Yuppiejr

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

I lucked into a guy on Cragislist who had been liquidating a ton of new/old stock metal files he'd picked up from a guy who used to supply machine shops... sets of 45 US & European made files (Nichonson, Johnson, AmSwis, Heller, K&F, Simonds, Grobet, etc..) in a range of sizes from 18" monster bastard files to tiny machinist files ran $50 a set, but he threw in a bunch of freebies with each set like handles, oddball/slightly used files, carrying rolls, etc... I ended up with 3 sets for myself and picked up another 3 for coworkers. As a "bulk buyer" bonus he threw in 6 full boxes (36 total) Tome Feteira Second Cut 11" flat files since he was finding nobody else wanted "crappy Portuguese files" that he figured I might be able to put to use for knife blanks. I've used a number of files from the various sets, but the Tome Feteira's have turned out to be some of the best files I got in the deal. After giving them a go I'd certainly recommend the TF's, they cut and wear as well as any of the other US made vintage files, but don't seem to command quite the premium price as the better known brands or the now Mexican made Nicholsons. I've also seen good reports of the files sold by Drills and Cutters https://drillsandcutters.com/files/ - not US or European made, but they seem to have a good reputation among the machinists I've asked for every day work files and are a lot cheaper per unit than the non US made Nicholsons or the mystery maker of the Lowes / Harbor Freight / etc.. generic file sets. Free shipping over $100 to boot.

Thanks for the into Thomas, any chance you can describe the markings on your anvil? Is the William Foster name on one line or two? I figure there are only so many years ending in 7 in which this one was manufactured so maybe I'll get lucky and find someone else with a 18x7 variation with similar markings and can figure out the year from there. I like to have as much info as possible to share with the next owner even if it isn't particularly collectible or valuable. Functionally the sweet spot on this thing is huge, and it doesn't ring nearly as much as my similar weight Peter Wright which has the sweeping long horn and iconic thin waisted profile that's nice to look at... but it's got that utilitarian beauty of a tool that's meant to be used vs looked at. It really will make a good starter anvil for someone, I'm having a hard time bringing myself to part with it already... but it's got to make it down the road before my wife drops it on my head while I'm sleeping. Cheers -- J

While cruising one of the local liquidation/construction remnants/odd lot auction sites I threw a bid on what was described in exactly two words, "Heavy anvil." Didn't figure my lowball offer was going to fly but I ended up winning presumably due to the low effort from the auctioneer on both descriptions and pictures. Got it home and knocked the gunk off this evening so I could see what I was dealing with, based on the shape I assumed it was a Mouse Hole but after I scrubbed off the dirt and barn gunk it ended up being a William Foster. It's been whacked up good with a chisel, but seems in good serviceable shape with decent rebound and a flat face. I can't tell if the odd pitting on the face is a weld repair or just a defect in the steel, I assumed a weld job but found another picture of a William Foster with almost identical pitting. Here are the post cleanup pics, I'm still trying to figure out a date since the only number visible among all the chisel hits below the maker name is a 7. There is a single crown stamped below the weld line for the face plate, and then "William Foster" on a single line followed by a lot of nicks and a clearly stamped 7. The opposite side has the hundredweight stamp of 1-0-23. Anyone know where in this mess of hits I should be looking for the manufacturer date on this particular anvil? I went over it with a flashlight, dusted the entire thing with white chalk and had two other people look closely with and without the flashlight and nobody could spot any additional numbers beyond the 7 in the picture. .. here's a picture of another William Foster with the same strange pitting on the edge of the face, possible coincidence that this one was also repaired or is this a common trait of these anvils? This one will get cleaned up and re-sold to another aspiring local blacksmith well below the Craigslist prices which are pushing $5 a pound lately.

So true, I uncovered a couple chunks of track in my scrap pile and did some test forging on both the work hardened rail "top" and with the section set on it's side forging on the round... the round worked much better. I ended up routering the profile of the track into the face of a stump and ran a chain through the existing hole in the rail so I could bolt it down, worked great until I got on my Peter Wright hot streak. Honestly for all the hoops people (myself included) jump(ed) through to get chunks of railroad track to use as interim anvils, I think a 20 pound sledge hammer head is far easier to find and as good or better as a starter anvil than a chunk of railroad track on it's side or welded together with a bunch of other metal scrap.

Just a minor reality check, at $278-305 shipped to your door you can get a brand new well regarded 70 pound NC or Cliff Caroll anvil in one of a few different configurations from Centaur Forge. while I'm not suggesting these are better than the Soderfors in particular, they are still good anvils with full warranties and delivered to your door without the time/gas to go pick up one of the others. If you're having to haul the thing in and out of the garage until you get your permanent shop done the lighter weight anvils will be a big plus. If I were choosing between the 4, I'd also go for the Soderfors though I am with the others who find the Mouse Hole compelling as well, at $2 a pound I think he knows it's been repaired and who knows if he'll come down a bit further just to get it out of the herd? I'd offer him $260 on the MH or Soderfors and see where you end up.

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.

32" diameter, 4" wide grindstone, thank you ($56 winning bid). The stand is obviously not original (treated 4x4's) but all of the hardware that goes with it was included in a cool "Made in Occupied Japan" wooden ration crate.

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.

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).

If you build a "sandbox" foundation of ground contact rated 2x6 treated lumber and then fill it in with 4" of class 2 aggregate (same stuff used for gravel roads and shoulders around here) and it will compact into a nice hard floor that's way cheaper than concrete... add an inch of sand and square pavers later if you want a fancier hard surface floor.

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.

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.

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 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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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. 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. ... more to come.

Appreciate this thread, it provided the basic inspiration for a shop I'm going to start this week after I lucked into a pile of galvanized steel roofing at Lowes for $3 a sheet plus some deeply discounted trim/facia and screws to go with it, putting the project firmly within my budget. I'll start my own design-build thread for that project but wanted to say thanks again for getting the wheels turning, your photos and the various responses in this thread with tips/advice really helped kick my brain into action by solving a lot of the how/what/if's I was stuck on with my own design concept.

First guess is a Trenton (Google image-search-fu) and seems to be in remarkably good condition.

Just for reference, when I was at the local steel yard (discountsteel.com) browsing their retail center they had drops of various tool steel in sizes larger than 4x4 including some good size bits of 4140 and A1 for $1.25 a pound.

I played with a few combos to make my existing automatic charger work including wiring a bad battery in parallel, most of them have an automatic shutoff feature regardless of the battery charge state after a set number of hours. I dinked with a lot of chargers before discovering the new/manual models and haven't looked back for doing electrolysis cleanup. A computer power supply or DC welder can also do the trick.

Manual battery chargers are still sold, Menards sells the "Die Hard" brand with manual mode in both 2a/6a and 2a/10a varieties and Amazon sells the Schumacher brand units. I've tested manual units from both brands while restoring old barn lanterns and each worked perfectly. This week they have the 6a model on sale for $25, normally $35... great price: http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/automotive-marine-hardware/automotive-batteries-chargers-jumpers/diehard-6-2-amp-battery-charger-12-volt/p-1444445229536-c-9100.htm The 10a model has manual or automatic charge modes making it a bit more versatile if you also want to use the unit to charge batteries: http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/automotive-marine-hardware/automotive-batteries-chargers-jumpers/diehard-10-2-amp-automatic-manual-battery-charger-12-volt/p-1444445229204-c-9100.htm If you're an Amazon fan, Schumacher has options with free Prime shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SE-1052-Manual-Starter-Charger/dp/B000AM8BF4 http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SE-82-6-Dual-Rate-Battery-Charger/dp/B0009IBJBM

What about one of the 4" Atwood RV/bilge blowers? http://www.attwoodmarine.com/userfiles/store/product/files/1238/1731.pdf 12v operation, 100-125 CFM and 2.5-2.9 amp draw depending on your operating voltage up to 13.6v. Fan has a 3 year warranty and is water resistant. $26 for the fan : http://www.amazon.com/Attwood-Quiet-Blower-Resistant-4-Inch/dp/B003EX02DA $11.22 for a speed controller: http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Controller-Regulator-Modulator-Indicator/dp/B00DVGGWC0

Picked this up recently, it's heavy, it rings like a bell and has some character marks along the edges.. and it's the first 200+ pound anvil I've seen much less had the chance to acquire, so I'm curious about it's pedigree. It seems to have lines/shape like my smaller Peter Wright and what could be a pretty badly obliterated circular mark just above the weight marks that seem PWish... but I'm not sure. Thanks in advance if anyone can provide some more info based on the photos below. The only legible markings I found were the 3 - digit hundredweight markings, 2-0-24 (248 pounds). I tried doing a wax paper/crayon rubbing but didn't come up with anything more than the numeric digits.. seems like someone took a chisel to the sides pretty aggressively.

I got in good with a few guys who regularly garage/estate sale and have picked up some good blacksmithing and old tools as a result. I also put out feelers on two forums specializing on totally unrelated topics and ended up with two hits that resulted in anvils I was able to purchase (one for $2 a pound, the other straight barter for labor). Craigslist and eBay are tough unless you are really patient and quick when an opportunity pops, focus on fishing where others are not.

If you don't have a demo saw, a 18-20v lithium ion battery powered angle grinder with a couple of cutoff wheels and a 4# engineering hammer would probably also do the trick. Score/cut it where you can with the cutoff wheel and then a few good whacks with the hammer should break it off into manageable sections nicely. That looks like smaller size track assuming the font is about .75 - 1" high and the timber next to it is roughly 8x8. The conversion from production of iron to steel rails started in the late 1850's so if it's marked 1889 it's likely steel.