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I Forge Iron

portable shop


SJS

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Started work on an 8x8 portable shop. I am hoping that I can make it look old timely:-) I need something to stash my blacksmith kit so I don't have to haul tools around every weekend in October, and maybe it won't try and blow away like my easy up does... Will post pics when I have time and day light, just finished up working on it at 11:30pm in the dark with a trouble light. Was pretty pleased with how it was coming together.

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Assuming by "portable" you mean trailer? Is 8 x 8 including overall width including tires? According to AAA and other sources, most state's trailer dimensions allow a total width of 8 to 8.5" without a special permit.That's outside of tire to outside of tire. Some states might include fender to fender. That means your floor has to be less than 8 feet or built over the tires. May want to check your local laws before you run into issues with "The Man" :)

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There used to be a guy at the Grange fair every year that had a small "cabin" on wheels as his display. I think he sold sheds or something like that. The side was able to be opened up so people could see in. I wish I had a good picture of it to use as an example.

 

I have seen a number of "cabin" type trailers with a back "porch". Usually these are longer trailers. like12' to 16' trailers where the porch is 4' to 6'. With a set of stabilizing jacks I could see that porch as being useful for demos with the cabin being used for storage.

 

 

I'm not sure what your experience is with trailers. An 8' long 8' wide trailer may be a pain to back up. Short wheel base trailers are notorious for being hard to back without jack knifing. It's even worse if you have to back them up with a long wheel base vehicle like  a crew cab or super cab. Wide trailers, especially ones with tall sides like landscape trailers are also some what hard to back because they block the view as soon as they start to turn. Many small landscape trailers are 6' wide with the tires outboard of the walls, so they are roughly the same width as the tow vehicle. This makes it easier to see when backing. It's hard enough to see well behind the 8' wide utility box on my dually with the towing mirrors all the way out. A small  to mid size SUV with standard mirrors will be a real treat to back up with.

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Its basicly a portable yard barn designed to look like a old west/pioneer village blacksmiths shop. I designed it to load up on my father in law's 8" wide flat bed trailer, which has a flat deck that rides above the tires... We also have some bolt on axils that my father in law used to use to deliever yard barns. But basicly it will be 8x8, the 4x6 runners are 7'6" wide so it will fit on the flatbed. The front wall will hinge and form a porch roof in front of the shop.

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I designed it to load up on my father in law's 8" wide flat bed trailer, which has a flat deck that rides above the tires...

 

 

I think an 8" wide flat bed trailer is called a motorcycle trailer.  :P

 

 

OK I've seen "shed's" similar to that design. I was thinking from your 1st post the trailer and building were one in the same. From your description it sounds a lot like what the shed guys do at the Grange for display. they bring the sheds over the day or so before the fair and drop them with the tilt back trailer or roll back, then come pick them back up the day after the fair is done. That's opposed to the 1st guy I was referring to  originally who had his "shed" on wheels and all he had to do was drop the jack and unhook.

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Also, google Jim "Paw Paw" Wilson. (Unfortunately we're not allowed to link to it) He had a neat traveling shop trailer that had the walls that would open and raise up on a diagonal from the middle via an electric winch that when raised, mimicked a gable roof and exposed the full *period* Revolutionary War blacksmith shop. He had canvas covers or similar to drape over and hide the tires during demos, I don't know what became of it since his passing, but I got to see it once, and it was really something to see, and quite the talk of any blacksmith event that he set up at :)

 

Scott

 

Edit, OK I was able to find this image showing it opened up. This was at a hammerin scheduled before Jim's death,  but turned into a memorial.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have gotten 12 hours of sleep in the last three days... But I got I done enough, loaded, and delivered. Plan on adding a black smith sign, and a side draft chimney but that will have to wait... Spent more than I should have cause i was in a hurry and facing a deadline, also bought tools to make the job easier. Here is a good pic in progress that you can see the caulking vice attached. Next is the shop with the door closed on the flatbed ready to unload. Next I got some shots with the door up and my setup for the show.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I need tp make a portable shop from an enclosed 5X10 trailer. I'm thinking post vice on a truck wheel mounted stand, propane forge w/table and grinders on tables with locking casters. Maybe a metal roofed awning? Doesn't have to be.period. I just travel a lot for work and don't want to give up bladesmithing.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have built 2 forge trailers so far. My first has been in use since 2002. It is an old Datsun pickup bed with a topper I got for hauling out of a field. I extended the frame about 4' in front of the box and installed the forge, vise and a tool box on that frame. I also have a mount for a post drill. Works well but is somewhat heavy. The second was built for a student, started as a junk 1000# flatbed trailer. It is 5' x8'. again extended frame for forge and vise and drill press. it is much lighter. I repurposed an aluminum topper for the roof, and it is sided with 1/4" luan. The walls are repurposed pallet racking uprights that yeild a wealth of tiedown points inside. We have since added the drill press to the front.

Useing a  1000# all up trailer made a limit in this case, and he has to be a "Weight NAZI" to not over load. He pulls it with a mini van and reported no issues pulling. We have had both forge trailers at shows together.

 

I love having a trailer that I can pull ihn and be setup and forging in 20 minutes. All of my display items fit inside the box on mine as well as the anil and stand.

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