jalopy forge

Nice building

Take your time and have fun setting up your shop.

I had a lot of fun setting up mine and I am little bummed that its done. 

Winter and a back problem slowed me down but I finally got the shop together.

Shop has no power tools, just hand crank and pedal power so I get a little exercise while having fun.

Just using as a small hobby shop for me and my son. 

Hey Jim

Thanks for the look inside your shop

looks like a very nice setup

Mike

Hey Jim (Coke)

Nice studio shop you have there, but a little to much snow for me.

I have seen the pictures of you large shop on this site, very cool.

Would like to see pictures of the inside of your studio shop if you could.

thanks

Mike

Thanks, but please don't give my wife any ideas about me living in there.

Shop has 4 windows that open, but Michigan winters might change my mind on that idea.

I have power close by if I need to add an electric vent fan or blower.

Ok, just borax

Thanks for the reply turbo7

Just an update on the progress of my small (8 x 10) shop

Outside is done, now need to install chimney and setup inside.

Was going to spray inside walls with clear sealer but also want to

spray on borax for a little fireproofing.  Should I spray on the sealer

or the borax first. Or just borax?

Joel

Thanks for keeping part of our history alive and working

So much from our past has been scrapped and melted down

Your shop is truly a working museum and your work is amazing

Thanks for sharing

It would be fun leaving It on the trailer and taking it to farm and blacksmith shows but I need trailer for other things.

The weather has put a stop to putting the shop in the backyard

Last week it was to wet to get the trailer back there and this week we got 8" of snow

Temps going up to the 50's this Sunday so yard will be wet again.

I did make time this week to build a hood for my forge from a metal coal storage can.  

I will update when yard either freezes or dries up    

Hey Brent

I am also new to the site and from SE MI

Take Jim Coke's advice and check out  the MI Blacksmiths web site

I recently joined the group and attended last months meeting and demonstration

Great group of people, lots of food, raffle for blacksmith related items and very informative demonstration

Mike

New to the site and pretty new to blacksmithing

I am a volunteer at a local metro park historic site I am learning the trade/ hobby from a couple other volunteers in a small blacksmith shop we set up at the site of a historic grist mill

This summer at a estate sale I picked up a brake drum forge with hand crank blower for $15, a post drill for $10 and 4 pairs of tongs for $15

I decided to set up a shop at home when I found this 8 x 10 wood building on craigslist for $100

Fortunately the cow manure inside had long since dried up and turned into dirt

I am working on it in my in-laws barn and while looking for some scrap wood in the barn my son found a nice anvil that I did not know my  father-in-law had purchased before he passed away. 

Found a $5 wood and glass door on craigslist to fill the door opening and added some boards to the bottom and it is now about 8" tall 

Bought 4- 22" x 29" wood windows at Menards to install, one on each side

The building has no floor and I am going to set it on a bed of crushed limestone and I am going to install metal roofing on top

Went to a local woodstove shop and asked about chimney requirements and guy ended up giving 3- 3' sections of 8" triple wall pipe from his scrap pile

Was going to use the 8" pipe to vent my forge out the roof but after searching this site I am concerned that it might not be large enough.

I was planning on setting the building with the door facing the east to block westerly winds if I wanted to set the forge outside the door in the summer

if the 8" stove pipe does not draw well I am considering leaving the forge outside in the winter and using the stove pipe to vent a small pot belly stove I bought at a local flee market 

I would appreciate any suggestions about the stove pipe, placement of the building or anything else that might help me out

Thanks