| Author |
Message |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 9:24 am: | |
I am going to be setting up a forge in my backyard. The challenge is that I live in the
center of a small city and I want to try to deal with any potential problems with neighbors by making my forge as quiet as possible. I know that eventually I will have a power hammer and have heard that the vibration and not the noise is frequent complaint of neighbors. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with these challenges.
Thanks |
Dave Mudge (Dave)
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 10:34 am: | |
The short answer is "move"
Of course I'm kidding. I assume that you are going to have some sort of a building to house your forge. With a small gas forge inside a building, I don' t think that you will have any noise problems. As far as a power hammer, you would need a pretty big hammer (250 + lbs) to create a vibration that was noticeable by your neighbors. If it is going to be an air hammer, the compressor will make more noise than the hammer & forge combined. The other solution is to be very friendly with your neighbors and make them some little goodies for their homes like door knockers or fire place tools. |
david starr (Agave60)
| | Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 8:37 pm: | |
I actually am wondering if I should move or not! I haven't built my shop yet, but plan to use strawbales to insulate for sound. I probably will get a 50lb hammer. Someone suggested pouring a deep footing for the power hammer. If I get an air hammer, what can I do about compressor noise? You know when I stop and think about it moving propably would be my best solution. In the mean time I will make sure my neighbors have are happy.
Thanks |
Dave Mudge (Dave)
| | Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 9:25 am: | |
I guess that depends on how close your neighbors are and exactly where you are going with your blacksmithing career. Many folks have small shops in "neighborhoods" but they are usually "small" shops. If your neighbor hood is not tightly packed you may not have a problem. On the other hand you are worried about compressor noise so I imagine that your neighbors are close by.
Straw bale construction, if done properly with a thick adobe or stucco face, is probably a very good way to go. It is well insolated from the weather and noise. Personally, I would not like to mix the extreme heat and fire of blacksmithing with dry straw........................
I had my 50# LG on a bed of 4" x 6" timbers resting upon a relatively thin cement slab and never had a problem. Now my air hammer is mounted to that same bed of timbers. http://magichammer.freeservers.com
I moved my air compressors to another building in order to avoid the noise. You could consider putting your compressor in it's own room and piping your air into your shop. |
david starr (Agave60)
| | Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 11:46 pm: | |
Dave,
It is my intention to make a living with my metal work, so I wonder if the space I have would be adequate. My plans call for a 20x22 enclosed shop with an attached 16x22 open covered space. I have also some narrow allies next to the shop for metal storage. What do think of that amount of space?
I'm comfortable with strawbale as a wall material. I've seen videos of fire tests where a torch was put on a cement stuccoed bale for a long period of time and it charred but did not catch on fire! Thanks for your excellent suggestions. |
Dave Mudge (Dave)
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 3:51 pm: | |
We all "make do" with what we have. My shop is 26 x 36 and is way too small. However it is a lot bigger than many other shops I have had which were also way too small. Seems to me that if you can get away with building a straw bale work shop building that takes up most of your back yard, then compressor noise and running a hammer won't be a problem. You should not forget to plan for some sort of "JIB" crane or other sort of overhead crane built in to the building. |
John Larson (Johnlarson)
| | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 3:37 pm: | |
It is quite important to find out the zoning restrictions that exist where you want your shop. The zoning code enforcers in most eastern cities and surrounding counties are quite diligent and the fines are considerable. "A concerned citizen" can notify them of your operations. Metal artists often have a difficult time finding affordable studio space. Good luck.
On power hammer noise, Dave Mudge says 250 pounds is when noise becomes problemmatic and I'd say less than that. A 30 to 50 pound air hammer on a very heavy auxilliary steel base will nullify the ground pounding noise. Ground pounding as amplified by a typical 4" concrete garage or basement floor might bother neighbors more than noise made at the dies. The latter transmits through walls, windows, and doorways.
I've made 1000-pound total weight hammers with 150-pound hammerheads that jumpred off the floor at full song. I make that same basic configuration now at 4500 pounds total weight and it just sits there without bouncing around and without a special foundation. I get the same stability with my 90-pound hammer at 3800 total weight. No ground-pounding noise per se, but certainly considerable noise at the dies. This is the basis of my suggestion to use a hammerhead weight in the 30-50 pound range. Use a lot of anvil mass. |
Dave Mudge (Dave)
| | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 11:43 pm: | |
For me, it's better to live where there is no zoning. I can make all the noise that I want. The neighbors hear the air grinder more than they hear the air hammer.
John, I/we would love to see some pictures of your hammers. |
John Larson (Johnlarson)
| | Posted on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 7:34 pm: | |
Dave, right now a picture of a 150-pounder is in the sketchbook of the keenjunk.com forum. It also shows in the background my experimental self-contained. My newer 90-pounder uses a 12-inch box frame instead of the 24" box frame that is shown. Total height is 80 inches. These pics were taken by a friend. In a little while I'll be equipped to submit photographs electronically.
In my post above I misspoke. I said 3800 pounds, but 2800 is the right number.
BTW, I agree with your advice for smiths to make their own air hammers--when they are inclined. However, there are smiths who don't wish to for a variety of valid reasons.
BTW#2, have you seen Gil F's calendar picture for this month? A shopmade steam hammer using a mining percussion drill, according to a fella on the keenjunk forum. |
Dave Mudge (Dave)
| | Posted on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 11:23 pm: | |
John I found the picture. Can't see much other than the dies and a box.
Do people still post pictures there? It doesn't seem to have any '04 dates.
I don't know what Gil F's calendar pictures are. Where can I see them? |
Ed Thomas (Ejthomas)
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 5:13 pm: | |
Dave, The "Sketchbook" section of the Junkyard is closed to new entries. Any new pictures get posted in the "Gallery" section, which is maintaind by John Careatti.
John Larson has written an enormous wealth of information on air hammers on the Junkyard. It is much like a journal where he wrote notes at the end of the day about what he learned and what progress he made. It is all available in the archives for the persistent researcher. |
John Larson (Johnlarson)
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 7:43 pm: | |
Gil Fahrenwald (sp) produces a calendar with a monthly picture of old-time blacksmiths.
Jock Dempsey posted a picture of my 90-pounder in his latest e-newsletter at anvilfire.com. |
John Larson (Johnlarson)
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 7:48 pm: | |
Oh, I just caught on to reference to "box". The machine uses a box beam frame, a boxy looking anvil, and the pneumatics and hammerhead are in the top, front boxy module. |
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