Mart

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I have until summer to come up with a floor plan. First things first, a roof and four walls. For almost two weeks we had gusting(60-70mph) winds that put our temp down into the 20-30 below range so a good amount of time and money is going into building the shop itself. The biggest problem I forsee is proper ventilation of the building. I don't think cracking open a few windows in a wind storm is the best thing to do....LOL I can tell you all one thing. Planning this has been a good time. I can't wait till it all comes together!

Thanks for the feedback Woody. It follows what I've been hearing and reading. I usually follow the six " P's" rule. Prior Planning Prevents Xxxx Poor Performance. I know I'll have to make some changes as I go along but I'm plan on taking the time to make sure they are " small" changes. Once again thank you for the input. Mart

Hello people, my name is Mart. I'm 33 and for the last 3 years I've lived in Alaska. Although I'm an avid outdoorsman and spend alot of time camping, rock/ iceclimbing, and hiking, I've found, even with work, that I have alot of time on my hands. Last year I re-enlisted into the Army Reserve after being out of the service for almost ten years and I'm due for my re-enlistment bonus. I've decided to put a hefty chunk of it towards setting myself up a little blacksmithing shop. I've always been interested in smithing and I've spent the last year researching and planning. I've read quite a bit but nothing beats hands on knowledge. I'm building a small shop from the ground up and I have a good idea of what I want to do but still have alot of questions. There is alot of information out there but I could use recommendations on books covering shop layout and such. Thankyou