AR. Hillbilly Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Our plan is to be done with our home remodel this spring to mid summer. I then have permission to build a Blacksmith specific shop. I have a shop with welding and mechanic equipment aimed towards antique tractor restoration. There is no place for Blacksmith equipment there. All the welding equipment will remain in my main shop. I need space for one large forge the use of 3 different anvils at the same time and use of one or two post vices. I’m also in the process of building a tire hammer as we speak. All anvils and such will be movable. It will also have a front awning for use with anvils and a portable forge at times. This will be strictly a hobby venture but used one or at times more than one night a week by a small group. At times there will be a Smith with much more experience than I teaching us. It will be set up with a drillpress and small bandsaw. I’m thinking of a large carport with an authentic facade. I’m also thinking pole barn. I want it to look somewhat authentic. I’m a carpenter/barn builder by trade so building it isn’t a problem so long as I can afford it. I’m not looking to build a huge building. Right now we set the forge right in front of my shop and set two anvils just inside the door of my shop and 3 of us forge there at one time. Keep in mind that this will mostly be used by my wife and I but with guests on occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 What type of forge? Authentic to when and where?---you have about 3000 years and most of the world so an authentic ancient greece smithy might not look much like a Renaissance German forge. Which is not at all like an Authentic 21st century hobby set up! If it's 19th century NW AR you can probably find some still in existance. (In Ohio the Studebaker log cabin smithy is still around on the Studebaker Family Association's place.) Anything in Har-Ber Village? For a somewhat similar reagion the Foxfire books might help. And there is always Isaac Doss's smithy in Berryville built 1921: Isaac Doss Village Blacksmith, 111 Spring Street, 1921 Contributing CR1158 The one-story building at 111 Spring Street has a rubble stone exterior, rectangular plan, and gambrel roof. Fenestration is single with eight-over-one, double-hung, wood sash. The western end has a central entrance and two window openings. The southern side has a modified bay, a single door opening and four window openings. The northern side has five window openings. The eastern end has a garage bay and a window in the gambrel. Pressed metal sheets cover the gambrel ends. The roofing material is corrugated metal. The total floor area is 1,200 square feet Having lived and smithed in NW AR; (born there, graduated UofA, married and our first daughter was born there too), I would go with a pole barn and put sliding barn doors on 3 sides of it to open it up in hot weather---don't forget the wood stove for cold weather! Searching on: Gill Fahrenwald blacksmith calendars I found a number of exterior shots of 19th century blacksmith shops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Carport come horse barn. If you order a snow load rated car port with taller legs you can use 4’ wide faced steel building insulation and the taller legs are needed for full swings with a hand or sledge hammer. PT fence panels make cheep siding, especially if salvaged (most fences are not installed with ground contact rated 4x4s. If you use fence panels and insulation some kind of barrier film will be needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: What type of forge? Thomas have you been to Ike Doss Smithy. I’ve been driving by lately and looking at it. Ike is who got me interested in blacksmithing. The guy that bought that business had it made but. He didn’t treat Ike well. I did some work there back in the 80’s. im thinking late 1800’s early 1900’s authentic. I live in Busch Ar. West of Eureka Springs on the old road. Down past us in an old abandoned community where there once was a Smithy. The owners of that property don’t want people messing about. I’m also looking for Eureka Springs Blacksmith pics. all the tools from Ike Doss Smithy are being sold off as we speak. Coal forge and I’m thinking rock brick built in with exposed rock chimney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 1 hour ago, AR. Hillbilly said: Ike is who got me interested in blacksmithing. Ike got me interested in blacksmithing also in 1984. It was my understanding all (or most) of Ike's equipment was auctioned off in the '90s after he passed away. Who is selling off his tools? We don't live very far from each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 The shop sold in the late 80’s to early 90’s to another guy who made and sold garden tools and rock bars. That guy passed away in the last few years. Rumor has it that the last owners family is selling stuff. There is a new scrap yard between eureka and Berryville that know what’s up but isn’t telling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 My wife used to drive Isaac Doss around to make deliveries around 1974-1975 before he got his cataract surgery. I surely drooled over his 400 pound double horned Colombian anvil when I had a tour of his old shop a decade or so later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 That anvil is still in the family. His son Don received it, who has since passed away. His DIL Wanda will not part with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 Isaac offered it to me for US$2K when I was a poor married guy trying to support a young family, sigh. I'm glad she appreciates it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 11 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Carport come horse barn. Thank you for that pic. That looks awesome. I think a rock storefront facade would really make that look neat. I’ve been looking at pricing and they go up quick once you get beyond the normal everyday dimensions. I’m thinking a few courses of block under a standard carport might do. Then close it in with wood like the one above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 Thomas, thank you for the Har bee village tip. I’ve honestly never heard of it before this post. I see a motorcycle trip early spring. it reminds me of the folk center in Mt View Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 When we visited it several decades ago some of their displays were not extremely well curated and they were not very open to being corrected by subject matter experts. Hopefully they have grown since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.