oscer Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Hi folks I've been chiming here off and on with a question or two and am still dragging my feet on buying a forge, I did get a clapped out Peter Wright 1-0-6 anvil and a pretty good leg vise and have been doing occasional bending projects and even a successful tempering (I think it was successful) job with my torch. The thing is I'm a machine operator and have a small machine shop that is sharing space in my tractor shed, I really don't like the Idea pf putting all of my eggs in one basket and then having an open coal fire or even a propane torch working in there. So I'm thinking of putting a small tin shanty smithy a short distance away with the bare minimal of tools and keep all of my other tooling in the tractor shed. I'm thinking anvil, vise forge and on opposite wall my mig welder a welding bench and the torch. Any advise or suggestions are appreciated, oscer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 How large do you expect the blacksmithing to grow? Always a weekend hobby, or do you expect some large or larger projects, or maybe make items for sale, or have it turn into a business? Usually a good answer on size is build it as large as you can imagine your needs, then a bit more. Now double that number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I'm doing a 16x12 and it looks to be a good size and I only have 1200.oo in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscer Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 How large do you expect the blacksmithing to grow? Always a weekend hobby, or do you expect some large or larger projects, or maybe make items for sale, or have it turn into a business? Usually a good answer on size is build it as large as you can imagine your needs, then a bit more. Now double that number. My thoughts too Glenn,I have my woodworking tools in an attached garage with no way to go bigger. The tractor shed is also maxed out and in addition to the smithy I would like to build a building for the tractor and garden tools, which would give a lot more room in the machine shop. My main concern is to isolate the hot tools from everything else.You are right though I've never hear anyone say " I wish I would have made my building smaller". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I started off in the garage. Within months moved out to the 16 by 16 shed, worked in that for a few years until I couldn't stand everything so cramped together. Then built a 30 by 50 and it is too small. I would suggest you start off with a really wide building (meaning with long trusses) and then you can add on over the years by adding more trusses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 12 ft ceilings. Wouldn't want to have a striker hit the ceiling and lights. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 For a totally luxurious shop I'd aim for 5k sq. ft., 16' ceiling so the forklift has plenty of room. If you want a gantry crane I'd bump that up to a 25 or 30' ceiling hight. In all seriousness lots of us started with or still have shops that are tiny, 10' by 10' or drag the anvil into the driveway and hammer for a few hours. For what you describe a 12 x16 would be just fine, you can have a lot of fun in a shop that size but you'd be hard pressed to pay the mortgage or put the kids thru college. Hammer away, if you've got the skills you will quickly build something bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 16 x 12 looks good when it's empty but believe me, it will fill up quick! that is what I have now. A forge, couple of anvils, postvise and a work bench or 2 and you will wonder where all that room went! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscer Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Thanks for the response folks, Pug}{maN, I didn't see your post earlier, I was kinda thinking 12'x16' or maybe 16'x16' but wondered if it would be big enough. Sounds like a reasonable investment too. I know one thing, I want it close enough to the other shop so when running back and forth for tools it's not 70 yards with a steep hill in between like the current distance between the wood and metal shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathis Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 I'm remodleing an old chicken coop thats 17X14, it has 8' walls with open rafters, at the peek it must be 20' with a steep roof pitch. This building was built in the early 1900's so she leans a little but really sound . I have a large Bufflo forge with a super sucker box on it and 6" stove pipe going streight up 20", 4' past the peek of the roof. I have a 238 lb Peter Wright anvil one step from the forge, 3 post vices on the oppiset wall mounted in line so I can clamp a long piece in all at the same time if needed, and 2 post drills on the wall behind my work station. the anvil is in the center of the room pretty much. And I have a 8' door that slides sidways I configured with garage doorr tract and support casters for easy opening. with out the big door it would be too hot in there. I have a class 5 gravel floor so house keeping is no problem, no sweepe, LOL. I still want to put a overhead hoist trolly system in for the heavy stuff. But I think its great. I'm in Wisconsin so the winters get pretty chilly here, thinking about putting a small pot belly stove in somewhere. search for shop layouts and with the equipment you have you'll be able to see how much room u need. Cozzy is better, I'm old school, don't have electricty Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathis Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Oh by the way, nice looking buddy you have in your sig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscer Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Mathis, sounds like a nice shop, I need electricity in mine though going to put the mig welder in there if I go this route.Maybe I'm being paranoid about keeping the hot shop separate but it seems like a good Idea to me. Glad to hear you like my brown dog. Pug}{maN I read your shop build post, That's kinda what I have in mind, not much to catch fire that way and all of my machine tools and the tractors and such would be in another building. Don't think I would need a really big smithy that way. You said your wife and the dog were all the help you had. I'm sure your wife is a big help but if that dog is anything like mine... The only thing he helps is himself to my tools if I lay them down where he can reach them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 whell she pooped in there right where i was working, so she is not to be out side today. the dog that is..lol.. but ya i think it will work out good , im good at working in tight places , my shop is only 10x20..heres some pics of it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 No matter how big it is,,,, It aint big enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 In general build it bigger than you think you'll need with room for expansion. Mine is 20'x30' with 14' eves and It was getting crowded before I had the roof on. It's enough for the forseeable future though. Having the hot shop separate from the machine shop is a really good idea without considering the fire hazard. machine tools do NOT like corrosion or gritty dirt. Propane forges tend to induce lots of water vapor and nitrogen oxide into the air, not to mention anything else getting put in the fire. Then there's all the grit from grinding/sanding, heck even sweeping that gets in the air. All this stuff is BAD for machine tools and instruments. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 I have a 20x30 too.. like frosty.. with 10' ceiling. Rafters are 24" O.C (on center). The walls are 2x4, 16" O.C. This was only slightly larger than my basement shop in mass. I'm so tired of this size. It really doesn't allow you to walk around the tools or have any breathing room. 600sq feet just isn't very much once you get an anvil or two or three, a forge, a 4'x8' steel welding/fab table, compressor, post vise, bandsaw, drill press, welder, toolboxes, belt grinders, bench grinders, etc. etc. it fills up so fast that you'll be soon swaying your hips around to not take a body blow from one of your pieces of equipment. And what I listed is pretty common even in basic home shops. I've been site clearing all this summer tearing down trees and lifting out rocks in order to build a shop much closer to 1200-1500 sq feet. Then I should even have enough room to build a small room inside for airbrushing and painting. The second story ontop will be an office for design and drafting and a living space. I've learned from past shops that you can literally never go to big. If your worried about heating or cooling use cheaper forms of heating, like wood or pellet stoves, solar heating, or invest in better insulation while building (somethign I intend to do). Since it's a shop you can always heat and cool only when you are in there. Which makes it much more affordable than a home you are always in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscer Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Thanks again for all the insight fellas, I am try to keep all the grinding dust as far from my machine tools as I can. I didn't know about a gas forge putting a lot of moisture into the air. Man, there are days when the humidity gets so high all by it"s self ,that I think I can watch the rust forming on my cast Iron tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshua.M Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 mine is 45' x 60'.... no walls and slanted roof, walls are (hopefully) soon to come. I find my shop to be too narrow for it's length, but as I see it now, my shop is quite wide! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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