mtnman

And don't go near it with your ATM or credit cards in your wallet...yes, that is the voice of experience! :mad:

When the ground wants to look at a hot object, let it look.

Thanks! this forum thing is pretty new to me, but it is great to be able to access all this great experience and knowledge. wish I had known about all this years ago...could have saved a lot of bruises and ....well, never mind! :D

Thanks, Phil. I thought of a sump well, and hoped there was a better idea. guess that will have to be it. I can come up with a removable cover to keep it safe and semi concealed. it really is about 30 feet. the compressor has a nice location in a covered lean-to like shed on the outside wall of the existing "auto" shop of the house we are buying, but the smithy will be about 30 feet away, and I would like to be able to drive between the two buildings, so that's why am exploring running the pipe underground that far.

I know this thread is not new, but I just found it and have a further question re the post above...I am also looking at running a line (plan to use black pipe) underground between the "auto" shop and the new smithy so I can use the one compressor to serve both locations. My concern was not being able to put a water drain lower than the underground run. Is that a problem? How did anyone address that? My underground run would be about 30 feet, and deep enough to get below the frost line and be safe to drive over on a gravel covered occasional use drive. Thanks for any and all advice, even if it involves telling me that I missed something simple and obvious!! :D

Cool ideas...thanks to all! I have to admit, am not too experienced with the idea of a forum, but am now hooked. It is so neat to have access to this much experience and expertise! Thanks, and keep the ideas coming. I have all winter to plan, and am really looking forward to the process and the results. I promise pictures when it gets started.

Excellent. I really apprieciate the ideas. I plan to plan all winter and start building in the spring. will post the pix as we go!

I have a fun project to start, and would welcome suggestions. The situation is I am a weekend/amateur/hobby smith, and don't see that changing. My little shop was put away a couple of years ago when a snow storm took the roof down...no one hurt, but kids, G'kids, job etc kept me away and never got it re-built. We are now moving closer to Lexington KY, from the town to 8+ acres in the country !! That means I get to build a new smithy, , altho with limited funds . so, with limited funds, plenty of space, and for a "weekender" guy, what would you suggest I build, and of what? All my stuff is "old"...old cast forge table, hand crank blower, 1/2 whiskey barrel, 3x4 1/2" steel table top scrounged year ago, etc. Am pretty well OK with layout, forge to tub to anvil to table to vice...but interested in ideas for the structure. open on 3 sides? storage room? all enclosed, (with ventilation of course)? removable walls? concrete or dirt floor? wood or sheet metal or log or ? etc, etc, etc. Know this is a wide open topic, but I plan to have a lot of fun doing this, and would be glad of any ideas, suggestions, experiences, etc. Thanks!

Good morning all. New to the forum, which I am really enjoying...lots of great stuff here. I was active as a smith (VERY amateur backyard type) for a few years, but then the pressure of kids, g'kids, job, new business, etc hit, and when the snow collapsed the roof of my smithy, it all got put aside for awhile. I am glad to say the bug has bit again! We are in the process of relocating from the far north end of KY closer to Lexington, where I got a "real" job after shutting down the private busines just ahead of the bank... The only real requirement I insist on for the new digs is room for a new home for all teh old stuff now stored under the garage! Got my early and only fromal training in weekend sessions with Mike Rose when he was teaching classes as the master smith at Dollywood. Wife and I plan to be at SOFA Quad States this weekend, and maybe will see some of you there! :)

Hello from Kentucky, and a brand new member. My chiropractor told me that the pain is aggreivated by the fact that the grip on a hammer (or tennis racket) works the muscles in only one direction, the "squeeze" of the grip. He told me to put the tips of fingers and thumb all together, put a rubber band around them, and open against the rubberband as I sit, or drive, or whenever I can. That will execise the arm and hand muscles in the opposite direction, balence the strength and help to alliviate the problem. Like anything else, don't overdo it, but a minute or so a couple of times a day has made a huge difference for me. Hope that helps someone else.