primtechsmith Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 It is tough living in a town or city limits where homes are plentiful and land is scarce. And usually when in town limits there are restrictions on things like open fires. How is it some of you "neighborhood smiths" get around the restrictions and limitations? And the irritable neighbor? Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 My property and the next door neighbor's are the only original farm homesteads still left in the neighborhood. Right across the street and right behind us are developments with restrictions, as is the rest of the street down the way. I try not to be too noisy late at night - I keep the big overhead door closed - but basically, I just got lucky buying a place where I can do what I want. I couldn't have a forge probably 150 feet in any direction from the shop. My forges are inside so I don't technically have any open fires. As for the neighbors, no problems so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I live smack dab in the middle of town with all our tiny yards back to back and side by side. We can't build open fires inside the city limits. I figured it must be OK to build one in my forge because everyone builds a fire to BBQ with. I have never had anyone complain about the smoke. Once, a new neighbor did come over to see why I had built a fire in my "wood burning heater" in July. He said he thought he was seeing things when he the smoke started rising from the flue. I made him a steak turner and he went away happy. I have to admit, I worry that someday the fire department will come and tell me to put the fire out, because I am not 100% sure that I am legal. I have a big fire extinguisher by the door and my flue is tripple wall, maybe seeing something like that will help my case if they are ever called. I just kinda adopted the "don't ask, don't tell" mentality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BT Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Leah That is my philosophy, it is always easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 A coal burning forge is no more of an open fire than a fire in your fireplace in a house / and its a whole lot safer unless your shop is carpeted and your forge has curtains on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Murch Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 My forge is inside of a screened-in-porch with a concrete floor located on the corner of the house about as close as I could get to the neighboors. Their house is about 40-60 yards away. The hammering is really not that loud. If you've ever checked you know that hammering nails is a lot louder than forging iron. I use a charcoal forge all the time so there is no smoke. The only noisy power tool I run is an angle grinder. I use it sparingly, and it's not much louder than a leaf blower. Never had any complaints from the neighboors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I spent 15 years living in a 100 year old neighborhood in Columbus OH. My nearest neighbor had a house less than 20 *feet* from mine. The forge was either under the big old tree out back or in the detached falling down garage behind the tree (summer/winter). I looked into the local codes and it said anything that creates fumes discernable from off the property was verboten as was open fires though there were two exceptions: heating and cooking. I was very lucky, the nearest neighbor was retired and said that coal smoke reminded her of the old coal furnace she grew up with---no problem. To the other side we had about 40 feet to the next house (we had a double lot with our house built 1' onto the other lot so it couldn't be subdivided) It was mainly low rent housing and they generally were not interested in having the police come round... At one point I did have trouble with an unknown neighbor calling the fire department on me any time I lit up---but by the best of good luck they did it when I was using my *smoker* to cook dinner (see exception #2) and after 3 times the fire department wedged their truck down the alley to see me cooking chicken or salmon in the smoker I think thay had the little "large fine for false alarms" talk with them because the harassment stopped! Remember that being a good neighbor is more than just following the local codes---If someone has a young child, try to coordinate with them so you don't interfere with their nap times, same with their BBQ's or outdoor parties. Though forging usually doesn't bother social gatherings, use of grinders will. Propane or charcoal forges are not nearly so "visible" as coal forges. A Fisher or Vulcan anvil will hold down the hammering amazingly and a muffled "By St Eloi!" when you do something you shouldn't instead of cussing will help keep a low profile. Now on the bad side: I had a student who put a forge outside his place in a college district. Unfortunatly the prevailing wind pushed the smoke into a nearby appartment whose renter called the cops on him---they told him he needed an EPA permit to burn coal. Being a stubborn cuss he contacted the EPA and asked what he needed to do to get one. The asked him how much coal he burned in a year. he said "a couple of hundred"; "tons???"; "No, pounds". When they got finished laughing they told him not to bother them till he was in the 1000 ton range (IIRC). He asked them to put that in writing which they nicely did so he showed that to the city. Then they said he would have to get a "burning permit" $25 and 10 working days before *each* time he would be using the forge. He ended up moving instead---note this is the same city I had been running my forge in for years and still did for years afterwards. Of course there is a time that the local Bar burned down and nobody called the fire dept until too late cause they thought the smoke was from my forge back behind the bar across the alley... Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I also live in a residetial area. Omaha, Ne and I run a gasser. I have some fairly new neighbors whose backyard faces my smithy. He is a volunteer fireman and I know he and his (I assume) fireman buddies have been outside durning some of my forging sessions. Thought they'd come over and ask questions,at least out curiosity. No sirens yet however. No one has even complained about the noise form the power hammer . But most of my work is done on weekends when most folks are busy with their own noisy projects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I have been forging in my garage 6 or more years, with coal and gas. Now I have a power hammer. So far so good. Have had the fire dept come by in full gear to look it over once and since then they respond by seeing if I am forging before putting on the whistles and bells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 One other trick: if you get some of the local cops/firemen interested in smithing you will have much less trouble if someone does call them down on you! I remember one time I was using my triphammer and had not kept track of the time till the cops showed up saying it was after 10 pm. i apologized profusely and *immediately* shut down and then spent half an hour discussing knifemaking with the cops till they got called out on something else. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 I am now on rural property but was in the city for ten years in an old residential area that was originally developed in the 1940's. Lots were large (1 to 6 acres) but houses were small. My shop was behind our house and surrounded by trees. Behind us to the north was a church, to the west was my grandparents house, a neighbor to the east and the road was on the south side. I used to run the 100 lb hammer quite often and people's windows would rattle but no one ever called the law - they'd just comment to me on occasion that there was this strange thumping noise every once in a while...everyone simply thought I was a weldor since they frequently would see an arc in the evening. Cities can be pretty noisy so you are often more camouflaged than you might think. I also have to say that my neighbors in the country hear more noise than at my old shop because there is so little background sound. Fortunately, we are in an unzoned area - my biggest worry is just being courteous and not running anything past 10 pm. One neighbor lives 1/2 mile away but he can always hear the power hammer going. Fortunately, he thinks it's cool and I do the occasional welding job for him so no problems to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBrown Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 I am lucky in a way iv only got one nabor thats a complaner the other complaner dosnt complane any more. She has called the police multiple times on my nabor who has a machine shop in his back yard but never on me so fare. I figure my time is coming but i was here first and so was my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Apprentice Man I think you are referring to a treadle hammer not a triphammer and they hold the head *up* preferably fairly balanced so it's easy to accelerate the head down with your foot. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 I live in a suburban area, thankfully my house is on a double lot so I'm not right on top of anyone, But I am always concerned. I work out of the garage so I have to wheel the forge out to the drive way between that and the air compressor running, anvil ringing or the grinder going it does attract attention. My point here though is not about my garage/shop but rather the impact WE can have as a neighbor not in the negative. (Even if its accidental) The other day I playing nice all by myself when I turned to discover I had a audience.... of one...small but it was an audience and a fan of my crude work. This kid asked a million questions and kept creeping closer to works and giving detailed accounts of life as a 3rd grader. So I put safety glasses, ear protection and a apron on the little guy(this was a sight as he was dressed in lime green "Skrek" swimming shorts) and he hung out till dusk. Always asking was it ok to stay and was he bothering me. When my wife got Home introductions were made to my new shop assistant, my wife giggling away at this new helpers look, then we broke for dinner. As he was leaving he asked if he could come back as well as alot of other junk then hinted about making something for him. pointing to leaf key rings I make. I thought what is my 3rd grader friend here gonna do with a key ring...BUT dinner could wait a few...We made him one right up and sent him on his way. I see the kid around and he carries the leaf a round like a real treasure. (Thought,Sure he'll lose interest next week but made me feel like a million.) Wife tells me later the kids new and parents are divorced and he has no dad to speak of... I surely never intended to impact this kids life and Don't Want to butt in and the Mom is doing a fantastic job with the little guy. But it does show how something so simple can impact our neighbors or neighborhood for the positive. Some times now I have an audience of two... three if you count the neighbors cat that likes to sit by my forge, But thats a different story about dragons breath and cat hair burning...what a smell!!!! *Back To the point If we are considerate towards them and they can put up with a bit of noise and smoke (from some of us)...Blacksmiths make great neighbors. I know this wandered abit off the subject but it just happened and seemed a good place for my happy sappy story.(grin) Thank you for indulging me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 I live right near the center of the city, across from the local College. My garden is fairly wide, so I keep right in the center, under the deck. I am kinda paranoid about smoke, because my neighbors are the crabby sort, and called the cops on us for our chickens when I was in the 3rd grade. Now we don't talk to them, and I make sure to start my fires with charcoal, which is far less smoky (but can still make smoke) and once it is going and I am forging, I pack small pieces of wood or dried spheres of chicken manure around the edge to "coke". Their smoke is burned up by the charcoal, and I can push the resulting charcoal into the fire as needed. My anvil is a 2.5 foot tall railroad joiner (which has more evenly distributed mass in cross-section than rail) sunk vertically into a 30 gallon bucket filled half way with heavy rock/ smashed concrete scrap and dirt, and in the top half with concrete. It doesn't ring at all, just goes "thunk! thunk!" Come to think of it, I ought to forge a little something for the neighbors on all sides, my family hasn't been very neighborly for a good 9 years. :-o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 cheftjcook, HOW COOL!! Wife and I live on 60 acres of East Texas pine and hardwood, (takes less than an hr to mow the yard, rest is trees!) Closest neighbors are about a 1/4 mile on either side. So I really don't have too many complaints! hehe. I do have a little buddy from church (9yrs old) that will ask nearly every Sunday if he can "come out to my shop and do some blacksmithing". I keep telling just whenever you want come on! (He comes from a very stable family and really doen't need the mentoring like your little friend.) I would talk to the Mom and let her know that you are in no way trying to "move in on her job" but if you enjoy the kid let he come! They all need some good adult mentoring and it sounds like you are up to the task! Thanks for sharing you story... Didn't mean to sound preachy... Archie Zietman, Good plan and a steak turner is fairly easy to do. I made a split cross last summer for a friend that raises bees, got close to 1 1/2 pounds of bees wax! That stuff is over $13 for a # in the hobby stores! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Thomas, not preachy at all! And some good advice, wife and I can pop over say Hi and let her know its ok for him to stop by and make sure she is OK with it as well. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 I used to live in the old part of the city; pretty run down; I taught smithing to the guy who was the "head" of the local teens that ran about the area and suddenly there were no break-ins or graffitti on my shop building anymore... Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 I live in a trailer park, and haven't tried to set up a forge here...too many odd neighbors. I did however find a state park that had a wonderful blacksmiths shop...built in 1923 specifically for demos... I play there during the Spring, Summer and Fall (and yes they are saving "my forge" for me next year). When I lived in WV (before I moved to the trailer park in PA), I had set up with the local craft guild the possibility of teaching very basic blacksmithing. The idea was the first set of classes would be on making simple propane forges , of which each student (limit of 10) would make two...one to keep and one to donate to the guild in leu of class fees (the guild would still pay me for teaching forge building out of grant monies). The guild worked out a deal with the local group that was converting the old train roundhouse to a museum. I would teach class in the old train forges, with the idea that when it was completely converted, I would demo occasionally for them (paid). Win-win all round for everyone! The option is still open when my arm is better. I am a huge fan of local arts and crafts guilds. By virtue of their non-profit status they have access to an amazing amount of financial and local resources. Anyway, there are a multitude of creative ways to be able to blacksmith in areas that just aren't feasable to set up a forge of any kind. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 I live in a trailer park, and haven't tried to set up a forge here...too many odd neighbors. I did however find a state park that had a wonderful blacksmiths shop...built in 1923 specifically for demos... I play there during the Spring, Summer and Fall (and yes they are saving "my forge" for me next year). When I lived in WV (before I moved to the trailer park in PA), I had set up with the local craft guild the possibility of teaching very basic blacksmithing. The idea was the first set of classes would be on making simple propane forges , of which each student (limit of 10) would make two...one to keep and one to donate to the guild in leu of class fees (the guild would still pay me for teaching forge building out of grant monies). The guild worked out a deal with the local group that was converting the old train roundhouse to a museum. I would teach class in the old train forges, with the idea that when it was completely converted, I would demo occasionally for them (paid). Win-win all round for everyone! The option is still open when my arm is better. I am a huge fan of local arts and crafts guilds. By virtue of their non-profit status they have access to an amazing amount of financial and local resources. Anyway, there are a multitude of creative ways to be able to blacksmith in areas that just aren't feasable to set up a forge of any kind. Pam How far is Carlisle from New York? The border I mean, I am right on the PA NY border, about 45 minutes from Honesdale. I would to do that propane forge class! Ever hear of the Northeast Blacksmith's Association Ladysmith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Aprenticman, Carlisle is about half an hour south of Harrisburg, PA. When I teach the propane forge class (and they are suprisingly easy to build), I will be teaching in Martinsburg, WV. I have heard of the Northeast Blacksmith Association, but it is just too far for me. I know there is a blacksmith group somewhere in NJ that has a propane forge building class. Otherwise, there is plenty of information on the internet, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilla Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Hi Guys, I work from home, and as long as I work 7:30 - 7:30 weekdays, and 9:00 - 7:30 weekends and public holidays, there's not much the neighbours can do about it. Fortunately my neighbours aren't home during the days so it's really not an issue. If they are I ask if there are any problem with making really loud noises. Anyway I could always fire up a furnace and melt some brass on their wash day it they want to get nasty... nothing says love like smoke through the clothes ;-) Regards Charles P.S. I wouldn't really smoke peoples washing... would I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Possibly(hehe). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty ripple Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 i used to have a shop, but it got destroyed in katrina so i've since moved it all into my backyard. the neighbors haven't complained yet but i try to have everything shutdown by nine. i've made things for some of them and that always helps make things run smoother. always feel guilty when i can hear them outside enjoying a summer night and i fire up the engine driven welding machine and the angle grinder, but since they know i'm still looking for a shop they are patient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbear Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 We live in attached condos in Ottawa. Backyard is 15ft by 15ft and our neighbours butt right up against us on both sides. Hardwood chunk charcoal is readily available here so I am going to give it a try. Brian in Ottawa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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