Building a shed w/o sides (overhang)

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Well Avadon, it appears that you and I look at property rights differently.

If someone bought some property out in the county so that they can park their semi trailers, along with their rig, no problem. If a guy can make some money working on cars, or even parting some out, I don't have a problem with it. I would rather live next to someone doing that, than someone with livestock, BUT, I do live in a rural area, and realize that it could happen. Will I challenge them? Nope. The area is zoned for livestock. At least with a small scale wrecking yard close you would have access to springs.

My buddy lived in an area of Las Vegas with an HOA. He called them the housing Nazis. A group with nothing better to do than drive around looking for anything wrong. Another friend just got a note because they had leaves on their yard. There is even a condition now being attributed to HOAs, like a sickness. People living in fear of getting a notice from the HOA.

Why buy acreage if you can't do anything with it? Especially with the economy the way it is. I think we would do the economy a lot of good by easing some of the restrictions for home based businesses. One of the big things holding back a lot of entrepreneurs is the high cost of rent for a building. Get gov't/nanny statism off our backs, and let us get things turned around.



I better quit now before I really get going.

[Mainely,Bob]

As Avadon said there`s good and bad in each.If you get along with everybody,prefer a communal type approach where it`s easy to arrange for and get help and are surrounded by other community minded people then I can see where HOAs have their advantage.
Things like pets at large and rabid animals as well as what land can be used for what purposes is handled by the town/county up here thru things like zoning and leash laws.Of course we all know how quickly government of any sort works up here so rather than calling the animal control officer we usually just catch the offending animal ourselves and bring it to her.
If something bothers me I go and knock on the door and talk about it face to face.When I say talk I mean I start by saying something like "I don`t mean to be a bother but I was wondering if this would be a good time to talk to you about..." then after we come to resolution I ask"How can I help make this happen?"I also try to end the discussion with a handshake and a "thank you for taking the time to listen",no matter whether the results of the talk went my way or not.
If I see trash I pick it up myself,regardless of where it came from.If there`s a pothole in the road I fix it rather than wait for my neighbor to do it.If one of them sees me working,unless they have an appointment or an emergency they will stop and help.
After a storm we each clear our own problems and then before going back inside we see how we can be of help to the others.Many times I have gone out to shovel snow only to find my walk already cleared,that started about the time of my first surgery and I took care of my neighbor`s walk after he had his knee replacement.

Rules and telling people what to do won`t make better neighbors.Showing up with a smile and ready to help with whatever needs to be done to smooth out the bumps in someone`s life will.
I have found that when I say "I" or "We" in the context of an outside force directing someone to do something I am met with resistance.When I say we(notice the lower case) or use the word "us" as in;"we can do this together to help us all" ,then I have a much better chance of co-operation and a quick resolution.
My friends/neighbors know that when I show up at their door with my sleeves rolled up it`s because I am there to help them any way I can and not to point my finger or fight about things.They know this because they`ve observed my actions,not because they read it somewhere or because they heard me or someone else say it.
When they show up at my door I reach for my work gloves,grab my hat and follow.I know they will not bother me with something they can handle themselves.I understand that they have come because they feel they need my help.

[wannaforge]

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.

I liked your idea of 55 gal drums, we get wind in hawthorne all the time, hell wind is nevada's state weather.

[John McPherson]

Tree is a decorative weeping birch. It is supposed to look like that. And yeah, I would hate to have it in right in front of my window if I had a view like that. I prefer a clear field of fire.

[eric sprado]

Avadon: WHAT HOA are you moving in to? I live in Deadwood-50minutes from Eugene and have had a business in Eugene for over twenty years. I drove through Creswell the other day on business and didn't see much of what you described. There is one section of town like that,but most towns have a slummy area somewhere. There are lots of nice rural areas out here with absolutely no CCR's. If you're not committed yet I'd be glad to show you around.. At any rate-give me a call and come play in my shop... 541 964 3224. Eric Sprado

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I liked your idea of 55 gal drums, we get wind in hawthorne all the time, hell wind is nevada's state weather.

Hey there wannaforge, I used to run machine guns up to Hawthorne for the High Desert Special Ops Center . They provided foreign weapons training to the Marine Corps at their facility there. I liked Hawthorne, but it is a bit removed for me,at least where I am now I can be in Las Vegas in an hour. Single guys like me need conveniences like that = ) I never did make it into the ordnance museum, as they were always closed when I could go. I would love to have some of the surplus practice bombs that they have up there for yard art. Besides solar, I am surprised I don't see more windmills here in NV.

[wannaforge]

Hey there wannaforge, I used to run machine guns up to Hawthorne for the High Desert Special Ops Center . They provided foreign weapons training to the Marine Corps at their facility there. I liked Hawthorne, but it is a bit removed for me,at least where I am now I can be in Las Vegas in an hour. Single guys like me need conveniences like that = ) I never did make it into the ordnance museum, as they were always closed when I could go. I would love to have some of the surplus practice bombs that they have up there for yard art. Besides solar, I am surprised I don't see more windmills here in NV.

I have a few friends from HDSOC, small world. we own a pizza joint in town, maybe i've seen you a time or two. yeah hawthorne is kinda removed, but we like it. hoping to get good at this, and make some knives. are you just strictly smithing?

[SmoothBore]

A very strong, free-standing "pavilion" can be assembled, using inexpensive surplus steel pallet racking.

Rather than setting "poles", the base of the pallet racking "uprights" can be bolted to railroad ties, or other timbers, laying flat on the ground.

Two parallel rows of racking, with differing height top rails, can then be spanned with "rafters", to make a simple roof, with as much overhang as you find practical. ( Snow and Wind loads are the determining factors. )

For a bigger Smithy, requiring longer spans between the racking, ... fabricated roof trusses can be used to create a traditional "peaked" roof, that, depending on the pitch, and top chord dimensions of the truss, can give you overhangs of 6' or more.

( I have a 5' overhang on the side of my shop where the overhead doors are located, and find it to be a very useful feature. )


The small, free-standing "Plantation Style" Smithy's, were usually constructed with a roof that was supported by the 4 corner posts, and had a 2' to 3' overhangs on all 4 sides of their "hip" style roof.

They usually had a low "knee wall" running from corner post, to corner post, on 3 sides, with the opening on the "downwind" side.

The low wall offered a lot of protection, while still allowing long work-pieces, to be easily accommodated.


I suspect a useful variation on that design could be built, incorporating "concession stand" style drop-down doors, hinged at the top, that would have all the advantages of an open-air Smithy, ... and the security, protection from weather, and privacy, of a closed shed.

[Dave Budd]

I use a roof-only workshop for teaching groups. It's built from 9 poles (in this case they are douglas and larch), some 5x2s, roofing battens and corrugated sheet steel from some old farm buildings; it cost me a few hundred quid for the timber and nails. It measures 24x24 feet between poles and the centre is about 10 feet high. I've got a couple of forges,half a dozen vices, a pedal powered grinder and some tables under there. I use it for teaching up to half a dozen people.

The building is in the middle of the woods, so the wind doesn't pick up too badly (compared to being out in the open), but it does get some wind. I tried to put a screen across the wall with the prevailing wind and it made things worse. Normally the weather isn't too bad underneath, but I think it could be improved by dropping the eaves a bit on the windward sides. The roof overhangs the poles on all sides by a couple of feet (small feet)



This weekend I added an 8 foot wide extension along one side, as a lean to that also lowers the roof to 5'. When I get the last of the materials together I will be adding another along a second side, but this time it will be 12 feet out (significantly increasing my working area) and lowering that side to 7 feet along the eave.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I have a few friends from HDSOC, small world. we own a pizza joint in town, maybe i've seen you a time or two. yeah hawthorne is kinda removed, but we like it. hoping to get good at this, and make some knives. are you just strictly smithing?

Never ate at a pizzeria during the times I was up there. I no longer work for the machine gun dealer, so I haven't been up that way for at least 4 years now. I am currently the tool maker for a company in Utah , and smithing has always been a hobby-- one of many hobbies that I have. Unfortunately I haven't done much at all since I moved down to NV, and with the economic crash I'm just trying to keep my head above water so to speak. The only use the treadle hammer has been getting is smashing the aluminum cans I collect at work. Now that the forge temp summer has ended I should get back out there, but I am either too beat by the time I get home, or have other things to take care of. Most weekends are spent in Las Vegas so that I can socialize with real humans, preferably female ones. I have plenty of ideas for projects, and should do some for Christmas gifts. All I have to do is make time to do them. If ya see the HDSOC guys , tell them Walt the long haired hippie from LMO said HI! Don't know how many are still there that I knew, but they were a good group to know.

[Marksnagel]

After two years of forging under the shade tree and dodging the elements, I started on my blacksmith shed. There is something I like about forging outside in the open and will probably miss it some but I will enjoy being able to forge regardless of rain and wind.


The forge area waiting to be moved when the smithy is finished.





Every time in the past when I would go out to work on the shed I would pass the forge and it would call to me for a fire. I finally gave in and started the shed. There is a little more framing work to do and then the tin will go on the roof and sides. On each side in the back corners the top half of the side will be hinged to open upwards allowing light and air flow in the summer. The front will remain open until I see a need to close it in. It is 12 ft deep by 15 ft wide with a minimum ceiling height of 8 ft in the rear. The last thing to do will be to put in a smoke stack.

When I finish I will post some more pics.

Mark <><

disclaimer: I am not a carpenter, I just play one on the farm.

[Guest duanepoland]

Cell phone jammer is an electronic device that blocks the transmission of signals between the cell phone and its nearby base station. By using the same frequency as the cell phones, the cell phone jammer creates strong interference to the communication between the caller and the receiver. It is efficient in blocking the transmission of signals from the phone networks, including UMTS, 3G, CDMA, GSM and PHS.
 

[RGroshans]

Lots of good infor on this thread.  Thanks.  I am getting ready to build up mu own little smithy.  I was given an old porch off of a mobile home, it was 8' x 16' x 8', covered.  I disassembled it to sticks and am completing three projects with it.  The floor became a deck extension, the OSB walls will completye out a small storage shed, and the uprights and roof will become my new smithy.  I am going to set it up like a stand alone pole barn.  It has a metal roof, and I plan on keeping a dirt floor.  For the time being it will be open sided until I can aquire some free/cheap planking for the walls.

[Frosty]

How's the wind hazard in your area? A tin roof, especially without walls is going to be more susceptible to strong wind. It'd sure beat my first couple smithing shelters, until I built my present shop I did most under a tarp tent attached to the front of a connex. Snow load tended to kill the tarp tent framing every couple winters or so.

 

Post some pictures as you build it please, we LOVE pics and keeping up on a brother smith's progress is a good thing. Least we can do is cheer you on.

 

Frosty The Lucky.