February 8, 20215 yr Not doing much work, so here is my shop. On the left side is an unfinished forge chimney and I have a vice outside for cutting long stock or if I must do a lot of grinding. The doors are made so I can have them opened but the dogs can't get inside. On the right side is my fine bench, where I can sit and write, draw, do leather work, assemble fine things. On the left side is my crude bench, where I can weld and grind and pound on, it is higher so I can stand and work. The small shop has its limitations on the size of things I can make but on the other hand everything is right there, it is cozy and it gets so warm in the winter I can sit in my t-shirt.
February 10, 20215 yr RP; I'm thinking of adding a small swamp cooler for my shop and work in the output stream.
February 10, 20215 yr Heat in my shop isn't really a problem; it's xxxxxx cold here. -10°C or 14°F .... even in the summer, I got plenty tree coverage. but now; even with the heaters on, the concrete floor becomes uncomfortable cold fairly quick.
February 10, 20215 yr I recently added an industrial fatigue mat to the forging area of my shop. It's about 3/4" thick rubber with a nice grippy surface, and it's good for both insulation and cushioning. (And letting you know when and where you've dropped something hot!)
February 10, 20215 yr I used to use a scrap piece of plywood over the snow when I forged outdoors in Columbus Ohio, USA. Keeps the cold "floor" from chilling your feet. Scrap so who cares if you drop a hot piece on it. Pick the dropped piece up up and step on the burn to put it out.
February 10, 20215 yr 12 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Pick the dropped piece up up and step on the burn to put it out. And warm up your foot. Frosty The Lucky.
February 10, 20215 yr Let it get going better or step on the hot steel. Stepping on hot steel warms up my foot almost every time, provided I can stand the smell. Frosty The Lucky.
February 10, 20215 yr Nice space there Red Pedro! I'm looking to build something similar in a corner of the yard, and free up the patio for the family. Did you build yours (assuming you built it) as a pole barn, with the posts sunk in the ground or concrete? I don't suppose drainage is much of an issue where you are. Slowly moving out all the dirt to get ready for drainage gravel.
February 10, 20215 yr Thanks Micheal. Built it my self after forging under those trees for a year. The posts are on concrete footings and post anchors. You can see one if you zoom in under the forge I do get some water in the forge when it rains real hard, 3-4 times a year
February 11, 20215 yr 12 hours ago, Frosty said: Let it get going better or step on the hot steel. Stepping on hot steel warms up my foot almost every time, provided I can stand the smell. Frosty The Lucky. Hmmmm the smell of burning rubber mixed with bacon in the morning
February 12, 20215 yr Trying too get past angry non flying faerie sword and axe men? If you can smell burning rubber when you're cooking bacon you're using the wrong spatula. Frosty The Lucky.
February 13, 20215 yr My shop is round 20ft diameter with fire pit forge in center. Smoke hole in middle. Lodge pole pine beams covered in cedar.
February 13, 20215 yr Will, you basically have an Iron Age smithy. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."
February 13, 20215 yr Here is the inside. The fire pit has 1” tuyere feeding 100 com booster fan. My 132lb steel anvil delivery for today was delayed by weather. Pic is after I moved one gallon of coals to smoker for chicken. Tried to punch through tongs with drift but failed so drilled instead. Will wait for anvil before completing tongs, material is heavy 3/4” metal that I need to taper handles. Instead chainsaw carved more on my djembe drum in foreground.
February 13, 20215 yr WIA. I love it. Looks like your going to have a very good time in there. No metal, got drums.
February 14, 20215 yr I aint sat in a drum circle in years. I gave my Djembe to my daughter a while back. The last time i played it i was, lets just say i was in an altered state of mind and wore a hole through the head. It took sometime but she finally found someone that knew how to replace the skin. Oh i should mention it was a traditional African Djembe with goat skin head. She took my Dumbeck years before. I actually bought the Djembe hoping she would give that back, now she just has both. We were at a show one year in Alpine valley. Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart came out and sat with us for an hour or so before they had to go on. Anywho, the shop. One of them old 1950's garages that is too small for a car. It also aint that clean and some changes have been made. Like my forge hood, but basically here it is in all its glory:
February 15, 20215 yr Mr. Bones, Mickey Hart is one of the greatest living musicians, he traveled extensively to drum with the masters. My drumhut forge was built 10 years ago by me and will fit about 11 drummers but it usually accommodates my best friend only. By adding the variable speed tuyere the fire pit temp and smokiness can be more accurately controlled, good for forging, leisure drumming, woodcarving, or mancaving. That’s a nice looking metal hood above your forge, I want build a similar one above my fire pit but cover it in rock with 3 arches like the sketch.
February 15, 20215 yr On 2/11/2021 at 11:03 AM, ThomasPowers said: Next a discussion on how Irish Step Dancing evolved! Old-style step dancing Old-style step dancing is sometimes called "Munster-style sean-nós". Old-style step dancing evolved in the 17th-18th century from the dancing of travelling Irish dance masters. The dance masters slowly formalized and transformed both solo and social dances. Modern masters of old-style step dancing style can trace the lineage of their steps directly back to 18th century dancers. The Irish Dance masters refined and codified indigenous Irish dance traditions. Rules emerged about proper upper body, arm, and foot placement. Also, dancers were instructed to dance a step twice—first with the right foot then with the left. Old-style step dancers dance with arms loosely (but not rigidly) at their sides. They dance in a limited space. There is an emphasis on making percussive sound with the toes. The Irish dance masters of this period also choreographed particular steps to particular tunes in traditional music creating the solo traditional set dances such as the Blackbird, St. Patrick's Day, and the Job of Journey Work, which also persist in modern Irish stepdancing. In this context, "set dance" signifies a separate tradition from the social dance tradition also called set dance. Modern stepdance The most predominant form of Irish Stepdance is that popularised by the Broadway show Riverdance, and other Irish dancing stage shows since the late 20th century. Characterised by a rigid torso and dances performed high on the balls of the feet, this style became distinct from the late 19th century when the Gaelic League began efforts to preserve and promote Irish dance as part of a broader nationalist movement concerned with Irish culture. Although a rigid torso may be the initial characterization of Irish dance, modern soft shoe Irish ballerinas commonly gracefully use their arms in flowing movements, abandoning the traditional form. It is not uncommon for hard shoe dancers to use their arms in strict hand formations other than arms at sides. In 1929, the League formed An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG, The Irish Dancing Commission) in order to codify and standardise stepdancing competition and education. Over the following decades, CLRG expanded globally, and promoted this particular form of stepdance by developing examinations and qualifications for teachers and competition adjudicators. Today, stepdance in the style codified by the Gaelic League is performed competitively in a number of countries, and under the auspices of a number of organisations which have at various times broken away from CLRG. Will-I-am - awesome shop.
February 15, 20215 yr My goodness Will, I didn't check in today expecting to come away knowing a bunch more about Irish step dance. Very cool. Thanks. Frosty The Lucky.
February 15, 20215 yr Then there is the Irish steep dance, a slow rocking back and forth whilst waiting for your first pot of tea to be ready to drink after last nights over indulgence. Arms are loose or cradling a down hanging head. (Hey, I have a grandson name Jameson though I never asked why...)
February 16, 20215 yr A big snowstorm came through and ran off all the Irish dancers. New anvil delivery delayed by weather further?
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