Avadon Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Anyone have some jpegs or pics of traditional shop layout? Stuff that shows typical arragement of forge, benches, anvils etc. I went to start arranging equipment, desks, forges today and realized I was totally just guessing. Not great when I have to run some temporary 220V lines. So if anyone has some plan-form pics that show basic tride and true layouts of equipment i'd love to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 well basically put what you need where you need it. anvil close to heat source is best. think about vise as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Get some 1/4'' sq graph paper, a pencil with a eraser and just do some figuring. The footprint of each item ie the PH , anvil, doors, power source, work table, whatever is factored in,in so many SF within the SF of the building. That's what I did and it really did work, its kinda fun too. I think you can answer these questions more easily yourself...........:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Yah i've seen many peoples jpeg lay out of their shop showing placement of basic items I just can't remember where they were. I wanted to see what other people have done first, before I try something "new" for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 The basic layout is a triangle with the anvil at one corner, the forge at another corner and the post vice at the third corner. Machine tools for the most part are good along walls, with the ecxeption of saws, which should have room around them. Perhaps you can do a somewhat generic wiring scheme, which will allow you to reposition machinery somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 As dumb as this may sound, it helps. Get some cardboard boxes or buckets or anything light, label them and play shop. If you haven't built your shop yet you can do this in your livingroom or garage or front yard. The neighbors may think you are crazy but eh, what the hay. Arrange them how you would like your shop set up and move from one to the other as if you were working. If something feels awkward, move things around till they feel right. It beats moving around hundreds of pounds of equipment and tools till things feel right. I use clay to practice with when figuring out how to make something to visualize what to do. Boxes are easier than hugh clay anvils to re-arrange. Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 As dumb as this may sound, it helps. Get some cardboard boxes or buckets or anything light, label them and play shop. If you haven't built your shop yet you can do this in your livingroom or garage or front yard. The neighbors may think you are crazy but eh, what the hay. Arrange them how you would like your shop set up and move from one to the other as if you were working. If something feels awkward, move things around till they feel right. It beats moving around hundreds of pounds of equipment and tools till things feel right. I use clay to practice with when figuring out how to make something to visualize what to do. Boxes are easier than hugh clay anvils to re-arrange. Mark <>< Thats actually a really good idea! I may just try that. My thing is I find i'm running back into the house to check the computer a lot (for notes) so I don't like a lot of obstructions to walk around. Catching your hip on an anvil or a table can ruin your day. I use the clay to practice a lot as well. In fact I have very hard oil clay just for this purpose. Works very similar to metal when it's cold as it is so dense and hard. Very fast way to simulate how metal moves when hit and a quick way to prototype something without wasting stock and forge fuel. Thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 "Traditional" means that every one was different! Depends a lot on what you want to do, how much of it and what equipment you have. All the old blacksmithing books will have suggestions: "Practical Blacksmithing" from the late 1880's early 1890's; Diderots Encyclopedia has a lot of info from the late 18th century, "Mechanics Exercises" has a suggested layout from 1703, The "Hausbuchs" have engravings/woodcuts from the renaissance; "Cathedral Forge and Waterwheel" has some illuminations from medieval times. And there are a number of examples from the ancients: Roman, Greek and Egyptian. What date is "traditional"? Ah yes don't forget Foxfire for frontier/pioneer/hill folk suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhblacksmith Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Anyone have some jpegs or pics of traditional shop layout? Stuff that shows typical arragement of forge, benches, anvils etc. I went to start arranging equipment, desks, forges today and realized I was totally just guessing. Not great when I have to run some temporary 220V lines. So if anyone has some plan-form pics that show basic tride and true layouts of equipment i'd love to see them. If you have a copy of Jack Andrew's book, "Edge of the Anvil", it is worth reading or reviewing the section on shop layout. I don't necessarily agree with using a tipi for a smithy (especially up here near the Canadian border) but he spent a lot of time analyzing the relationships between the basic blacksmithing tools-forge, anvil, vise, etc. If your anvil is to be permanently set in one location, do yourself a favor and measure your pace before planting it. It's nice to step off from the forge and end with your feet correctly planted at the anvil ready to work without having to take a couple half steps to get ready while the iron cools. Tool benches and racks should be within easy reach of the forge and anvil. I have one fixed anvil and a second that can be dragged around to suit the work, and actually, a third smaller anvil that is placed on the forge for welding light material so it doesn't cool. A blacksmith career can encompass an enormous variety of tasks so try to be somewhat flexible in your layout. My shop is laid out with a hot work (forging) area, a cold work area where I have other vises, Hossfeld and Diacro benders, slip rolls, shears, etc., an area which is left open to work on larger projects or to pull a vehicle in for repairs, and an area for machine tools. All except the forge area have been moved many times. Make a list of what you have now and what you realistically might purchase in the reasonable future. If a second power hammer is a possibility, that is best considered now. Lastly, accept the fact that no matter how much planning you do, your layout will continuously evolve as you gain/lose tools or your type of work changes. My goal 30 years ago was to have every tool set up so I could just walk over and use it without having to get it off a shelf or out from under a bench. It hasn't happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 Thanks for the great information. Interesting about the step distance to certain tools. This time i'm not sure I will drill concrete anchors anywhere till i'm certain where things go. I may even try these epoxy bolts which you adhere to the concrete. Anyone ever used these? They are supposed to be incredibly strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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