Machine shop Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 I have recently got into blacksmithing but I have been making things my whole life. most of my blacksmithing is done out in the car port (with the land rover moved) as I don’t have space in the shop. it’s all a bit tight, but the new big anvil will be living outside under a cover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 After being confined to good weather conditions to forge for about two years, I finally finished everything for the inside shop. A concrete slab is poured to support the anvil and vise, and an insulated chimney pipe with ample clearance is going through the roof. Only thing left to do is install a fire proof plate to the wall behind the forge. Very excited to finally forge inside! ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Congratulations! (And still a good chunk of winter left to enjoy it in!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Jobtiel, having the anvil and the vise behind the forge seems odd. Wouldn't that add a couple of extra steps from heat to hit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Yes, it is not optimal, but the space is quite long and narrow, so I use the forge from the side and then it's about 1-2 steps to the anvil. So the anvil and vise are kind of next to the forge. I have to share the space with my stepdad also working in the shed. It was also requested to not have the chimney pipe block the window, so having the chimney on the other side was also not an option. And thanks! I'll be sure to enjoy the hotter and dry forging area now. Luckily we have a mild winter here in the Netherlands this year so forging outside was also still doable. ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 It doesn't look like the super sucker hood is attached to the forge. What if you were to position it facing out into the room and put the forge itself on casters? That way, you roll the forge into position when smithing and then roll it back against the wall (as shown) when you're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 That is actually a great idea! I haven't thought of that yet. The hood is indeed not attached to the forge and the forge is light enough to have two wheels in the back and tilt it to get it into position. Thanks for the tip! ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 A lot of things in my shop are on casters (gas forge, welding table, horizontal and vertical bandsaws, tool cabinet, hydraulic press, hammer rack, etc), so my brain naturally goes there when thinking about shop layout in a tight space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 (edited) Just moved into my 8 x 16 space over the holidays. An overgrown corner of the yard with an ancient Monkey Ward aluminum shed. The shed came down, the space was graded, drainage accounted for (space is in the path of runoff) and the neighbors were kind enough to repair the fence the shed was holding up! From clearing the space to lighting the coke forge, about 6 months of hard work. The old leaky corrugated patio cover was repurposed, walls to roof, rusted out roof to walls in the new space. It's narrow, but dry save for condensation off the metal roof. Getting all my stuff in there is a challenge, the old space was a shared 12x22 feet. I think coke and propane storage will be outside the smithy, and my scrap pile needs some serious thinning and re thinking. Gallery link above shows all the work in progress pictures. Best, Michael Edited January 15, 2022 by Mod30 Remove link per request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I can stand at the forge, cranking the blower, and reach everything except the vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefLittleBair Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 12x16 shed. Took this panoramic from the loft on the far side. I was just getting my forge moved in, I've since built a chimney for it, ran power, insulated the walls, put tin roofing on the walls behind and next to the forge, and put a heavy steel table in the right corner by the forge to mount my bigger post vise to. I cut a hole in the floor the size of my anvil base and laid sandstone blocks on the ground up to floor height to set the base on, so the anvil base is tied directly to the earth and doesn't shake the shed when I'm forging. I've been out in the shed when its well in the teens-singke digits ferenheit and had it upwards of 60 degrees inside the shed with just the forge going. I have a workbench under the loft I took the picture from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Those curved walls and beams are really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefLittleBair Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 (edited) Yeah, that took a lot of skill to pull off. Makes framing a real chore Edited February 11, 2022 by Mod30 Excessive quoting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Here is my temporary shop. Sorry the sign fell off. I had more important stuff to deal with than cheap duct tape. I have 2 other sheds jam packed plus a small storage unit back home and am currently talking with a contractor to put up a bare bones structure. Grading, concrete and building myself are beyond my capabilities right now. I have a feeling it won't be cheap these days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Pole barn Nodebt; find a farmer with a tractor with a post hole auger and drop some pressure treated poles in and go to town! Ask the local metal roofing company about tearoffs for the walls... if you are rural enough not to be constrained by a whole lot of restrictions! Check with your local County Extension Agent; you're paying his salary after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 I never thought about that! I'm having the house roofed and I bet they do that stuff as well. The land is kind of sloped so I'd have to have that done and the concrete. Shame: I had a tractor and all most of the implements back home but had to leave some stuff, I guess.... Plenty of land and space here. It will be nice when I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Well, my shop has used propanel for the walls and unused "project overruns" for the roof. The only things I bought were 2 fiberglass panels for skylights and the roll up door---used from a storage place that replaced them all and a friend's brother had that job; so I stopped by their place after Quad-State one year and bought a 10'x10' roll up door and channels for US$75! (and drove it over 1000 miles home...) Of course I also bought purlins, lots of SDST screws and 2 old steel trusses; but a fully enclosed 20'x30' with 10' walls ran me under US$1000 + scrounging time. Pole Barns are the cheapest method of enclosing space and pretty much all of it can be done by the land owner too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 I had a pole barn in mind from the start. What I meant by "I didn't think of that" was asking the company that's going to roof my house about if they have panels from old jobs or what they do with them. I am not averse to saving money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 9, 2022 Share Posted March 9, 2022 Going to the source is not an unknown idea round these virtual parts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malleus Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I built this 10 or so years back. The dimensions are 20x30. It doubles as storage for tools, equipment, ect... as well as a place to do home shop type stuff. I'm hoping to set up a forging operation here also. I have some plans to do a lean-to type building off the side in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 that is a great building.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malleus Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Thanks! It was something I had been dreaming of for a long time. It was originally going to be smaller, but a good friend of mine urged me to build it as large as I could. So I did, and I'm grateful for his advice. I ended up building it in 3 stages (floor, walls, roof), and paid as I went. The last thing I wanted, was to take the enjoyment out of it by having to make payments on a loan. There are definitely a few changes I would make if I were to do it again. However, I'm very pleased with it overall, and it has served me well so far. Hoping to start that lean-to this year, maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeway Forge Studio Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 I’ve posted some of my old shops on here before, but wanted to post my current iteration of my studio space. It is 20x10, built using new lumber and recycled materials. Keeps the rain and snow out! last thing I need to do is build a proper chimney, but the smoke shelf overhang I built for the coal forge works most of the time, except when the winds blow from the west. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 Is that a coal iron works press? I've been thinking about getting one. Do you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 Mr Anderson- that does look like the coal 12 ton. I recognize it because thats what I have, and I love it. There are some limitations due to the die size but it works a treat in my shop. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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