Blacksmith Shop/Shelter?

[Big Barn]

I've been thinking about making a freestanding shelter for a blacksmith setup.
Still in the contemplation stage so I thought I'd throw it out there for everyone' s opinions and ideas. All suggestions appreciated. Thanks.





This is a photo of the rear of my shop where I am removing a palm cluster that I just sold. There is an approximate 300 sq ft concrete pad where I stood to snap the pic. Considering this area but not certain at this point.

Terry

 

[muddstopper]

You have Palm trees IN BC???

I cant help you decide where or how to build your building, but I have to bragg a little about a recent score. I just completed tearing down a all metal house. Metal stud, metal rafters, metal roofing. House was over 7000sqft. The construction was never completed before it was destroyed by a tornado, no insurance. Lots of material still setting in bundles. Man building it had a heart attack and passed away shortly after. After setting for about 8 or 10 years, the wife has decided to clean up the property and sell. It took me a week but I got enough material to build a all metal shop for $500. I'll have to pour concrete and buy metal to cover it, not to mention a ton of screws, but I feel very blessed I was able to luck onto this deal.

All thru bragging now, so back to your topic.

 

[Big Barn]

No kidding on the good score!! No worries on the bragging.

Terry

 

[PhysAssist]

Hi BB,

Beautiful windows (and reflections- looks like a sunset, but I don't think it is one) on your shop.

I am contemplating putting up a small free-standing foger/welding shop after having set off the smoke alarms a few too many times in my basement shop grinding and cutting metal, and doing some minimal forging using a MAP gas torch as my heat source.

I have been able to get into any welding or foundry work yet, because I haven't gotten a 220 line run to the barn yet, but it's coming, and I am very interested in and enjoy doing metal work as a hobby- making, modifying, and fixing tools and equipment for use around our little place.

We built a 35' x45' x16' metal-sided pole barn in 2012, and it had occurred to me that having a forge and/welding shop there might not be as convenient (or safe) given all the flammable things stored there, that using the welder and forge will make it too hot in there in the summer, and that having the necessary ventilation for those activities might make it harder to keep it warm in the winter.

I guess I could just limit myself to doing that kind of metal work during the cold weather months, but it wouldn't always be convenient, and we do have a nice open flat area on the land near to our barn, enough assorted spare lumber, and roofing metal to make a roofed lean-to (which we could add walls to at a later date), and most importantly, my SWMBO wants our "shanty town" (a 20 y/o woodshed we built out of scrap lumber, old used roofing metal, and a dirt and pallet floor) gone- so I won't be able to use that and it's really kind of outlived its useful life expectancy anyway.

What are the dimensions of your concrete pad?

How high would you go with the roof/ceiling on your new shop?

I'm trying to figure out what the minimum workable size would be for reasonable use- I'm not going to be doing any huge builds, but I am still thinking about making a land plane.

Keep posting I hope to learn vicariously from your process.

Hi Muddstopper,

Congrats, that's the kind of deal I'd love to come across, how did you find it?

Best wishes guys,
Thomas

 

[Big Barn]

Thomas. Your idea of a roofed lean to on your property sounds good for a b/smith area!
The pad at rear if my shop is aprx 20x25' but I kind of envision a free standing 4 post structure with a 10x10 footprint. Old fashioned rustic look. Not totally sold on this particular location, but it IS adjacent to the rear door of my shop.

Aesthetics are important as it is a 30 second stroll from the back door of the house as my morning 'route' to my shop. 8' interior height would probably be sufficient. Just moved tree.


So I will replant something smaller for screening from my shop office and MAYBE some sort of structure closer to the black door. Terry

 

[muddstopper]

Thomas, I found out about the build from a friend. I was actually about third in line to get to do any salvaging. The guy in charge more or less said first come first served so my buddy and I made several trips before anyone else showed up. Last day we where up there, three truck loads of folks showed up wanting metal. All they wanted was the roofing material, but they where a day late and dollar short, we had just loaded the last of the tin on my trailer. Nobody was interested in any of the stud and framing material. I ended up with 150 2x4x9 metal studs, 60 or so 2x6 studs, and 60 or so of the 17.5ft rafter beams. Not sure how much of the metal lathing I got. The tin I plan on using to wrap my current shop. The tin is 24ft long, but its full of screw holes, punctures and some of it is bent. I'll be cutting it to 8ft but there will be a lot of waste because of the holes and bends. I think the guy in charge was double dipping on the cleanup. Getting paid to clean up the mess and looking for free labor to get it cleaned up. With scrap at about 2cents a pound, the whole place probably wasnt worth $5-600 in scrap metal and labor tearing it down would eat that up.

 

[Big Barn]

Hmmm, Bill. A contractor double dipping??? Gosh never heard of that before!
.
You did good.

Terry

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have a 14 ft x 14 ft blacksmith shop out back of our house. If you have another shop it would be fine. I would never have an open sided shop as you need shade and a "dark" shop makes it easy to see your colors. I have one window and a 7 x 7 ft sliding door for vent. If you set up a gas forge get a Carbon monoxide dect. as that is something you don't want to play with. Don' ask how I know. A box fan helps a lot to push the heat and bad gas out. Ed

 

[Mysfyt]

What equipment would be in it? I'd be inclined to go for as much sq footage as you can. You know your going to buy some more equipment, right?:thumbsup:

 

[muddstopper]

My brother has a small gas forge he uses for horse shoes. Its set up in the corner of his barn in a 12x12 stall. He isnt building any big projects and he doesnt seem to need any more space. I guess size of shop would be determined by the size of projects. As for carbon monoxide, My brother hasnt done anything to address that issue but I guess in a 4000sqft barn there is enough airflow to prevent any gas buildup. I could see how in a small enclosed shed where it could become an issue and think some sort of forced ventilation would be a must have item. I am thinking something along the lines of a overhead hood with fans vented to the outside might keep gas buildup down as well as maybe take care of some of the dust accumilation.