Building a shed w/o sides (overhang)

[Avadon]

Does anyone have pics or links to their overhang? I'm thinking about building one in my backyard. Sort of like a small pole shed without any walls. Just a place to place my forge under and work under in protection from rain/sun/elements. What is the name of this type of shed/shelter?

[jimbob]

"What is the name of this type of shed/shelter?"
I started calling mine "Foggy Bottom Forge"

[dablacksmith]

well ide call that a awning and it is gona depend on where you are located as far as dezign.. in arizona where ime from the dezigns can vary widely and still work.but there is no such thing as snow load the only dezign for weather is makeing sure it doesnt blow down... in your area your gona want to plan well figure prevaleing winds and maybee go half walls to keep possable snow from getting on your tools (or rain) . good luck!

[ianinsa]

Depending on where you live, your neighbors might have an altogether different description
Ian

[Avadon]

I called my mom because she knew what it was called. The term I was looking for was a "Portico." They are normally over peoples front doors, but you could make them anywhere. The other term is a wall-less pole shed. I do like the idea of doing half walls. I guess if I did half walls I could avoid some wind chill and also the caustic sun from burning in on one side and scorching me. I'm in central oregon. So does anyone have plans for anything like this or links to peoples little outdoor portico's so I can see what they look like. I'm hoping to have my forge under there and vented up through the roof.

[chyancarrek]

We've always called them shed-roof's.


"He shed-roofed a spot on his shop to park his tractor", "I shed-roofed a cover for the BBQ" etc.

Whatever you label them, call it dry and at least outta the weather.
Some sort o' minimal siding would be good for S. OR weather. That rain knows how to work it's way into even the driest buildings.

How's the settling in process going?

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I did the opposite, walls with no roof. I still have to weld the back wall up, still figuring out how I want to do the drums for that one.

I don't have to worry about snow, or rain much here. Wind on the other hand....seen a few days with winds 40/50/60mph.

Here are a couple of shots of the 55gal drum smithy. The first is the exterior, and the second shows how the drums can be used for storage. Later I plan on adding some shelves inside the drums to help separate the items better.

[Avadon]

We've always called them shed-roof's.


"He shed-roofed a spot on his shop to park his tractor", "I shed-roofed a cover for the BBQ" etc.

Whatever you label them, call it dry and at least outta the weather.
Some sort o' minimal siding would be good for S. OR weather. That rain knows how to work it's way into even the driest buildings.

How's the settling in process going?

I like something like this one

But I don't need the concrete foundation. I have dry dirt.

The settling in hasn't happened yet. It's been a crazy summer. I did get to travel around almost all of oregon and southern washington. I found out I really only could see myself in eugene or in central oregon. So I started looking in both and Eugene is pretty expensive. It's no kept secret and you really have to live way out if you think your going to get 5 acres. So I actually started looking for a few months here in central oregon and monday I might actually get my foot in the door. What I'm hoping to negotiate is a lease purchase on a 5 acre home outside redmond in terrebonne. It's a great home, really new, and very clean. Nice big back yard and nice big shop. If I get it i'll come back here and post a thread in the general forum and show you guys around it. I just don't want to jinx myself yet But wherever I land I am thinking about building this shed-roof/pole shed thing. That way I have all the tools and gas forging inside and the coal forging stuff outside.

That is unless I built a coal forge inside. But they always seemed a little dirty to me. Plus if your outside you can have a nice pit fire going next to you. Forging outside just has a nice feel to its own. In a lot of areas I have duplicate tools so it's not that big of a deal. I can always walk 20 feet back to the shop if I need something. ;)

[Avadon]

I did the opposite, walls with no roof. I still have to weld the back wall up, still figuring out how I want to do the drums for that one.

I don't have to worry about snow, or rain much here. Wind on the other hand....seen a few days with winds 40/50/60mph.

Here are a couple of shots of the 55gal drum smithy. The first is the exterior, and the second shows how the drums can be used for storage. Later I plan on adding some shelves inside the drums to help separate the items better.

That's pretty unique. I bet that breaks up a lot of the wind coming at you. I guess you have no shortage of drums? You should save some so you can make your own coal. Drums like that are also pretty expensive in some areas simply cause they are hard to come by. Have you ever thought about selling them?

[knots]

If you get your new place how about a porch.

[Avadon]

If you get your new place how about a porch.

If I get this place it has a large porch. But I don't want to be forging on that decking or around it. Too much chance of fire or just messing up the wood.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Drums are cheap around here. All of mine were free from work. There is a food company up the road in Utah that sells them by the pallet load for $4 ea. Most of the time, folks are happy to have someone haul them off because the scrapyards won't touch them, unless they are cut up, or crushed. I just make sure they are totally empty before I pick any up.

As for making my own coal, I don't think I have that much time to wait.

Charcoal on the other hand- possibly, but I can get coal for $120 a ton. If I need charcoal I can always clean up after the high school has their bonfire.

Another option for you is get a couple of sea containers, and roof between them. Not only do you get a covered area, you also get inside storage. Check for a Ritchie Brothers auction in your area.

Why the lease purchase? Why not just buy it now? Too many things could go wrong between now, and the final sale.

[Avadon]

Why the lease purchase? Why not just buy it now? Too many things could go wrong between now, and the final sale.

The lease purchase is actually the best for me right now. Can't get the loan right now. Need another 2 years or more to get the best loan I can. Meanwhile my rent and deposit is holding the place and pulling down the price of the property which is agreed upon in the lease. Lease purchase is actually a win win for the buyer provided you negotiate a good purchase price. It gives you the ability to walk with little risk if for some unseen reason things go wrong. If the economy goes up you still only pay what you agreed upon. If the economy goes way down you can cut your losses losing only your small few thousand dollar deposit. The buyer at least gets immediate payments through rent and the deposit they can place towards principle or towards inurance/taxes. So it's not terrible for the buyer either. Certainly much better than letting the property sit for the winter.

[trying-it]

Does anyone have pics or links to their overhang? I'm thinking about building one in my backyard. Sort of like a small pole shed without any walls. Just a place to place my forge under and work under in protection from rain/sun/elements. What is the name of this type of shed/shelter?

[ThomasPowers]

I try to build with what is to hand; my "dirty shop extension" is 20x30', 10' walls; made from free from the local electrical co-op used utility poles with a couple of ancient steel trusses---craigslist. I did splurge on new purlins---metal C ones and all the sheathing is hail damaged steel roofing---got the roof and 1 wall done so far; all in shades of blue.

Picked up 2 9' wide roll up doors (used of course and *blue* to boot!) for the open end, (other end ties into the "clean shop" building.)

Oh yes; I also sprung for a couple of sheets of fiberglass for skylights in the "storage half" of the structure.

I'm a bit more concerned with stuff walking off as I had a 200# anvil stolen out of my back yard in OKC back in 1982 so I plan to enclose my space; but it is sure nice to look at all the green alfalfa in my neighbor's pasture right now...

What about sliding "barn doors" open for good weather and close for bad.

[Avadon]

Some of us go down to Joe Rolfe's place and work occasionally (I really mean play), and we demonstrate blacksmithing at some of his Community Day events. His smithy is a 3-sided open wall addition to an existing building. At times a breeze blowing through the addition can cause problems with lazy coal smoke filling the workspace. Lazy coal smoke as it is to lazy to draw up and out and prefers to just hang around inside with us. A solution to this problem and also a little rain protection are canvas tarps attached at the roof edges. Tarps are rolled up and tied to store neatly at the roof edge until needed. Over time Joe has added a brick floor inside. Pictures should show the attached and stored tarps.

This is very cool. I like the idea of attaching to the side of the existing building. Gives you a good back wall. Then all you need is sides and a roof. Then you have one open face or open door. How well does the brick flooring work? Seems like it would go off level pretty quick. I'd love to make a cool foundation that would avoid having to hire a company to come in and pour a concrete slab, but maybe in the long run that is the cheaper option. Is it difficult or expensive to concrete/mortar bricks in? I'm quite handy, and can build pretty much anything.

[Avadon]

I try to build with what is to hand; my "dirty shop extension" is 20x30', 10' walls; made from free from the local electrical co-op used utility poles with a couple of ancient steel trusses---craigslist. I did splurge on new purlins---metal C ones and all the sheathing is hail damaged steel roofing---got the roof and 1 wall done so far; all in shades of blue.

Picked up 2 9' wide roll up doors (used of course and *blue* to boot!) for the open end, (other end ties into the "clean shop" building.)

Oh yes; I also sprung for a couple of sheets of fiberglass for skylights in the "storage half" of the structure.

I'm a bit more concerned with stuff walking off as I had a 200# anvil stolen out of my back yard in OKC back in 1982 so I plan to enclose my space; but it is sure nice to look at all the green alfalfa in my neighbor's pasture right now...

What about sliding "barn doors" open for good weather and close for bad.

These are all good ideas. Do you have any links or can you upload pictures of this stuff? Seeing makes it so much easier to visualize. Yah I don't think i'd spend the time to do roll up doors. This is just more of a place to work outside with a seperate set of tools where i'd do more coal forging which i'd rather not bring inside.

[ThomasPowers]

When I lived in central OH and had a detached 1920's garage for a shop anything less than say 200 pounds was stored in the basement of the house and I would have to carry it out to the shop when needed.

(2 break ins, nothing stolen though!)

Out here I want to have a semi secure place for my tools; thus the sheetmetal walls and the roll up doors. Roll up doors were cheap, don't take up overhead space---important where chimneys may need to be installed in the interior of the shop and give me a lot of ventilation.

As for pictures; picture this----4 stout utility poles set 5' into the earth and concrete poured around them on a 20x15' rectangle and that rectangle set 15' in front of the "old shop building"(also 20x30').

to the tops (10') of the utility poles are bolted 2 metal trusses going the 20' way that have a shallow peak and on the end of the old shop building angle iron has been bolted to the frame going up to mirror the truss shape and with angle iron bolted on top of that to make a 3rd mock truss. (Unfortunately the trusses were not the same rise and run as the old building)

Now c shaped metal purlins have been run along the 30' length from the front of the structure until they tie into the old shop: 3 per each wall and 4 per each side of the roof.

Next 3' wide sheets of blue propanel metal sheet are applied normal to the purlins save for where 2 pieces of fiberglass were placed on the roof over the "non forge" area for skylights.

Not pretty but has "blacksmith vigor"!

The soil out here is rated for direct casting of concrete on and it looks like the dirt is what will be the floor for the foreseeable future.

Once I get the 2 roll up doors across the front of the structure I can move tools and equipment out there and expect it to stay there!
I still hope to get a nice I beam to run across the tops of the outer poles to provide a lift point at the front of the shop and perhaps a lighter one for the second set of utility poles for lighter work. I'm also interested in putting a jib crane up inside (and outside for that matter!)

Re brick floors: Back in the early 1980's I laid a side yard in bricks laid in sand over black plastic and I know we didn't have any problems with heave over several years of use. (Free bricks from local construction that would dump their leftovers illegally near to my place.)

Using concrete on a brick floor would probably not be a good idea.

[Eric Farrar]

My wife finally let me build a roof over the area next to my shed that I had turned into my smithy. I had a bunch of 2x4s and a few sheets of 3/4" exterior plywood so all I had to buy was 2 12' 2x6s, a couple 4x4s and half a dozen bags of concrete.

The general dimensions are 12' x 6' and the roof is 6' high at the lowest point (the cross beams are about 5'6" - I'm short so I don't have problems hitting my head).

[Dragons lair]

Does anyone have pics or links to their overhang? I'm thinking about building one in my backyard. Sort of like a small pole shed without any walls. Just a place to place my forge under and work under in protection from rain/sun/elements. What is the name of this type of shed/shelter?

Son I see your a fellow(past tense) new england yankee. I was and still am a griller. Had a space under roof in Conn. OK for standing inside watching the grill. Wouldn't have wanted to stand out there with the wind blowing and 20 inches of snow on the ground. Close it in or move south. Too xxxx hard to dig ya a hole inna ground if ya freeze out there. This old yankee went to FL for 20 yrs
Now backin the Mtns 1/2 way back.
Ken.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

For the floor in my smithy I used railroad tie plates flipped upside down. Just raked the big rocks out, and laid them down. Tossed some sand over them, and swept it in with a broom.

[Avadon]

Son I see your a fellow(past tense) new england yankee. I was and still am a griller. Had a space under roof in Conn. OK for standing inside watching the grill. Wouldn't have wanted to stand out there with the wind blowing and 20 inches of snow on the ground. Close it in or move south. Too damm hard to dig ya a hole inna ground if ya freeze out there. This old yankee went to FL for 20 yrs
Now backin the Mtns 1/2 way back.
Ken.

That's right. I used to live on cape cod. Very famaliar with the cape, sandwich, mashpee, hyannis, plymouth, wareham, etc. It was definitely an experience. My gladiator was shipped all the way out there than came back with me to oregon. Doubt many gladiators get to travel that far unless they are going to europe.

New England winters are very harsh. Nothing in the west compares. The guy who came out to do my car windshield replacement in 20dg weather can tell you. It was so cold I couldn't even stand out there and watch him. I just offered him tea and hot choclate but he refused. New England winters are an inside forging experience. Even the blacksmith near me I hardly ever saw outside and definitely never in the winter.

[Avadon]

After spending some time thinking about this I realized I was kind of going about this the hard way. Simple carport designs and rv carport designs work quite well and getting a kit might actually be a lot cheaper than having to rebuild a lean to out of wood years later and also won't be an eyesore or kill resale. This carport attached has a main area and side protection. One could always sheet that left side you are enclosed on the roof and on one side. Also allows smoke to vent between the two roofs. Neat idea.

Little utility sheds like this area probably extremely cheap in this economy and most probably can be assembled without hiring a contractor.





Some i've seen are as cheap as a $500 and even if that seems high they do offer good design suggestions for a DIY project. Thomas' idea is also really good. Tommorow I make a bid after 4, YES FOUR MONTHS!!, of house hunting. I'm pretty sure I'll get this place. I've had my heart broken numerous times over the last few months but I think this place is going to be the one. I'll show pics. But it's a manufactured house, 3br 2 ba backs to BLM, in a desirable location on 1.25 acres and best of all it's very well within my means and I got a 3% loan. Maybe some day we can have a hammer in at my place! :D

[Mainely,Bob]

New England winters are very harsh. Nothing in the west compares. The guy who came out to do my car windshield replacement in 20dg weather can tell you. It was so cold I couldn't even stand out there and watch him. I just offered him tea and hot choclate but he refused. New England winters are an inside forging experience. Even the blacksmith near me I hardly ever saw outside and definitely never in the winter.

You just needed to come further north is all.
I know guys who drive their pickups out on the lakes and combine light forging and ice fishing right out there on the ice.
Got the truck right there for a windbreak and a fire going so while you`re waiting on the tip ups to trip you may as well keep moving and do something productive. :D

[ThomasPowers]

"New England winters are very harsh. Nothing in the west compares"

Wow; they must be bad seeing as I have had snowball fights in July out west! It's 38 degF right now up from 14 degrees last night at the MRO; of course it's a bit higher than sea level I can see it from my front door---if I look up!