No finished shop photos yet, but I thought I would start posting photos of the new forge build. The shots are out of order, but are before adding 24 yards of fill, after leveling, and the foundation blocks in place with a footer on top. In the background you can see the bulkhead I built to protect the forge from future creek rise. It is about 7 feet above high water level in the creek level now.
The enclosed portion will be 24' by 10', with a open 8'X12'area on one end for the trash cans and trailers, and an 8'X8' garden shed with one open side on the backyard end. When done, the forge will have a Solar grey Suntuf corrugated roof that lets in light, but blocks UV. The forge roof is sloped, and is pretty low on the backside, but will accommodate shorter people, like me. The new forge will be called " The Hobbit Hole". There will be a yellow with black diagonal stripes sign saying "Max Headroom" over the entry door (you have to be older than 50 to know the reference". There will be a welding area for Stik/Mig/Tig/Torch welding and other torch work; then the forging pit area where I have to figure out how to position way too much equipment; then a lawn and garden area the will store the electric rider mower/push mower/battery chargers plus most of my gardening things like backpack sprayers and long tools. The propane tanks will store on the low clearance back wall. On the inside high wall, there will be a tool rack for forging hammers/tongs/hardie tools/etc., and all my Ryobi tools and batteries will hang on a rack with the multi-charger. On that wall will be the PVC tubes for holding steel bars. Shorter steel pieces and other supplies will be in bins under the worktops between the sections. I have several beautiful oak cabinets and tool boxes that will finally have a good home for supplies and special precision tools.
I also put some shots of the tree that fell on the deck and construction materials this morning in the big coastal storm. Miraculously, it did not damage a thing beyond some bushes. Look at the shot of the trunk (20" wide at that point) sitting right against two storm doors in their cardboard boxes.
