Bethel Ridge Forge-Finish Floor-Starting the move.

Fred.Rowe

Fred.Rowe

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
6,848
:D:D
My hat is off to the guys who put the new shop up. They did a bang up job.:thumbup:

Now is when my work begins. We want to get the electric wiring done, along with the air, water and gas lines installed, before the move on July 11th.

I am anxious to get the shop running again. It has been out of commission for 2 months. I don't know about you, but I get a little weird if I can't hammer on steel on a regular basis.:)
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As you can see, my shop dog, Budo', is ready to move in.:)

Fred
 
Fred, How big is it? I sure wish I had put a shed roof on mine. It won't be much longer till you make your move!
 
Raymond Richard said:
Fred, How big is it? I sure wish I had put a shed roof on mine. It won't be much longer till you make your move!
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Raymond,

Its 24x32 feet, with a 12X32 foot loafing shed down the north side. I have a couple of 1940's Allis Chalmers "B" tractors, that I am real fond of and will keep them under the shed roof along with the mowers and such.

My new shop wasn't prompted by a fire, as yours was, but it was never the less a necessity.
I am really looking forward to a shop with some natural light and a little elbow room.

Fred
 
Sweet digs, Fred! Can't wait to see it "loaded". Congrats.
 
Fred, You got a few more square feet than my shop plus the loafing shed sure adds alot. Your tractors should love it. Are you going to insulate? That insulated plastic is better than nothing but doesn't add much. I found out that when the roof got frosty and began to thaw out it would drip pretty good inside. Also if you mow close to the structure beware rocks can pennitrate through the siding.
 
Wow!! What a facility. That, sir, makes me jealous. Congrats, and more pics please.
 
smitty0331 said:
That's going to be an awesome shop Fred, hope I can get down there to see it this summer.
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It's a standing invite, Smitty.

Burton said:
Damn it's shiny! I bet you can't wait to dirty that up.
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You'll be getting a close up look at this puppy real soon.:)



Barkes Knife Shop said:
Awesome shop there Fred. A+ :thumbup:
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Thanks Terry! Hope you get this way some time soon.

fitzo said:
Sweet digs, Fred! Can't wait to see it "loaded". Congrats.
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Thanks Fitzo. I have a place marked out for all my current equipment and there is a little room left to grow. As big a machine hound as I am, I figure it won't be long before its full up.

Raymond Richard said:
Fred, You got a few more square feet than my shop plus the loafing shed sure adds alot. Your tractors should love it. Are you going to insulate? That insulated plastic is better than nothing but doesn't add much. I found out that when the roof got frosty and began to thaw out it would drip pretty good inside. Also if you mow close to the structure beware rocks can pennitrate through the siding.
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The insulation they put in is rated R-11 and should slow down the heat loss a bit. If its not controllable I'll have to put an insulated ceiling in it. This project pretty well drained my bank account; so it will be a while whatever happens.
I know what you mean about the mower discharge, I took out the airconditioning unit a few years back, with a well placed rock, coming off the mower blades.

Did you replace your press that was lost in the fire?

Fred

Karl B. Andersen said:
I see a Hammer-in coming.......
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Absoulutely. I'll keep you posted; hope you will be able to make it.
 
I don't like this shop. I really doubt you'll like it too. You should just hand it over to me and I can get it off your hands. By the way, you'll need to get a big semi to take it all the way to Indiana for me.


:D Lookin' good!
 
Fred, Haven't replaced the press. I've got the frame which is just fine. The rest will have to wait till I have the money.

As for the insulation R-11 should help out a lot. I do tend to do more forging in my shop in the winter just to warm up. No insulation in mine.
 
That's a beautiful shop Fred! See what good livin will do for you? :thumbup: Can't wait to see it filled up and you working in it. Not too long now...
 
Fiddleback said:
Wow!! What a facility. That, sir, makes me jealous. Congrats, and more pics please.
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Thanks Andy! I can hardly believe it myself. A real smithy and with machinery to boot. I'll keep the pics coming.

Raymond Richard said:
Fred, Haven't replaced the press. I've got the frame which is just fine. The rest will have to wait till I have the money.

As for the insulation R-11 should help out a lot. I do tend to do more forging in my shop in the winter just to warm up. No insulation in mine.
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Its good you saved the frame on the press. Once you have one its not easy to do without. It has not affected the knives you've been making.
They are really nice and the style is unique to you.

Winter forging is one of my favorites. Its 95 in the shop with 6 inches of snow on the ground. It doesn't get much better.

ddavelarsen said:
That's a beautiful shop Fred! See what good livin will do for you? :thumbup: Can't wait to see it filled up and you working in it. Not too long now...
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Thanks Dave:thumbup:
I'm still a bit in awe of the space. Not ripping a kneecap off, on the anvil horn, while making an oblique movement towards the press, will take a bit of getting used too.:D
If you get this way, please stop by, Fred
 
Fred why put the loafing shed on the north side? The north side of my shop gets snow up to the windows from the roof that doesn't melt off until May sometimes due to being out of the winter sunlight for months. I would think you might want to work in the shed during the winter.
 
Steve Hayden said:
Fred why put the loafing shed on the north side? The north side of my shop gets snow up to the windows from the roof that doesn't melt off until May sometimes due to being out of the winter sunlight for months. I would think you might want to work in the shed during the winter.
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Hi Steve,

Several reasons for choosing the north side for the loafing shed. The major one was getting as much natural light into the smithy from the south and east sides. With the shed on the south side it would have nixed the use of the 2 foot clear wall panels. Secondly, the winter storms come out of the n/w and west, here on this ridge. There are large pines to the n/w which will act as a windbreak.
As far as working under the loafing shed during the winter:eek: there is not a bone in my body that would stand for that.:D This old boy craves heat.

Thanks for the input, Fred

P.S. I just looked at your profile and see you are in New Mexico. I have traveled that area in winter; coming down out of the mountains from the north. No wonder you have snow concerns. You folks get some serious snow out there.:eek:
 
Fortunately I didn't have the press long enough to build up any type of relation before the fire. I may still get it rebuilt. You must get plenty of snow where your at. This year was the worst I'd ever see here. I'd lost my footing going through a snow drift trying to feed my cows. At first I thought it was pretty funny until I tried to get up. I ended up low crawling 10' to an area where my hands finally found something solid to push off of.
 
Actually Ray, that's a pretty funny mental image. :D

Fred it's not unimaginable to get out there some time. If I can get to Michigan I can probably come to Ohio too. Hm. You know, when I was a kid that wouldn't have fazed me; I'd have been in the car the next weekend. Nowadays - well, I don't get out much.
 
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