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I Forge Iron

12 by 16 primitive shop build (midwest)


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Hi,

After a few months working out of my garage and knocking out some goodwill projects on my honey-do list I finally broke ground on my new backyard shop.  Longer term I would like to consolidate my storage shed and workshop into a single larger out-building in another location in the yard, for now I've elected to build something more modest near my other smaller outbuildings including a storage shed and chicken coop.

My initial budget is $1500, helped very much because I happened into Lowes during a 10% off cardholder sale and managed to secure a number of critical build components on clearance, specifically a large quantity of metal roofing (50 sheets of 2'x12' galvanized, 10 sheets of 3'x12' white), screws, trim and gable vents for 80% off the original price (plus the 10% discount) that were "damaged" when someone dropped a bucket of driveway sealer off of a high pallet rack in the store.  I also have a limited quantity of salvaged dimensional lumber from some buildings that were left on the property by the previous owner that were beyond repair that I will be using for non-critical structural components and interior workbench and other misc construction.  In addition I have two 8' sections of barn door track and enough wheels to construct a pair of 4' sliding doors.  

The only power in the shop initially will be from a 12v deep cycle marine battery being charged from a solar charge controller in our nearby coop.  This will be primarily used to power LED lighting and some "bilge" style exhaust fans that I had left over from the coop project.  

I am using 14 x AC2/ground contact rated treated 12' 4x4 posts in 3' holes back-filled with gravel and then secured with 100 pounds of concrete spaced 4' apart.  I am running 5 x "laminated" 4x6x16' beams (2 x 2x6's that are glued and screwed together) secured to the tops of the posts at 9' with steel post caps.  Each beam will overhang the front wall of the shop 4' to help create a covered outdoor work space that's not included in the internal dimensions (I'm still deciding how large to make this space).  The roof will be be at a 3:12 (14 degree) pitch, I am creating a single 3' tall ladder truss which will mount directly above the front wall directly above the posts to which 2x6' roof trusses will be attached and run to the back wall.  These will be spaced 3' apart with 2x4 purlins spaced every 2 feet mounted directly between with metal joist/purlin hangers to match the roofing panels.  I'll be installing "double bubble" insulation between the roof structure and steel roofing panels to help with condensation, and also provide a reflective surface to help direct light from transom windows mounted above the doors into the workspace.  The space between the posts will be reinforced with horizontal 2x4's with a single stud centered between and then the walls will be enclosed with half inch OSB.  The exterior will be sided in galvanized roofing panels and trimmed with reclaimed/weathered 1x4's or similar lumber.

I originally planned on a compacted dirt floor, however Menards had a sale on 1' square pavers that came in around $0.70 a pop which cost less than half a similarly sized concrete floor and gives me the advantages of a solid floor and relatively simple installation on the sandy soil.

So far the posts are dug and set, the floor has been leveled to deal with a nearly 6" slope from side to side and the 4x6 beams are mounted.  I've assembled the ladder truss that will support the roof and hope to get it mounted this evening so I can get started on the roof structure this weekend.  I also need to break out my pole-saw and clear out some dead branches/growth.

 

My work site - yes, that's a pallet of leaf springs at the back just waiting to be turned into something useful after the shop is complete.

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My original plan called for a door in the center of the front wall, however I elected to simply install two 4' doors instead making the post spacing more uniform (the post spacing will change in subsequent photos).  Digging post holes anywhere near trees can be a pain and I managed to get hung up on roots numerous times making this a rather time consuming part of the build... if you're new-ish to running a gas powered auger you learn really quickly not to simply run full speed into the ground as those unexpected stops can literally throw you for a ride.

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Posts are set, mounted the 4x6 beams to the posts with USP post caps, note the overhang in front that will cover my outside work area.

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Leveling the ground was a challenge as the ground slopes nearly 2" every 6 feet so i ended up using more ground treated lumber to create a "sandbox" which I then leveled and compacted to accommodate a paver floor.

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... more to come.

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Good chance to get it enclosed before winter sets in!  Will you be using a wood stove for heat?  (If you are using a propane forge PLEASE avoid the temptation to use it to heat the shop in winter by cutting down on ventilation!)

 

I used the sandbox technique to do the floor in the 20'x30' "dirty shop extension" where my forge, grinder, etc live.  I was lucky in that the local arroyo had a very nice sand small gravel mix that I could use---though I do keep the cats *out* of that area...  Heat is generally the issue here so my gables are open to provide ventilation and the walls are 10' tall everywhere---made from a hail damaged roof of a friend.  The insurance company paid for a new roof and he asked me if I wanted the old one.  The chimney for my coal forge goes out the old opening for the chimney of his wood stove.  Rather than do a right angle bend it's just running up at a steep angle; works.

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Thanks for the tips gents!  

Regarding posts - thanks for the info!   I hadn't thought of using ice blocking on the posts - good tip!  The soil in my area is very sandy, keeping the grass alive requires constant watering in the summer (good thing I'm on well water) since it simply percolates through the sand back into the water table almost as soon as it hits the ground. I'd debated pouring footings and using contact plates to attach the posts, however while demolishing the previous owner's pallet outbuildings I found and removed a few treated and untreated posts and old telephone poles that had been buried both with straight compacted soil and concrete in 2005.  The untreated lumber was rotted at the point of ground contact, however the treated lumber that had been direct buried and set in concrete was perfectly sound and actually got re-used as posts for a lean-to firewood shelter across the yard.  

I do have a wood-stove planned for heat, a little Atlanta No 60 potbelly stove (16" floor footprint, 6" chimney) specifically - I need to finalize my interior layout so I can get the chimney pipe penetration through the roof planned before I start installing the metal roofing next week.  

As for ventilation, right now I plan to have four 18"x24" gable vents that will be installed at the high point on the roof while a 4" by 16' long soffit vent will supply constant fresh air on the low side of the roof, none of which can be easily blocked off. In addition to the two 4' sliding doors (which are not airtight) I'll have a pair of 24" square sliding windows that can be opened for added ventilation, and am going to fabricate a fume hood above my single burner forge with one or two 12v "galley" fans pulling air out while I'm burning propane.  I already have a battery operated CO detector ready to install and will likely supplement this with a RV style propane/CO detector running on my deep cycle battery.  

 

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You are correct about the Atlanta 60 being a coal stove, I was originally intending to burn smaller chunks of non treated/painted scrap wood but scrapped the idea after doing more research and figured I'd either go coal and keep the Atlanta, or buy a new stove.  Vogelzang makes a couple of affordable wood burning stove models that are pretty widely available (Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, Menards, etc..)  that both use 6" chimney pipes and I happened upon one on clearance this weekend while it was 90+ degrees outside and the store manager was glad to get it the heck out of his store. Wood is abundant and cheap around me while coal is a bit harder to find so it looks like I'm going with a proper wood burner.  http://vogelzang.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_95&product_id=114

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I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped on the structure with some other time obligations this weekend, but I've gotten the roof joists installed after I mounted the ladder truss above the front wall.  This is a one-man build so I've had to make sure every component can be lifted and manipulated by a single person.  The heaviest/most awkward component in the whole project was the truss in question, but I was able to pre-assemble it in my driveway, carry it to the shop and then hoist it overhead like a large extension latter onto the beams until I got it over the 8' balance point so it tipped flat and then could get on a ladder and pull/manhandle it into place.

Next step will be to install the purlins every 2' between the joists (using 2x4 hangers designed for the purpose) and reinforce the walls with some 2x4 blocking installed between the posts to give the walls some more support.   I also have to add joist hangers to the 2x6 blocking installed underneath the ladder truss and install the same along the back wall.  In hindsight it would have been cheaper/easier to install a 2x4 across the front/back walls and then install the truss on top of it, but this still works.

 

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Note that the posts are spaced 4' while the roof joists are spaced every 3' OC to match up with the galvanized roof panels I'm installing, thus the strange spacing difference between the truss/joists and the posts & beams they are sitting on.    

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I know I'm late commenting but you REALLY need angle bracing on those posts to keep it straight and square. If you're going to use sheet for external sheathing you can get away with just that but it really needed to go on before you put the roof joists on.

It's going to be a nice little shop though I certainly wouldn't call it primitive, it's not a wattle and daub or thatched stick hut you know.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Thanks for the advice, I've since installed 1/2" OSB between the posts with 2x4 braces installed horizontally between which stiffened up the structure significantly.  I installed some additional 2x6 framing on joist hangers between the beams and added the horizontal purlins (2x4x16' whitewood) to prep for the metal roof install.  

Next Steps:

Tonight-Sunday: I am going to reinforce the walls with additional 2x4 framing top and bottom.  I need to cut and install OSB on the surfaces above the posts and frame in the 6 (4 transom, 2 sliding) windows and gable vents (x4).  The open/bottom course visible between each post will be completed with 1/2" AC2 treated plywood separated from the OSB with spacer clips.  The roof needs the additional blocking installed between purlins and will then be ready for double bubble insulation and then metal roofing.

Plenty to do but it's coming along!

The design has evolved a bit and I'm opting to add additional covered outdoor space since I've got the room and and added materials required is minimal.  The 3' overhang (none originally planned) behind the shed will provide semi covered storage space for metal stock, odd scrap, coal, etc...  The front "porch" area, which was going to be 4' x 16' originally, is going to extend another 4' giving me an 8' by 16' covered space (I already planned to add 3 posts to support the smaller porch which will still work.  I'm going to remove the 2nd sheet of OSB from the left on the front of the building and move it to the back so i can install both 4' sliding doors on the front of the building, each sliding to their respective sides.  The sheet being removed will move to the back where the door was originally going to be placed.

 

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1/2" osb only running from post to post is too weak to prevent shifting and the horizontals are hinges. Nor do you have any diagonal bracing in the trusses. Is the OSB nailed or screwed? Were it my project I'd pull the OSB a section at a time, tack a 2" x 4" on a diagonal and chalk a line. Pull it, saw out a mortise and nail it back in flush with the posts. I'd start with the high ends at the doorway and zig zag around the building.

The roof trusses are easy, corner to corner on the bottom cord and plate where they cross.

You won't lose an inch of space and the structure will be as strong as the materials.

I love a shed roof especially if expansion might happen down the road, all you need is another low side and you've doubled your floor space for about 2/3 the $.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I am with Frosty on that one. 48 inch spam is too wide for walls. 24 inch span is too wide for a roof.

Figure out where you are going to put everything first, then locate the stove. If you have to work within 4 feet of the stove, you will need protection from the radiant heat.

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Some more progress, I got the horizontal supports installed between the posts, located and framed the windows and dumped 2 yards of road base into the "sandbox" floor.  I also added a ladder style support at the half way point in the joists, still need to add diagonal bracing.

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Along with your shop construction, have you considered the risk of any tree fires from the flue pipe?  Looks like you have a lot of overhanging pine tree limbs over the shop.  Pines in dry weather can go up in flames pretty quickly.

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Clearing limbs was on my list and I finally got it taken care of as well as laying down sand and pavers to finish the floor.  I got the double bubble on the roof and installed all of the steel panels up top.  I'll come back later and retrofit the chimney once I've gotten everything inside and worked in the space as someone suggested, no rush since it's going to be in the 70-90's for at least a month or two around here. I also got my bottom course of ground contact lumber installed along the outside of the posts below the lower sections of OSB which I installed along with the panels along the front and sides above the interior beams.  Side windows are cut out with the windows temp-fitted, and I threw all of the tar paper I had on hand in 3 courses along the outside, need to pick up another roll tonight.  I hung the 2x4's for the porch area roof on joist hangars at full length just to eyeball proportions and will be cutting them back from 8' to 6' which seems the most visually appealing and most efficient use of my roofing panels (cutting 12' sections in half).  I still have to drop 3 treated posts and a beam to support the front edge of the porch area, install all of the purlins and then roof that area before I swing back and side the rest of the structure in galvanized panels and trim it out in reclaimed lumber.  Still lots to do including doors, windows, ridge vents and interior walls (more galvanized and reclaimed wood).

 

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That's coming along really nicely. Might want a little more pitch on the porch roof, you get a lot of snow don't you?

I know one thing for sure it sure sounds like a LOT of work where you write it out like that!

Looking good.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Around here a 3/12 pitch or greater is suggested on a steel roof due to the snow/rain we get which is what I used as a minimum on both rooflines, I think the length of those unsupported 2x4's hanging out into space creates an optical illusion as I was up re-measuring after making the same "that doesn't look right" observation while drinking a beer after wrapping up a day's work, but the angle came up at 14 degrees on my Swanson speed square which is 3/12.

The area in which I've situated the building is very well protected from wind and precipitation by trees and some nearby buildings, last year there was barely a dusting of snow on the ground at the height of winter when the rest of the yard was at least a foot deep so I made a mental note that it could be a good shop location.  I took a lot of ideas from pole buildings and machine sheds in the southwest part of our state that have been standing for decades or even centuries where it's flat and windy year round with brutal winters..  they almost always have significant tree cover planted around the buildings to help break up the constant winds, and I also oriented the roof so it would be facing south so it gets maximum sun to help melt the snow. 

No progress tonight as it was a hot steamy mess of storms and rain, but I'm hoping to get back at it tomorrow and get some siding on and perhaps drop the 3 posts supporting the beam that will support the porch after I saw down those 2x4's to 6'.

It's probably a lot more work than it needs to be, I'm not exactly following standard pole building construction techniques (or even particularly efficient / correct building techniques of any sort) but I can tell you the lessons of "how to do it right next time" are proving rather valuable.  I find the work therapeutic after a day spent in front of a keyboard even if I'm not exactly taking the most direct or inexpensive route to a completed shop. 

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, Yuppiejr said:

probably a lot more work than it needs to be, I'm not exactly following standard pole building construction techniques (or even particularly efficient / correct building techniques of any sort) but I can tell you the lessons of "how to do it right next time" are proving rather valuable. 

But you will have what a lot of others want ,your own shop, built your way, for your use.  that's all that truly matters.  Enjoy it.

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Still plodding along... I got the front "porch" area posts, beam and roofing installed, and also the transom windows and vents installed at the top of the roof peak just above.  It's starting to take shape, I still have to finish closing up the sides of the porch with some OSB and then install my galvanized siding + trim.  Then it's time to figure out the interior.

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As I live in tornado alley, and no one uses barial rated fence posts to put up privacy fences, salvaged pt fence panels work well, the 2x3 stringers are to thin for 8" spans but work well on 24" spans, and the toted off 4x4 can be spliced to 4" lengths of proper barial rated pt posts. Gives one a nice barn wood look. As to steel roofing panels, their are barn builders using 2x20 girders (2x12&2x8 held together with truss mending plates) on 12" centers, using 2x4 perlings (on edge) on 48" centers. Infact the old house I live in has 2x4 on 24" centers, 1x4 perlings flat, with shakes and 3 layers of composit and it's still standing

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  • 2 months later...

Down but not out, a spat of bad weather and illness messed with my progress but I've gotten the siding and flashing on, installed the doors and moved most of my equipment into the space.

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The front sliding door weighs about 250 pounds and is made of rough-cut solid hackberry planks saved from the neighbor's burn pile.  

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.. I wanted it to match the aged pallet-wood that I used on the top part of the front wall and the wood would not react to the vinegar/coffee/steel wool combination I normally use to so I ended up just blending a bunch of random bits of Minwax stain I had lying about and got it as close as I could before rubbing it with a gray "aged oak" stain and some coal dust mixed with water for good measure.   I threw a pile of chain on it a few times to rough it up and am pleased with the result... now I need to forge a proper handle, some slide-stops for the door and hook hangers for my kerosene lanterns. 

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It's beautiful, well done. I still don't get why you call it "primitive" I think it's well made, sophisticated, nicely sized and attractive on all counts. Heck, I'll bet your neighbors and friends are considering taking up blacksmithing so they can have one in their yard. ;)

Frosty The Lucky.

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