Forging in your Garage

[GeorgiaDoc1]

So I have a hobby machine shop in my detached garage. I am looking to build a forge. My garage has 9 ft ceilings and unfortunately due to a few circumstances I won't be able to really move the forge outside to work. Does anyone else forge in their garage and do you have any issues with ceiling getting hot? And if so how do you handle? If the whole thing is a bad idea, Ill welcome that advice too. I have figured out how to separate the forging from anything else with welding blankets. Thanks in advance for any help. And if this is posted in the wrong forum, please advise and move if necessary.

 

[weo]

I used to when I first started in my house. My detatched 1 car garage was my shop, not my garage, and it wasn't so much the ceiling, as the whole shop getting hot. My solution was to remove the ceiling and then with the side door and garage door open, it was pleasant to forge in most of the year.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

It can be done with a small forge, a good fan, and an open door.

It is far easier ... and cooler ... to make a rolling cart with fat tires (Harbor Freight) and roll the forge and stuff outside in the driveway or side yard.

 

[Ken H>]

It is far easier ... and cooler ... to make a rolling cart with fat tires (Harbor Freight) and roll the forge and stuff outside in the driveway or side yard.

That has been my choice, even my forge and hydraulic press both are mounted on a cart with 8" wheels to roll outside for work.

 

[Bühlmann]

What little forging I do is in my finished garage. 10’ ceilings that are steel roofing over 3/4” rigid insulated with R-50 fiberglass blankets on top of that. I have a ceiling fan in the center of the 32’ x 32’ garage. It stays cool in the summer & warm in the winter. I leave an outside door open with a screened storm door when the forge is lit, and between that and the ceiling fan I can maintain comfort year round with no ill effects noticed.

 

[Travis Talboys]

I have been forging in my one car garage for 4 yrs with no discernible issues. The peak is around 16 feet, but about 9 over my forge. I've noticed a small discoloring in the plywood, but nothing alarming. I have thought about throwing a piece metal roofing up there to defuse and redirect some of the heat, but it's still on my to do list.