December 23, 20205 yr And so it begins... For the past couple months I’ve been working towards getting my decrepit garage torn down and replaced by a new garage with attached forge. I’ve gotten my property line issues resolved, design completed, and needed variances from the local building and zoning committee. The past two weeks have been spent cleaning out the garage and storing all my yard equipment and smithing tools. I have stripped the building of all the 100 year old lap board and sent 300lbs of unusable (to me) steel to the scrap yard. Now just have to wait for the contractors to start on Jan 18th. (If I were to build it, it take a couple years till it would done, and I’d rather spend that time in the forge...) David
December 23, 20205 yr It looks like there may be a "Road Trip" in my future......ha Life is Good Dave
December 23, 20205 yr Author Dave, I’m building it with the intention of being able to host IBA hammer-ins. You’re more than welcome once it’s all done and things have calmed down.
December 23, 20205 yr Goods, what part of IN are you in? Pre-Covid, I use to road trip over to Indiana for gaming adventures with friends. Indy, Bloomington, Evansville.
December 23, 20205 yr Author I’m about half way between Louisville and Indy, just a few miles off I65...
December 24, 20205 yr Author I sure hope so... If nothing else I will at least have a dry, warm shop all year long. I’ve been getting by with just pulling everything out of the garage, then having to pack it all up afterwards, every time I want to do any forging. (Not to mention worrying about the garage collapsing on everything inside of it!) David
January 28, 20215 yr Author Finally, progress toward the new shop. From the old garage salvaged: windows (for a neighbor), roof joists and door (for a coworkers), bricks (for our property), and 900ft of 1”x10” lap boards (for walls in the shop). Not to mention that I discovered that the post to the dog pen are 1” solid wrought iron. 11 of them, 6~8ft long! When the pen goes back up, the posts will be 1” heavy wall square tube. Still just the beginning... David
February 19, 20215 yr Author Some really progress! (Unfortunately, the pictures are in reverse order.) After work today, when I was home for lunch, and after work yesterday. I’m starting to get excited, David
February 20, 20215 yr Framed walls and roof trusses!! I LOVED rolling the roof trusses on our place! Go gittem David! Frosty The Lucky.
March 9, 20215 yr Author Material delays, but now there’s more happening: Hopefully, the rough in of utilities with start at the end of this week. David
March 31, 20215 yr Author Still moving too slowly for my liking... Roof is done and windows are in: Rough in on plumbing and electrical (feeds under the slab) are done and the “gozintas” are started: The tubes for the “gozintas” are drove 18” into the packed ground and will be welded to rebar intersections in a 6” slab. Rebar and welding to “gozintas” should be done by Saturday. Slab should be poured on Monday. Then, things should really get moving. (Too many “shoulds” for my liking!) David
June 23, 20214 yr Author Well, I was really expecting this building to be done by now, and there has been too many problems to mention here… but now maybe another week or two and building should be fully completed. Then I have to work on he shop itself. Need to get my side draft hood build, and work out how I’m going to setup the blower. I really like Torbjorn Ahman’s setup with the blower outside of the forge. The big thing though is the divider between the forge and the garage. I’m pretty much set on using basically a taut flame retardant curtain. Pseudo stucco should be done tomorrow and paint Friday, the lighting and flue next week. Then I have to finish trim painting, build the hood, and the dreaded organization. (Still a lot of stuff to bring out from my basement!) The blower system can wait, my hand crank blower will work for the time being… Oh forgot, I have to build new stands for my post vises for the gozintas (which are all chipped free from the concrete skim coat yet.) Only two weeks… it been too long! David
June 23, 20214 yr I'm glad to see you're tackling this in a properly blacksmitherly manner. Finish the outside first to keep the Missus happier. Not clearing the space inside to make work easy is just so SO blacksmith! I'm a little surprised you haven't moved ALL your stuff up already but nobody's perfect. Nothing gets done on time or within budget. The outside is looking great, well done! Frosty The Lucky.
June 23, 20214 yr Finish the outside first, that is what everyone will look at and see. The inside will be weather tight and then depend on your time table. Add a cot and a bathroom so if you get sent to the dog house it no longer matters. Maybe a kitchenette.
June 23, 20214 yr Finally got ahold of the Electrical CoOp; been waiting on them to set the transformer and meter for my shop; then the final state inspection and I'm good to go. There is a slim chance it will be ready for the 4th of July weekend! I'd probably need a hammock and a water bucket if I annoyed my wife but at least the power will be in my name... I really need to haul everything out and set it back in to make use of power equipment, probably no more than 10 tons of stuff...time for a minion party!
August 1, 20214 yr Author Made some progress today. I got the side draft hood I built this week and the last of the duct work installed. Now I have to install the partition between the shop and the garage, repair the forge, figure out the plan for an electric blower, and build stands for my post vises. I think that’s all that’s left…sheesh David
August 1, 20214 yr Looking good David! I hope your blower makes way too much air so you can dump the excess blast on the sweaty YOU working in summer heat and humidity. Frosty The Lucky.
August 11, 20214 yr Author I got the blower setup with outside air and motor controller, installed a new clinker breaker and the bar. I only made one temporary handle for the bar on the clinker breaker. I need it to be functional for now, but want to make something more functional and aesthetic for both sides of the forge. Of course I need to lengthen the cord on the blower and mount the motor controller (I think between the front all-thread holding the hood), and remake the original blower mounts to properly support the new blower. The more I get done, the more I find needs done… Maybe tomorrow I can get the wire changed out and do a test fire to make sure my hood drafts properly. If it doesn’t… I probably be back for advice! David
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