lumettamichel3 Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 i am a small blacksmith and want a shop. how big of a shop do i need for a back yard shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 How big is your backyard? How small? Ive known blacksmiths who were 4'7", and he was a good smith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 How small are you? Hard to give any advise without knowing if you are 2' tall? 5'tall? Mouse size? Cat size? What tools are you working with? What are you making/going to make? What kind of forge, and how big of an anvil? Have a post vise or bench vise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jbradshaw Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 If you can dedicate 10’x10’ of outdoor space it will probably be more than enough. I am working with the assumption that you are just getting started and will be making small items alone. If you want to build a shop with walls you will need to be able to answer the questions asked above before beginning to design it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 IFI immutable laws of smithing: 1) No matter what size shop you have, it will eventually be too small and start to look like Mr. Whoopee's closet. 2) Any horizontal surface will rapidly become a crowded storage space for the 10,000 items you can't find a better place for. 3) Tools have invisible legs and will masterfully hide when they get the notion you are going to need them. 4) Too much is never enough . 5) The most common time to find that you desperately need something is a few days after you take it to the scrapper or toss it in the garbage. The list is longer but those get the ball rolling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Build any horizontal surface so it can support at least 1000 pounds of weight. Work tables need to be build to support even more weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedar Crest Forge Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 This thread reminds me of George Carlin's take on "stuff" I guess this applies to blacksmith shops as well. "Sometime's you have to get a bigger shop. Why? Too much stuff." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 My 30' xx 40' shop was getting crowded before I got the roof on it. Shops are never large enough. There are never enough: power outlets, lights, ventilation, windows, doors, shelves, benches. Up here you can ad Heat to the list. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Stephens Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 If you haven't already done it, contact BAM(Blacksmiths Association of Missouri) They have plenty of members that will give you ideas and suggestions and will let you come see their shops. Good Luck, Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 To be serious, ~12'x12' is a good place to start for a small shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba682 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 LOL i started with a 24x24 now im building another 24x24 for storage its a sickness the wife say's .Go as big as you can afford thats my advice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Aircraft hanger... that should be the standard answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 That is not a hanger for a Cessna, but something big enough for a C-130 or so. It is ok for the tail can stick out a bit if you want to close the doors. Ok, it is a C-124 but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADHD-forge Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 On 5/15/2019 at 1:35 PM, Kozzy said: IFI immutable laws of smithing: indeed the truth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Zeppelin hangar or sports arena could be enough for several years. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 I actually googled Goodyear’s hanger to counter Glenn, but decided against it, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fowllife Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 As has been mentioned, it really depends on what you plan on doing. If you main focus will be small items and you will have minimal tools you can get by with a relatively small shop, say 8x8 or 10x10. If you plan on having more tools like a power hammer, hydraulic press, drill press, sander, lathe, ect. you will need more room. If your goal in ornamental work like large gates or sculptures you will also need more space to mock and weld things up. I work in an area around 400 S.F. which contains my anvil, gas forge, post vise, work bench, drill press, 4'x5' assembly/welding table, and its fairly roomy. The barn I'm working in is larger though so if I'm working on something bigger I can move some equipment around and utilize up to around 1,000 S.F. I was planning on saying somewhere between 8'x8' and 100'x100', but these guys already got a little carried away with the blimp hanger.....give us a little more guidance on what you plan on doing and what tooling you plan on having and we can help narrow it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Get some cardboard boxes and lay out the tools you have or will need into a shop design. Take a piece of stock like you will use and see if you have enough room to do the work you want. Adjust the boxes as needed. This will give you a basic floor plan. Now make it a bit larger so you can work comfortably. Remember to have a place to put your working stock until it is needed, and a place for the slack tub, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Like everyone says, bigger is better. That said my shop is 12’x12’ and its perfect for me working solo but Im 6’1” and rather lean. 2 is a crowd but doable. 3 is too much for my little space i want big shop and I cannot lie.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 You other smithin brothers can't deny...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 This may give you some ideas Show me your shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rmartin2 Posted May 18, 2019 Share Posted May 18, 2019 19 hours ago, pnut said: You other smithin brothers can't deny...... NICE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 When I moved out here I built a 20' x 30' shop, all metal with a concrete floor. Later I added another 20' x 30' to it all metal save for 4 utility poles to hold it up and with a dirt floor. Now I'm starting to plan a 20' x 20' "carport" addition so I can park my truck out of the sun, or put a postvise in a buried gazinta and swing 10+' stock around it. (and probably another buried gazinta down the driveway so I can swing a full 20' piece...) Already have another 6" postvise. On the other hand I had a student who used to work out of his dorm room with the forge hidden in a BBQ grill out back of the dorm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 Good Morning, Normal size for a Shop is "Never Big Enough". In Sailboat world, '2 footitist is the Norm, always want 2 feet more!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTMichaud Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 On 5/15/2019 at 9:24 PM, Frosty said: My 30' xx 40' shop was getting crowded before I got the roof on it. Shops are never large enough. There are never enough: power outlets, lights, ventilation, windows, doors, shelves, benches. Up here you can ad Heat to the list. Frosty The Lucky. That's bigger than my house. And I just want to set up a corner of my shed for smithing... *sigh* BTW, my 2 brothers live in your neck of the valley. One in Wasilla and the other in Big Lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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