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I Forge Iron

New Shop Plans


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I have been talking about the new shop for a while and the design has finally gotten to the point that we are getting ready to submit it for city approval.  The area here has restrictions on out buildings limiting them to garages.  We also wanted to build a guest house but it wasn't allowed.  However, a garage can contain servants' quarters. So what we are building is a three car garage with servants quarters.  The area marked work area will be covered and a four foot wall around it.  The shop area will also have a laundry tub and the living quarters will have a stacked laundry set up.  There is a 20' set back to the south which will also end up as incovered waork area.  So lets see if my scans upload.

shop plan 2.pdf

shop plan 1.pdf

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We have two layers of xxxx that we have to go through.  The city is the easy part, they would be happy with garage or art studio.  The tricky part is complying with the CCRs.  Back in the '50s when the area was divided up the developer put the restrictions in place that limit out buildings to garages only.  They also established a committee to grant waivers and approvals but that committee has been defunct for decades.  Unfortunately the CCRs also granted standing to enforce the CCRs to every other owner subject to the CCRs.  Thus there is no way to get a prior approval in regards to the CCRs and if you violate them any other owner can haul you to court.  The structure will be in complete compliance, my use of it may raise some issues.  That said the place looks like a corporation yard right now and there is, with in reasonable hours, constant cutting, grinding, hammering and coal smoke and so far no one has complained.  Fortunately it is a bit of a live and let live area.  The guy across the street is a porn kingpin and he blasts 1970s elevator music out of his pool area speakers 24/7.  No one complains, as long as it isn't technopolka I won't either.  Down the street is another porn kingpin who just buit a 25,000 sqft house complete with its own golf course.  Everyday the street is blocked by lanscaping trucks and when he has parties (often) caterers block the road for a few days.  Then the guests who all look like Gay NFL players park everywhere.  We are really glad he has a high wall so we don't have to see what is going on.  At least when he parties he has good live music and we don't mind having it go late into the night.  It is nice living in a tolerant area because the last thing we want to do is start a neighborhood war.

In regards to the scope of the work I do both metal and wood work as well as work on my own equipment.  The general plan is for the long open area to be kept clear as an assembly area that things can be moved into as projects demand.  Both the side walls will have full length benches.  The short side wall will have grinders, sanders, lathe, etc.  The compressor will be located along the short side wall.  The forge and anvil will be in the covered outside work area.  The power hammer will be just inside, I am trying to keep the noise down.  I am going to modify my equipment bases so they can be moved around with a pallet jack where that is possible.  Electric welding and plasma cutting equipment will be on one cart that can be moved around as needed.  The dust collection system will have to be installed after the project is completed since the structure is technically a garage.  As it is, the wiring alone will probably attract some unwanted attention.

This is quite a bit smaller than my last shop and I felt cramped there when working on bigger projects.  My goal is to keep it as flexible as possible so it can be transformed for the work at hand without just pushing a jumble of stuff from side to side.

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I might move the bathroom and kitchen to the "back" away from the garage areas myself. I'd do what they want to get the ocupancy permit, then blow out the wall  between the "servants quarters" and the garage once everything is done. I'd rough in all the headers where I want doors so all I really had to do is knock out the drywall and maybe a few cripple studs to gain access. I can see putting in at least two access areas into the "house" portion.

This would allow me to use the "quarters" as tool storage, a wood working room, dedicated welding room etc. What goes on inside is none of their business and the building can always be reconverted later if need be when you go to sell. I'd have all the kitchen cabinets filled with tools for storage in a heart beat.

 

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11 minutes ago, Blue Duck Forge said:

I think that a door between the bathroom and garage would be useful, and shouldn't be a zoning problem. 

I think not having a door:wub: might cause more of a 'privacy ' issue?

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Privacy yes but just imagine sitting, reading, sipping a cup of your favorite morning beverage and having a piece of hot scale come sailing in and landing where we all know darned will it's going to land!

Door YES!

Frosty The Lucky.

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