thingmaker3 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 My smithy just collapsed under the snow load. I'm going to be in a bad mood for several days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I agree, the Fort has been and will be closed. Darn area closes down with a little snow. On the almost bright side I am chiseling out the barrel stock on a NW trade gun. Then again on the down side the chisels I forged really needed to of went back to the shop and be redone. So I cheated and dragged out the grinder onto the apartment front porch and did the chisel adjustments via power tools. Followed by file. No clue where the belt sander went with the move across the river. Tomorrow will be dig out the hide clue and put a rawhide backing on a bow stave. Then more chiselling on the flint lock. Sorry to hear about your smithy. Rashelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I agree- signed; the Entire South. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakesshop Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 My condolences to you. Time to plan for a bigger better smithy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Construction of a building must include wind and snow loading. This will get you minimums. Multiply that times the factor of the unexpected and a bit more because your a blacksmith and like to over build things and you should be about right. (grin) Sorry to hear you have to rebuild. Think of it as an excuse to get a bigger shop with insulated walls and a heated floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Building? That's a good idea. Maybe it's time to retire that old army tent... I should indeed try to look at this as an opportunity instead of a burden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Sorry to hear about the smithy. Look into a rammed earth, or straw bale building. Inexpensive, and very well insulated. Hearing about snow issues makes me really appreciate living in S.NV. it was 70 ,and beautiful today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Bummer about the collapse. Bigger and better is around the corner. Do NOT buy one of those tentlike car shelter things, snow and winds just LOVE those. They must be popular though, I see them every time I go to the dump. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Frosty is so right. I got buried under one of those car port shelters a few years ago. My stepson and I were working on knocking the snow off it and I had just turn to him and said, "Be careful or we're gonna knock it down." Half a second later I was buried. Had such a big snow load on it, it drove me to the ground like a tent peg. Didn't do my knee, which was already super messed up, any good. Took a neighbor and him about 30 minutes to get me out. Ours ended up in the dump come spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 After getting some coffee and breakfast in me this morning, I went out to assess the situation. I'll need to un-crumple the forge hood. I'll need to replace one exhaust duct. The tent is ripped from thither to yon. The anvils, vice, and forge are covered. Anything currently exposed won't be hurt by snow or rain. I have a functional one-brick forge in the backseat of the car, as well as the pencil torch which powers it. I have a 12 pound sledge head I can dig out of the snow and use as an anvil. I can still make things. Options for a replacement workplace include, but are not limited to: 1) sewing up the 20' rip in the tent. 2) buying another surplus GP small tent. 3) building a wee pole barn to use as a smithy now & stoage or goat shed down the road. 4) going into debt up to my eyeballs and building a 30' x 40' pole barn a couple years earlier than origionally planned. Option 3 is attractive to me today. An actual decision can await the melting of the snow this coming week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Look into the new metal roofs. Build on a steep angle. It should self clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thingmaker3 , you could live down here in Australia , pretty sure you wouldn't have that problem with the snow ( sorry Rich Hale ;) ) Only problem thou is my state Victoria , last 2 days temp was up / over 40º C / 104º F ( been 35º C / 94º F + for last 3 weeks also ) & we've been on Total Fire Ban's both days too . 1/4 of the state is covered with bushfires .Had 1 about 10 km's / 6 mile from here yesterday Personaly i'd rather loose my shop to snow ( Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ) then to a bushfire anyday ( Seen the end result of a blacksmiths shop to a bushfire , not a thing i'd like to see again ) . Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggwelder Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 it`s only - 6 today, snowing. all my steel is under about 1 meter of snow and ice. when i forge in winter, the narrow propane lines on my forge freeze after about 45 min. it is easy to gauge amount of propane left by the frost line on the tank. shop is unheated, and have to open garage door anyway due to improper ventilation fans(none). then snow comes in melts, and freezes to ice on the floor. mostly go tool hunting in winter, so far have scored a $20 4" post vice, 18 lb straight peen sledge, 1 cold cut chisel, 1 weird rectangular head straight peen hammer, a #130 stanley plane, and some octagon high carbon stock. have a line on some bottom swages made of wrought iron, and may have scored a fire pot, 600 lbs of coal, champion blower, and 4 tongs for $50. have to ship it from the frozen prairies though. or go get it. i guess you could call them family heirlooms, but i`m buying them from my uncle. would`t be the first purchased inheritance i guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I agree with Glenn's comment on the Steep Metal Roofs, I've used them for 40 yrs. Wouldn't have any other roof in snow country, have 6 buildings at the moment with them. Big Barns, small barns, house, new blacksmith shop, use to have a small chicken coop with one! 12 in 12, 6 in 12, and 4 x12 pitches. Never worry about the amount of snow at home when I'm traveling. When the sun comes out they dump the snow fast. Cost more than a shingle roof but no maintenance worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 My smithy walls are made from 55 gallon drums welded together. I ended up with self standing walls 3 feet thick, 8 feet tall, and 10 feet long. Plus with the tops of the drums being cut off I can store tools in them. Let me see if I can get a pic to post. You can get a glimpse of the walls in these pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Bryan: I remember you saying something about getting buried by the tent collapse but didn't realize you meant LITERALLY BURIED! I'm sure glad you weren't alone. Steel roofs RULE! We have a 4 1/2-12 on the house the one on the barn isn't quite a 4-12 and the one on the shop is about 2 1/2-12. They shed snow without problem even though it will stick sometimes up to a foot deep. Much more and it can't sick and slides off slowly it can takes days at a glacial pace. Looks pretty neat I'll have to see if I have a pic somewhere. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggwelder Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 i really want a permanent shop. will have to retire soon and put down some roots. thinking stack wall with timber frame, will give the steel roof some consideration, must look into rust resistance, my shop will be about 100 m from the north atlantic. on a windy day, everything for about 500 m gets covered in salt spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Steel roofs RULE! We have a 4 1/2-12 on the house the one on the barn isn't quite a 4-12 and the one on the shop is about 2 1/2-12. They shed snow without problem even though it will stick sometimes up to a foot deep. Much more and it can't sick and slides off slowly it can takes days at a glacial pace. There's about 3' of snow on top of my smithy roof right now, but it's nowhere near new so it's not as slippery as the metal roofs now. We never got a January thaw, which would have taken some off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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