Progress pics Snail forge under construction

Hey guys,
This holiday I finally started building a smithy which I could call my own. So far I've been working in the garden, or underneath the carport, but it's an inconvenience. I have always wanted to have a fixed place. That way I can just fire up when I have an hour, instead of first having to set up everything, and clean up everything afterward. After some careful consideration and consulting with my CFO, we decided to build it in the back of the garden, where there used to be a compost heap.

That is also where the name comes from. There was a significant number of snails living there, as well several empty shells. I don't know what to call the place just yet, so for now I settled on snail forge.

this is ground zero:

http://onikudaki.be/gallery2/d/116-1...fa5aba70f866c4

My friend came over to help me with the first part of the construction. I wanted something strong and sturdy (it is going to be a smithy after all) so I decided to build with concrete pillars after I got the idea from my friend's wood shed. Those pillars weigh 200+ pounds each. They're 2.5 feet buried into the ground, and set in concrete. Moving the pillars was a drag, and digging the holes was not much fun either. My ground is hard clay as soon as you're a shovel deep. On the plus side, the ground is very stable. On the downside, it is hard to dig. And someone also buried a huge concrete lintel right where we needed to dig.

http://onikudaki.be/gallery2/d/120-1...fa5aba70f866c4

We put in the wooden panels at the end of the day. We were pretty much done for by then.

http://onikudaki.be/gallery2/d/123-1...fa5aba70f866c4

I built the frame for the roof using actual roof beams. The 3 main beams are 2.5 inches wide, and 7 inches high. Huge overkill for my humble shack, but this way I am certain that the entire structure is strong, and if I ever need to hang a workpiece, some machinery or a tool from the roof for whatever reason, it won't budge. And of course, in the summer I can put up a hammock :-)

http://onikudaki.be/gallery2/d/126-1...fa5aba70f866c4



That's it for now. I have the roof panels (metal, with a layer of insulation to prevent condensation and echo) lying ready to put up, as well as the gutter for rain water. I haven't started that part of the construction because we are having a local heatwave, with local temperatures way above 36 degrees celsius. Not really the right time for doing hard work in the blasting sun, with panels that are too hot to touch. After the roof, I'll have to put in a decent floor, and electricity and water.

That's pretty cool man ! I have always kind of admired the art of blacksmithing. I haven't kept up on your background Bruno..is this for making straight razor blades or other ??

Fine looking building, Bruno. I wish I had the property to build me just a tool shed.
Are you taking orders yet? Can I put in an order for a nice machete of mid length? With made by "Bruno of Belgium" stamped on the tang.

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Originally Posted by Nightblade

That's pretty cool man ! I have always kind of admired the art of blacksmithing. I haven't kept up on your background Bruno..is this for making straight razor blades or other ??

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Obivously, straight razors are one of the things I am making. I've already forged a very nice one, which is still waiting for scales.
I've also made a couple of kitchen knives, and some other failed experiments.

Razors and kitchen knives are the 2 main things I'd like to make. However, if someone needs something else, that would be up for discussion too. There is only one thing on which I will not (yet?) compromise. I only make tools. I don't make fancy stuff for display cases. I respect that some people collect knives for the sake of collecting, but I want everything I make to be used.

My goal for this year is to build the smithy and buy a professional belt grinder. As soon as I am set, I want to figure out if I am any good at making things people like, and at what price point I can work. If that goes well, my long term goal is to register as a part time freelancer (a tax thing which allows me to be a part time smith) and earn some money. For now it is all fun and experimenting.

I might work on other people's ideas just for the sake of trying something new, but I am not going to 'open up shop' just yet. Partly because things are going slow, and partly because I cannot open a business just yet, due to tax reasons.

Very nice. It seems traditional to name the forge after some feature of the place. I'm not sure there are any rules though.

I saw very cool building similar to yours that had a giant grapevine up one side and growing over the open roof. At least then you'd have natural shade and something to make wine with at the end of the summer if you didn't get any blades done.... ;)

That is great Bruno. I wish you great success with this venture. The only thing I'd like to see is some of that Belgian blue stone used somewhere in the build. Maybe paving stones for the flooring under the forge itself ... good mojo with something like that. :gl:

It looks overbuilt - the way a forge should be, I think.
Nice work!

The ground doesn't freeze there, does it?

That is a great looking shop so far. I am looking forward to seeing more updates.

Charlie

Very interesting thread Bruno for sure definately looking forward to the many updates and see some tools and razors from your new shop.

It looks great Bruno. But I have to ask, does it seem odd that someone building a forge is implying it is to hot to work?

I like your approach on making functional things Bruno....Nothing worse than a knife that's only for show for example. I too will be eager to see pics one day of your craft...Good luck on your future endeavors.:gl:

[QUOTE=Bruno;1010028
As soon as I am set, I want to figure out if I am any good at making things people like,.[/QUOTE]

Make what you like-trust me-others will like it too.
Really nice looking build Bruno.

Overkill, Love It.

Jeff

A year already since I updated this thread :)
I dug a trench and put in a 4" drain pipe from the crawling space of my house to inside the smithy, so that I can hook up electricity and water later.
I also started putting in the floor. I am using thick square concrete tiles coated with a layer of white pebbles. It took a while for the things to be delivered, and because the yard is sloping down a bit, I had to use several trailers of black dirt to bridge the level difference between the yard and the floor.

Hopefully I can finish the front side of the smithy floor today so that I can move all the charcoal from underneath the carport. I'll take some extra pics then.

Glad to hear it's coming along, still being the young man that you are, you will get decades of use out of it. Take your time & build one that lasts.

Nearly done with the floor on the inside. The corners and partial tiles at the sides take up most of the time. When the floor on the inside is done I'll update with pics. After that I'll need to put in the door and I can start to move my stuff and mount the anvil.

i would have thought the floor would be finished by now bruno :)
what happened did you give up on the thread?

completely forgot about it. :)
I'll see if I can take some pics. Today or tomorrow it's supposed to be good weather.

At this point I am anticipating pics of an underground Taj Mahal.

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

i would have thoufght the floor would be finished by now bruno :)
what happened did you give up on the thread?

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I was looking forward to an update too... Of course without pics it didn't happen.

Surely Bruno knows the photo's rule... :brunoisright

Today I mowed the lawn in front of it. Tomorrow I'll move out the parts from the wooden play tower that I am building for the kids.
And take a brush to the floor and make it semi presentable. The weather should be ok so I'll probably get some pics tomorrow.

great I would love to see where all my Brunos are born!! tc

This is where the magic happens.
The horseshoe was a gift from my grandmother, long time ago. It reminds me of her and a smithy has to have a horseshoe.
The front part is my smithy. The back side is storage for garden tools, lawnmower etc, but also a huge pile of sacks of charcoal.
I stand alongside my anvil, not in front. So I put the fire and the anvil in the same direction. Then I can heat, take it out and hammer, without having to turn around every time.

the 2 big buckets are oil and water.
I always have in-use stock standing near the anvil. The pipes next to the anvil are my heat treatment pipes. They act as a heat buffer and keep oxygen and fire away from the steel. I still need to saw the end of the hammer handle. It's too long. I use a heavy hammer, hold it close to the head. Much better for the elbow and arms than holding a long handle.

Attachment 200683

Attachment 200682

Very nice.

thanks Bruno ,, great for my imagination,, this is cool ,, I now know where my razors and knives are brought to life thru heat sweat and hard work , tc

very nice, and a good general purpose space if you ever sold your house too. is the chain to stop the anvil being stolen?

The only thing that bothers me about the pics is the neat and orderly look of it all. As a visual artist I have no problem operating in a seemingly jumble of an environment. I like having everything flowing in and around itself. Gives me the opportunity to capitalise on accidental combinations of objects and colors. But I do admire the fact that without the order it could be a dangerous place in a forge. And best yet, it doesn't affect the quality and beauty of your work. (Close to finishing the paring knife you made me. Will then post pics of same.)

Very nice and airy spot to do your work, Bruno. Seems to double as a garden shed? Wonderful work with materials foreign to myself. Quite sturdy. Americans often live for the day. Much work in this country in the last 60 years that I see, is crumbling.
I dig seeing things made to last! BTW, I, too love the short handled, heavy hammer.
Looks quite nice! :tu

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Very nice and airy spot to do your work, Bruno. Seems to double as a garden shed? Wonderful work with materials foreign to myself. Quite sturdy. Americans often live for the day. Much work in this country in the last 60 years that I see, is crumbling.
I dig seeing things made to last! BTW, I, too love the short handled, heavy hammer.
Looks quite nice! :tu

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I chose 5" thick concrete support beams, and wooden beams that are normally used for structural roof support. They're 8" high, 3" thick. I don't know of any reason it needs to be this strong, other than I want to over-dimension infrastructure. Should I ever have the need to hoist something the size and weight of a drive train, it should pose no problem.

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Originally Posted by Razorfeld

The only thing that bothers me about the pics is the neat and orderly look of it all. As a visual artist I have no problem operating in a seemingly jumble of an environment. I like having everything flowing in and around itself. Gives me the opportunity to capitalise on accidental combinations of objects and colors. But I do admire the fact that without the order it could be a dangerous place in a forge. And best yet, it doesn't affect the quality and beauty of your work. (Close to finishing the paring knife you made me. Will then post pics of same.)

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I work best in a clean environment. Not superclean, but I don't want loads of junk on my worktable or smithy when I start working.
It's not always this clean, but I do try to clean up from time to time and throw out anything that is not etiehr a tool, raw material, or work in progress.

Thanks for sharing.. I love to see others workshops.

So what's the purpose of the chain wrapped around the anvil?

I also liked. Well when there is a place where you can work.

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Originally Posted by MikekiM

Thanks for sharing.. I love to see others workshops.

So what's the purpose of the chain wrapped around the anvil?

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It helps reduce the ringing. Although for it to be really silent, I'd have to securely bolt it down hard on a solid stump.