12' x 12' is snug but a plenty workable size and a shed roof with soffit vents makes for air good flow for ventilation. The convection might be strong enough to clear the exhaust from the propane forge. I think I'd put it near the high end so it has less distance to travel out. I like the large door and short roof, it's important to have dry-ish ground by the entrance. 

I zoomed in as far as I can with this OS and don't recognize what you have hung on the front. The voices are whispering about high speed, snow shoes, maces and possible team sports. They're kind of making me nervous. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Good Morning,

In the Boating World, it is called 'twofootitis'. No matter what size of ???????? you are working on, You would always like 'Two Feet More'.

There is a standard size for any Workshop, 'It's too Small'. LOL

In reality, anything that is more comfortable that what you WERE using, 'It's the Perfect Size'

Neil

 

Frosty, The strange art is a dragonfly fashioned from an old newel post, a couple of ceiling fan blades and some random pieces of wood. I made the dragonfly for my wife (a favorite of hers) and she said it was too big for inside the house. I had a large blank space on the front of the shop, so there it went. 

Here in east central NC, snowshoes are things magazines

 

If I asked if those are snowshoes it must've been a real long shot in that photo! Nice wall art, I really like it. Maybe if Deb and I ever move out of Alaska to somewhere warm I'll bring along a couple Alaskan trail / cargo /whatever, snowshoes and make a dragon fly to prop up next to the RV and when we meet someone who doesn't know or laugh outright we'll know we're far enough from snow country. 

You know, like the story of the sailor who retires and carries an ore everywhere he goes until folks stop asking, "Why are you carrying an oar?" and ask, "What are you carrying?"

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Nice build Pault17.  Show more as you finish it off.

I don't yet qualify as a newbie forger but I'm starting to get minimal equipment together and trying to build a forge plan in my mind.  I have quite a bit of general construction and woodworking experience and some metal-working experience, but I expect that learning to forge will be a fairly heavy lift.  I'll be using this thread for creative inspiration.  I don't just want a forge but a broad scope custom fabrication shop for wood, metal, polymer and composite materials.  I worked as a contractor for DOD projects such as the M1A1, F17, F22, etc., and would like to make custom axes and knives in my senior years.

Welcome aboard Bull! 

I don't know if you have a shop space or any equipment yet.  If not you might want to look for a maker's space in your area that has equipment and space available while you're building your own.  I joined one recently that has an incredible array of equipment woodworking, metal working, a FORGE!, welders, a plasma cutter, lasers, 3d printers, sewing equipment, and a bunch of stuff I haven't seen  that I can't currently afford myself and has space to put it.  

I'd been looking for a shop space to purchase or rent for a reasonable price where I could work when I ran across this a couple months ago.  It's not a permanent solution, but is a great place to try some things I can't do in my little work area.  

Thank you for the welcome and the advice, Brian.  

"I don't know if you have a shop space or any equipment yet."

I'm in-between.  We have a house N of Denver that has my shop, but I'm disassembling it right now as we prepare to sell that house and move south.  It will be a while before the dust settles.

In terms of equipment, I have very good woodworking tools and minimal metalworking tools: inexpensive welding rig, good drill press, small band saw, single burner forge, 125 pound Cliff Carroll anvil, decent belt/disc sander, etc.  I think the next buy will be an upgrade to the welder.  I'm looking to rent some warehouse space as an interim forge while getting the house build done.  

On 11/4/2025 at 9:04 PM, Bull Sigh said:

I worked as a contractor for DOD projects such as the M1A1

When i was in the Army i started on the M1, then when i got to Germany we had the M1A1's, and at Ft. Hood we were the test company for the M1A2. 

An old friend just let me know that my childhood home in Philadelphia is up for sale. From the listing website, here is a photo of the backyard where I first set up shop with a rivet forge, my Mousehole anvil, and an old no-name post vise.

That’s always special to see where it all began. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like our beginnings were similar, though I had the proverbial spreading chestnut tree under which to work

I had an ailanthus ("tree of heaven"), but it looks like it got cut down.