Semi Indoor/outdoor smithy ideas

[Borntoolate]

I live in southern Louisiana, Baton Rouge area. Need help/ideas/things to consider with building a smithy I can use year round. Here is my situation:

• I currently move my forge and blower to a slab outside the back of my woodshop. I have no roof over the slab. My anvil is inside the shop just near two large swinging doors that open outward. There is an inside pic below. You can see the swinging doors behind that open to theother pic.
• Problems. No Roof: Sunlight and Rain are a problem of course. And, summer in Baton Rouge is 95F+ (hot for forging) and sun until ~5-6pm (lotsa light, hard to see colors, sun beating down, sunburn). With the Back door open I get a lot of swirl of smoke into the shop etc. (Draft sucks, unpredictable, annoying). Rain most afternoons (when light is finally diminishing to be able to see the color).
• If I build a roof over the slab. This helps with Rain and sun but how do I manage the draft? What kind of smoke stack chimney do I need? I won't be in the shop with an external lean too (not exactly) But I will be close such that I think the draft might get confused... if that makes any sense. Plus, it would be nice to be able to leave the forge and blower in place.
  

This is a hobby so I am not going to rebuild the whole shop. I am not filthy rich nor am I poor.

[Old N Rusty]

Hey homie!!! come by my shop ARNOLD & ANVIL BLACKSMITHS 6112 Pino St. B.R. (225) 927- 9800. I might have the perfect smokestack for you a 20 foot long sch. 10 - 12 " 316 stainless steel pipe, It will never rust ..NEVER!! $400.00 you haul it. It is open forge ALL the time at my shop!

[Rob Browne]

You could build a lean to with an insulated iron roof that does now connect to the main foofline. If you build the roof higher than the existing one so it overlaps but leaves a 6" gap this will create a natural vent for your forge. Make sure the roof is insulted so you don't get radiant heat from it in summer, you have enough heat from the forge.

[Bentiron1946]

I had the same kind of problem for several years until I could rig up a flue for my forge and it is a pain to just see how hot your steel is. One of the guys brought me a somewhat storm damaged market umbrella to throw some shade on the forge and that helped a lot. You can weld up a portalbe steel shade that you can roll around the place that is kind of like and umprella, that way it won't catch fire like mine eventually did.

[Marksnagel]

My forge sits under an old oak tree. The elements are either a curse or a blessing. I'll get around to building a smithy one of these days. I feel your pain.

[Glenn]

Plant a Lombardy Poplar tree where it will shade the forge. Those things grow very fast.

The doors seem to be about 4 feet wide, so hinge a section of plywood slightly smaller than the door to the top of the door. As you open the doors, raise these two sections up to form a roof and extend the building. You can do the same thing with EMT tubing and a tarp. You will need to tie the doors together so they do not separate and allow the "roof" to fall.

A side draft chimney that extends above the peak of the roof line by a couple of feet should solve any smoke problems. The side draft chimney can be as simple as a "T" in a piece of stove pipe attached to the side / edge of your table.

Locate a fan, place it just below the table and point it to blow up. The air from the fan will suck the smoke into the column of air and push it up and out of the way.

Do not build a box, and you will not have to think outside the box. What you want is something that works, so make it happen.

[Old N Rusty]

We live in HURRICANE country, remember. Nearly all these "solutions" are likely to fly away, and become the neighbors disposal problem.

[knots]

My forge used to be in a car port in Houston. The ceiling was maybe 10' above the paving so the air circulation was good . On calm days I used charcoal which produces a lot less smoke. Then converted to propane which produces no smoke.

One problem that you didn't address are the B1 sized mosquitoes. I guess all of the smoke keeps them away. I don't know which is worse but I think I would prefer the smoke.

[ThomasPowers]

Carport/pole barn over the slab with sliding barn doors. OldnRusty is right though but *anything* not built of heavy masonry is pretty much subject to hurricane modifications---so build it cheap!

Building out of steel helps with fire worries but doesn't help with sunload. Steel roof with trees planted is a good idea.

Our local electric coop will give used power poles to it's members so when I extended my shop I got two and cut them in half and put up a two bay pole barn. Used old metal trusses and hail damaged/surplus propanel for the roof and walls and so had a stout, 10' tall at the top of the wall, 20'x30', *CHEAP*. Forge addition.

No problem punching a hole for the chimney as we get so little rain I didn't worry about making a rain tight pass through for the pipe.

[Francis Trez Cole]

A front picture of the shop would help

[Borntoolate]

Wow, thanks all so far. I was just checking in tonight and was happy with all the replies. Don't have time to assimilate the info with the pesky full time job followed up with the full time house. I'll get a few more mics as requested by Francis Trez Cole.

[Pat Roy]

When I first operated my forge I had to roll it outside. I did not experience a problem with smoke (no chimney) as the breeze usually carried it off. The bright sun did make it hard to read the temp of the steel. I didn't put up a shade, but as others have suggested, put up an umbrella or portable fabric shade such as you might see at outdoor flea markets etc. (steal the umbrella from the patio). Make everything portable so you can put it away when the big wind comes.

[Old N Rusty]

I sure hope you can get the smithy built that you so obviously want, WISH UPON A STAR!! One thing that has not been addressed is are you in CITY LIMITS? Remember that word " LIMITS", that is what the department of public works does best. They enthusiastically stop "backyard welder shops" and woe to the fool that ignores the laws, and just "go head n build it" . you will be ordered to bust up the concrete SLAB! and remove that. If you are not bound by zoning laws, and can stand the UGLY, you could get a steel sea container, cut n weld on it, and build a lean to roof with the cut off side, For the price of scrap steel,containers can be had here and delivered. Very usefull steel boxes. Not likely to be blown away.

[Borntoolate]

We live in HURRICANE country, remember. Nearly all these "solutions" are likely to fly away, and become the neighbors disposal problem.

Or part of my house, in my house... or worse. That is part of my problem with building an external stand alone stack.

[Borntoolate]

When I first operated my forge I had to roll it outside. I did not experience a problem with smoke (no chimney) as the breeze usually carried it off. The bright sun did make it hard to read the temp of the steel. I didn't put up a shade, but as others have suggested, put up an umbrella or portable fabric shade such as you might see at outdoor flea markets etc. (steal the umbrella from the patio). Make everything portable so you can put it away when the big wind comes.

Having to put it all back is where I am now. Kind of a pain to move it each time. Especially as more pieces to move are added. Tho an easy umbrella doesn't add much. Actually left it out for the better part of a month early this year as we had extended drought. USed it near everyday.

[Borntoolate]

I sure hope you can get the smithy built that you so obviously want, WISH UPON A STAR!! One thing that has not been addressed is are you in CITY LIMITS? Remember that word " LIMITS", that is what the department of public works does best. They enthusiastically stop "backyard welder shops" and woe to the fool that ignores the laws, and just "go head n build it" . you will be ordered to bust up the concrete SLAB! and remove that. If you are not bound by zoning laws, and can stand the UGLY, you could get a steel sea container, cut n weld on it, and build a lean to roof with the cut off side, For the price of scrap steel,containers can be had here and delivered. Very usefull steel boxes. Not likely to be blown away.

City limits not a real problem. We burn on a regular basis. Have to with all the limbs that volunteer from all the trees. Plus no one nearby to really complain about smoke, noise, cursing, etc....

[Old N Rusty]

I was chatting with BMAZINGO about the possibilities of using a steel container as a shop building. When wrecked it is usually only rear end ,door damage that scraps the box,They are available cheap, much more roofed, enclosed space than any affordable portable building from Lowes. get a 40' container torch cut one side and use that plate to make a roof for the shed part of the shop. Too HOT! why not sod the roof and grow st.augustine grass up top? that would make it cooler inside, a lot cooler, also the mass of steel would support a large stack like the S.S. pipe I have for sale. 1/2 of the space would have a plank floor, 40' x 8' the shed 1/2 could be clay/sand and pea gravel, with the addition of forge ashes and clinker it will harden up nicely.