JLP Blacksmith Teaching Center.

[jlpservicesinc]

today I tackled the back access hatch..  It's where the in-floor fume extraction pipe exits the building to the vacuum unit. 

Like everything else this came up on the roster and so it was time to at least get a start on it..   I got the top and bottom frame sections in and then remembered all 4 pieces have to be slid in together.. argh..  Of course I silicone the bottom section in and cement screwed it down..  

I ended up getting rained out so moved inside to finish off the main center section tape and membrane. 

I got it positioned and decided to call it..  finished up again at 8pm..   The last week has been 745-830pm nights.. 

 

[jlpservicesinc]

Center bay insulation, membrane, infrared heater vent installed. 

Also managaged to pull some wires.. 

Today was another break thru..  First time a light is controlled by a real switch.. 

Only the 3 on the right so far..  7 more lights to go. 

Drop mic, walk off stage..    LOL.. 

[LarryFahnoe]

Love the little video Jennifer, way to go!

& she said "let there be LIGHT!"

--Larry

[anvil]

Nice work on the conduit, Jen!  

Catching up,,, I've crossed the high mountain passes of Colorado and surrounding states for decades and loved every pass as a blacksmith and farrier! Then for some unknown reason, about 4 years ago that changed and now a phobia/fear of heights and particularly scary mtn passes rules. Have no clue why. I live close to Mesa Verde and go to Grand Junction and Moab for the VA. I can do Lizard Head pass from here to Grand Junction because I'm on the "right" side of the road, but cannot come back that way,, So I come back thru Moab. Not a bad deal, about a half hour longer and love the canyon lands type terrain. If ya got's lemons, make lemonade.

[jlpservicesinc]

Larry, Thanks..  It was a moment worth sharing for sure..    I still forget that all I have to do is hit the light switch when I go in.   I wear a headlight when I'm out working nights now and walked into the school and around for 10 min before remembering to hit the switch. 


Anvil, Thanks..   It is interesting how those fears manifest..  Not seeing as well and slower response times certainly play in.. As does the "willingness" to want to play in those realms.. 

With this I have been busy as can be in the school with more wiring..  

Yup have moved into running wire..  

I have all the light circuits nearly wired in..  Should be functional in the next few days.. 

Dimmers and remote controls and all..  

Looking forwards to how much light there will be..    ??????  

I still have 3ph wiring to run and the sub panel on the office side/ work station side..  But that can wait till the blacksmithing work stations are actually in.. 

I then have smoke stacks to install..  And that won't happen till the shop on that side is organized so I know where to put things. 

A view from 50ft up  over the building..  Last night as I turned the orientation of the manlift around.  it's to long to change from one end of the shop to the other with all the stuff in it..  Easier to drive it outside.. 

[Julianb]

Hi!

I've been following this thread since I joined the forums and just wanted to say how awed I am by this amazing work that is displayed here. Really, really impressive and interesting to watch!

Cheers!

Julian

[gewoon ik]

Good work jen. 

Anvil, good to see you posting again.

[jlpservicesinc]

Hello and thank you Julian,  it's been a struggle and huge learning curve at the same time..  I'm so looking forwards to a point that I "don't" have to be out there working to finish it.. 

The last week has been net zero in terms of work.  

Got a snow storm that dropped 12-14" (31cm-36cm) and this takes days to clean up.. 

The night of the storm I scrambled to get all the equipment ready of which the plow truck pump fried just after hooking up, then the mini dozer would not start so cleaned and carburetor and while adjusting it, the hood fell down nearly taking my right hand off..  

So, have had to take off the last 3 days..  I'll take 2 more days since my wrist is pretty much toast..  I can't use a hoof knife. 

I can swing a hammer though...    it's the funniest thing.. 

gewoon ik,  thanks..  Slow and steady..   

I pulled both run of wires for the left side lights but I have to chase down the logic behind the wiring. 

I was told by my electrician friend that I should pull 2 blacks and 2 whites and 1 green on each conduit. 

Problem is I'm working by myself and my brain does not see the logic or routes of wires pulled that way..  

The Neutral goes from the services panels to the lights only.. NOT to the switches..  The black wires run from the lights to the switches as does the ground.. So the problem is I need to figure out which series of wires are which.. 

So I'll have to spend the time to label the wires..  I should have ran 1 set of wires for each light set and then pulled the other wires..  Yes it's a pain, but would have been easier for me as it's less confusing. 

 

[swedefiddle]

Happy New Year,

Big trucks and busses use only one colour wire, they have little number tags for the different wires. The tags are small and wrap around a wire. Keep it simple (K.I.S.S).

Nothing worse than a Hood acting like a guillotine. If you had a stick holding it up and bumped the stick, same thing. Let Mother Nature mend your mittens, with time, slow time. Good Luck!!

Neil

[gewoon ik]

Labeling the cables and on the scematics is a good thing. Now you know, buy 10+ years later you are glad you have done it.

[Steve Sells]

The color purple is commonly used for switch legs, and FYI when I had a lot of switches in one box in a church, I used the high voltage colors as switch legs so I can keep track of things. IE yellow orange brown and well as purple

[JHCC]

I thought purple wires in church were for the circuits you only use during Lent.

[jlpservicesinc]

On 1/10/2024 at 12:28 AM, swedefiddle said:

Happy New Year,

Big trucks and busses use only one colour wire, they have little number tags for the different wires. The tags are small and wrap around a wire. Keep it simple (K.I.S.S).

Nothing worse than a Hood acting like a guillotine. If you had a stick holding it up and bumped the stick, same thing. Let Mother Nature mend your mittens, with time, slow time. Good Luck!!

Neil

Thanks Neil,    Happy New Year.. 

My manlift uses all white wires with stamps and tags numbered.,.   Makes it easy to follow for sure. 


While the wiring in the school is super simple, I have to remember how my brain works..     This is key..   Understanding how one thinks of things..   

everyone learns differently and understands differently..     I'm not at the point in my learning cycle wiring wise that I can skip ahead to a place of knowing.. 


Like Steve wrote.., Using colored wires is super helpful, but it also becomes who you are working with..   I had mentioned using different colored wires and he was "NO".     Just run the 2 blacks, 2 whites and 1 green..  From a circuit or straight run kind of deal I understand it..   

Electrical is a lot like blacksmithing or Farrier work..   There are 1000's of ways of doing it (In someones mind there is only 1 way or 2 ways based on experience) and it still come out.  

It's ok.. It will all work out..  I did pull red wires for the second series of lights on the left side. 


Once it's all connected because I won't be using very many breakers in the service panels the wiring will be very simple. 

I also have 2 sub panels..  One for 3ph at the end of the building on the left side and 1 for 1ph on the other side of the shop on the right side.    

Yes, on the hood and guillotine..  it has a built in stop/hold open..  I moved it from it's bottom mount position to open the hood more..  It was locked but once the motor was running the vibration while I adjusted the carb is what got me. 

Was lucky I had my coveralls on..   It stopped the wrist from being completely sheared off..  Had impact line of skin where the 1/8" thick metal was trying to go thru. 

Went for xrays today..     I love seeing xrays of my bones and such..   It's amazing to me how dense my bones are and all the damage that has been done from all the rough and tumble years.. 

I spent over 30 years learning how to punch/strike and would practice on trees and other solid objects.. Was super cool seeing the extra bone mass behind my wrist..  That and all the damage to the joints.. 

[jlpservicesinc]

Welp, today was the first day back on the wiring.  

 I pulled the 2 extra white wires and installed 2 black in their stead.  

I called it quits after wiring the switches.. Tomorrow I'll put the wires to the breaker panel.. 

Might have 8 of the 10 lights going tomorrow..  

[jlpservicesinc]

So I was able to get out there and figure out some of the wiring.. 

I also was able to get all the lights working..  

I need to work a little bit more on the left side but as a test they are all switched at the moment. 

I find it hard to believe I have enjoyed the 3 lights on the left for so long..  Thinking they were very bright with ample light.. 

After being able to switch from right to left separately  I now understand the 10 lights rock.. 

The round UFO lights are controlled left to right, as are the 4, 4ft lights.. 

They are also dimmable separately so each light bank can be controlled and adjusted. 

 

[LarryFahnoe]

Now you're going to have to train yourself not to rely upon your headlamp! Looking GREAT Jennifer!

--Larry

[jlpservicesinc]

Larry that's too funny..    

Went in the shop this morning to check out the lights..    

Is there such a thing as to bright..  Ha, ha..   

Still in newness mode. 

[Frosty]

If you need sunglasses in the shop it might be too bright.

Frosty The Lucky.

[jlpservicesinc]

Big day today..  All the light switches work the way they are supposed to.. 

Wow, is all I can say..  It's been a long road getting here..  

I can now move on to the inside siding to finish the electrical installation. 

[George N. M.]

Congratulations, Jennifer.  Do you expect to be teaching there by summer?

G.

[jlpservicesinc]

Thanks George,  If I can pull it off I'm hoping late spring..   Of course between here and there is some time.. Nearly lopped my hand off the last big snow storm..  So that put me out of commission for a while. 

The siding is next, then smoke stacks..  Then finish the wiring for the blacksmith side of the school..  

I'll have to take a weekend to organize the equipment on the blacksmithing side to arrange the workstations..  I have a pretty good idea of where things are going, but it's always better to finalize layout..  Once the holes go thru the roof, it's a huge problem if there is a problem. 

Not going thru side wall for stacks because of the snow loads. 



 

[George N. M.]

I'm going to suggest that you may want to have the chimney roof jacks, the upper chimneys, and the stack caps installed by professionals.  Working high and outside is not to be approached lightly.  As we get older high work is not our friend.  At a minimum use a safety harness and have someone with you and a recovery plan if you end up dangling off the edge in your harness.  You don't want to be hanging there until Susan is wondering why you haven't come home for dinner and comes looking for you (you may not be able to use your phone).

I've got some chimney work to do on my shop and I'm going to have to get a younger friend or hire someone to help me and I only have a 1 story shop (probably about 9' to the eaves and 14' ridge).

[jlpservicesinc]

Great suggestions. 

George, everyone should evaluate what and where they are comfortable.  And take the needed precautions.

My experience with outside help/professionals is lack luster. 

As a male you don't get the same "positive reinforcement" from other male trades professionals.  This is a sarcastic statement just in case it was missed. 

No one will do as good as job as I will and exactly as I want it.  Most people especially professionals work a certain way and won't do anything outside their narrow window. 

I have the manlift so this is a huge game changer. 

Owning your own manlift and having some common sense as to capabilities gives a freedom few can or will ever experience.  

 

All the roof penetrations will be custom fabricated thimbles with the snow and corrugated roof panels in mind. 

[George N. M.]

Jen,  If you can reach the penetration points from the man lift being beside the building, great.  I was visualizing having to be deeper on to the pitched roof. 

You are right about "professionals" dismissing direction from property owners.  It is probably worse for someone of the female persuasion.  Maybe you could find a female owned roofing company in the greater Boston Area.  And it would need to be someone with experience in installing metal chimneys on metal roofs.  That strikes me as something that happens in industrial applications rather than residential.

In any case, stay safe.  You have had some close calls and I/we want to keep you around the forum a LONG time.

G

[Latticino]

Jen,

Custom thimbles is the way to go, but you aren't going to believe how much they cost  (I am still struggling to get an "industry discount" for one and they initially want $1K+ for the custom double wall one I need for my wood and shingle roof).  Please be careful to check with your local code regarding the specifics, but typically you need to have on the order of 18" clearance from any combustible construction and terminate on the order of 3' above an adjacent roof.  Non-combustible metal roofs are a bit easier, but i would look carefully into the insulation near the penetration location.  You might want to cut it back at the location of the flue.  Depending on construction and conditions you may want to look into guying the stack above the roof.  Are you going for a single penetration serving multiple forge hoods?