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I Forge Iron

My First Shop


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The following images are of my first shop space (build in progress). I first started smithing in '91 and this will be my first stand alone shop dedicated solely to metal working. I finally get my stuff out of the horse stall and I will no longer forge under an open sky.

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A little further along....

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As you didn't put down insulation befor the roof i would recomend a celing, preferably insulated. The sun beating down on the tin will heat it up and it will radiate heat down on you, an 80f day can see 120f, dont belive me just stick a thermoniter in your atic. Common mistake folks make in their horse barns as well. Ventilated peaks sertainly help (a gap between the tin  and the non corigated ridge cap with out the corigated wood strips). Another benifit is condisation driping of the tin in winter

Edited by Charles R. Stevens
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The time to start planning for the expansion of your shop is before you start building it, shed roof side extensions for stock storage with a gravel floor for instance oriented so you can increase the length.  (I  built mine on the back corner of my lot and am slowly heading toward the street: start was 20x30'  first addition another 20x30' => 20x60' and I was thinking how nice an outdoor forging pad would be recently...)

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I certainly believe you on the heat issue. The ridge cap will vent some, but I plan to place venting at each end  to take advantage of our nearly constant easterly breeze, plus I should have a good cross draw with the shop doors open. Truthfully, we don't use air conditioning, we just acclimate each summer like our Amish & Mennonite neighbors so anything less than standing in direct sunlight is quite tolerable. 

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The problem is that the tin absorbes solar radiation, gets much hoter than the surounding air (or ground) and radiates the heat down into the shop, puting in insulation or a celing will deflect some of that radiant heat. Reflextex is suficent, 

If your rafters are on 4" centers you can buy 4x100' roles from a meatal building manufacture. Or use insulated fome sheathing, the aluminum reflects somthing like 98% of the radiant heat. Honestly it is much more like standing under a shade tree than siting in a tent. 

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Thanks... I could have built a killer shop for what I am paying for the Kubota but I can't take care of the horse paddocks with a forge.

You DO have forks for that don't you? If you ain't burning diesel fuel you ain't using your head for what you're supposed to.  :ph34r:

Frosty The Lucky.

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Honestly..... the auger is my favorite implement. I vowed never again to dig another post hole by hand.... we are overly blessed with rock strategically located in the exact places I have to sink a post. The bush hog is nice too.

 

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I will not deny that dads branson is a godsend some times, last summer it was fencing... 180 some odd cresote posts and an equal nomber of "T" posts. Hand tamped as the soil is silt and creet wont hold them any better than hand tamped. Then their are the 1100# round bales my hay man puts up, I am pretty good at moving the 4x4 bales but those 4x6 suckers are tough, and a word to the wise, if your hay man puts up 6x with a new hessan strap them down!

tho the backhoe atachment is the bomb. I drag the padocks with the horses, and do other chores. It's a little slower but as they know what they are doing and I dont need to drive much it acualy goes as fast. (Dont have to get back on to go threw gates etc.

Edited by Charles R. Stevens
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  • 1 month later...

Thanks guys, I appreciate the positive input. I've never built anything like this in my life and I did it without prints or anything. Just my tape measures, calculator and squares. Honestly I am grateful it is still standing....

 

oh and as you can see, my shop floor needs mowing....

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That's a fine shop and you'll be tweaking it as long as you're using it. I wouldn't mow the floor though, fences and a couple lambs will keep it all nicely manicured and . . . Lamb Mmmmmm. I have recipes I'll be happy to share.

Frosty The Lucky.

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A coat or two of Kool Seal and a ventilation fan in the rafters will help with the heat too. We used to have that setup in our hog houses and it drops the tempetature considerably. Reduce the heat radiated down and then pull whatever does make it out of the building. Might be cheaper than an insulated ceiling and you wouldn't need to run the fans all the time either. Of course, your pretty roof wouldn't be quite so pretty afterwards.

That might not make sense but I'm less of a carpenter than I am a blacksmith. My words escape me sometimes.

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