have to get a "burning permit" $25 and 10 working days before *each* time he would be using the forge.

He ended up moving instead---note this is the same city I had been running my forge in for years and still did for years afterwards.

Of course there is a time that the local Bar burned down and nobody called the fire dept until too late cause they thought the smoke was from my forge back behind the bar across the alley...

Thomas

[Dodge]

I also live in a residetial area. Omaha, Ne and I run a gasser. I have some fairly new neighbors whose backyard faces my smithy. He is a volunteer fireman and I know he and his (I assume) fireman buddies have been outside durning some of my forging sessions. Thought they'd come over and ask questions,at least out curiosity. No sirens yet however. No one has even complained about the noise form the power hammer . But most of my work is done on weekends when most folks are busy with their own noisy projects

[Mills]

I have been forging in my garage 6 or more years, with coal and gas. Now I have a power hammer. So far so good. Have had the fire dept come by in full gear to look it over once and since then they respond by seeing if I am forging before putting on the whistles and bells.

[ApprenticeMan]

When I had my first coal forge, an old cast iron Hibachi grill, with a shop vac on reverse for a blower, I would get 6 foot flames when I had it going good and would dump on a big handful (YES a handful) of green coal. My neighbors didn't have a problem, even though the coal was kinda crappy and would smoke LIKE, ALOT! But then again, they put up this huge 6 foot tall solid fence withing a week of living next door. I don't live in suburbia, nor a city, but the neaighbors are arrowshot, firework shot, throwing knife shot, and bb gun shot distance away, but not right on top of me, so sound and stuff will carry, but it isn't bad at all. I worked until 2:00 at night one time with no problem. But now my shop is in a commercial location anyway, so no problem at all, I hope. Plus the Delaware is literally walking distance away, so after a hot day working in the forge, bam, I can go for a nice swim.