[TheForge] building a new shop/shed

[Steve Bloom]

Terry  (and all)--

When I built my shop, I compromised. My first shop had a dirt floor 
and I grew to hate it -- dust or rust and don't ever drop a rivet...
So, in the new shop, I had the slab poured with a 16x16 "hole" in a 
50x30 floor. The concrete surrounds holds the heavy stuff, the hole 
was filled with 4"x4" horizontal PT timbers buried in the sand such 
that the 2x8 planking was flush with the concrete around the hole. In 
the hole went the foundations for the power hammer, the anvil and the 
post vises. Under the dirt ran water and power lines to the coal 
forge and slack tub. The wood floor floats and is easy on the knees 
but I can sweep it when the mood strikes. The hydraulic press, 
oxy-prop tanks, surface grinder, assembly table and drill press live 
on the concrete. The various gas forges are on wheels and can be 
rolled to the main work station. You might be able to guess what I 
was working on from the occasional scorch mark on the planks but 
there is no real fire danger if you're willing to pick up what you 
drop.  Since I was paying for the 16x16 concrete, it went outside - 
next to the main slab. Eventually, the shop 'grew' over that side 
slab and turned into the lathe and mill room.

Steve Bloom (Ironflower Forge)