After I get power to the shop I'm planning to put a "gazinta" into the shop driveway so I can drop in a sq post with a large post vise mounted to it for when I need to swing a long bar and be able to pull it up and store it in the shop for when I don't.

Perhaps you could build a little wooden "house" to go over the outside vise when not in use?

Yes, thats a good idea TP. A little roof that I can lift off, perhaps.  I hope that we’ll get power plumbed in in the next couple of weeks. 

DON'T GO THERE!   (Getting power to my shop has just about reached the 1 year mark with a substantial payment made on it last June!)

You at least luck out with 220 being standard.  Will you be using LED lighting?

i’ll be using largely LED lighting on the enclosed machine shop/ “clean” side. On the forge/“dirty” side,  it’s open on the front and I’m trying to make it look “authentic” and I’ll normally work with no electric light, but I’ll hang a few edison bulbs from the roof for when I do need some lighting.  I’ve only forged 2 or 3 times in the new place but I’m already finding the benefit of seeing the colour of the steel much better in a relatively dark environment.

However I have found that trying to work after dark by the light of the forge is NOT a good idea.   My smithy has a couple of fiberglass panels for skylights mounted away from the forge for daytime and I hope to put in some led shop lights for after dark.

Perhaps you could forge some "authentic looking" lights and use led bulbs in them.  I have some old lard cans that would make great "shades" for outhouse lights...

Thomas, make sure you put dim able LED lights in. I put four high output dim able LED lights in my shop and the bright light is great for most work, but I really do need the turn down for somethings.

David

Many medieval craft guild rules prohibited work after sun down because the low quality of artificial light then resulted in lower quality work.  While shade is good to see colors of hot metal darkness or very low light is not good.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I usually run out of personal steam by mid afternoon, which usually means that I don’t forge in the evenings  so its not an issue for me

I don't know your weather conditions, (save lower altitude and much damper than mine), but will you be heating it in the winter?  I have a small old coal stove that came from a schoolhouse that I could use.

I won’t be heating the place TP.  My old forge based out of an attached garage was never heated and it was never a problem. I wear shorts 11 months of the year, which my missus thinks is weird in the damp, but I like being “outside”.  Our weather is mild compared to yours I’m sure. In winter its rarely below freezing during the day and snow never lasts more than a day or two.  I’m fortunate that I’m doing my blacksmithing for fun in retirement. If it’s cold I can either:

a. Wear more clothing.

or b.  Work harder and swing the hammer harder

Or c. Stay in the house and shrug. 
 

also I don't want to cover up all that beautiful oak with insulation etc.

I do have a problem with condensation in the shop on some days when there’s a lot of moisture in the air.   Things will go rusty quickly but wiping things down with an oily rag is a constant activity. Not a big deal in the forge, but my lathe is suffering a bit and that worries me a bit. 

A new tree stump for my two leg vices. 

And now the evenings are dark, electricity at last gives me the opportunity to spend more time here. Why would I not?  

Sigh; I envy you that shop; it's very alluring!

All it needs are some forged giant spiders lurking in the rafters or maybe a squid of two---to give it that homey look!

I am inordinately proud of it. Another couple of weeks and it will be done, and then I can focus on using it not making it. 

And get started on the extension!

Looking good Roger, REALLY good! It looks so good from the outside with the lights on it might be hard to go inside and lose the view.

Looks like the vises will stay put. 

Frosty The Lucky.

yes, a nice trunk of sold ash. Previously it was a slightly dodgy alder trunk. That was a bit light and rotten in the centre. this will last a few years. It’ll form some cracks but should hold together well. Were it cracks I’ll add some odd bits of steel screwed in to form staples so it’ll evolve and it looks good too. 

If you criss cross the staples over the cracks like stitches it'll evolve into Frankentrunk. Work in some copper and gears and it'll be a steam punk Frankentrunk. 

Frosty The Lucky

Oh Man, that’s a really beautiful building.  Well done! The inside is just as impressive as the outside! 
 

RogerrogerD, your smithy turned out awsome!!! 

I really like your old wet stone grinder on the previous page too!

If you don’t mind me being nosy what’s the manufacture? 
 

 

2 minutes ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said:

RogerrogerD, your smithy turned out awsome!!! 

I really like your old wet stone grinder on the previous page too!

If you don’t mind me being nosy what’s the manufacture? 
 

 

thanks TW. I haven’t finished restoring it yet. It’s about 120 years old and was made by “Follows and Bate” in Manchester, England. Here’s a contemporary ad, and how I bought it. 

over the last couple of days I’ve been restoring these old 1930’s rusty pigeon hole storage racks. Getting my nuts and bolts, rivets, organised.  I think they fit in with the “feel” of the place. 

That’s pretty cool RogerrogerD! It looks in near perfect shape

Ive got a big old athol wet stone grinder but it’s in a lot rougher shape than yours, I’m jealous! 

1 minute ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said:

That’s pretty cool RogerrogerD! It looks in near perfect shape

Ive got a big old athol wet stone grinder but it’s in a lot rougher shape than yours, I’m jealous! 

Had to replace the central channel which was rusted through. Once I’ve finished the restoration, I’ll post a pic.