Shop Renovation 2020 Project Part 2 – Walls and Windows and Floors oh my!

 

Okay, I wrote this post months ago, and took the photos - it was one of those 5am writing things.  And then I have let it sit, unpublished for far too long.  

The world is an upside down place these days and I'm struggling to make myself do the things I want to do.  I love making for Elfworks, but I'm lousy at the marketing and promo stuff.  Lately I've even been lousy at the making.  But I'm still here, and here is some kind of update on what's been happening over the past months.... 

Yes, here it is months later and I've written nothing more about my Very Exciting Shop Renovation. I confess, I've had my hands firmly in the dirt trying to grow things, and lay groundwork for other projects for almost all the intervening time. In my defense, this is all part of the larger Elfworks picture, but has not gotten me far in the shop.

I mentioned that my partner Darrell had done all the actual building of the space. While it is hard for me to let go, it was a wise decision. He is a much better builder than I am, and has a lot more experience. The result being that my shop is very awesome. Not fancy, not shiny, but awesome. Much of the wood that was used was recycled from other projects, so it is a patchwork in many ways, but that had its advantages too (besides lowering the cost.)

Darrell started by framing in the walls, then the floor. The floorboards were laid, but not attached while he worked on walls and insulation and wiring (yes, that's right, insulation!!) The ceiling was framed in – we are dropping the ceiling to make it easier to heat...not like I need head room! The window on the northwest wall was framed in – positioned to allow light in from the window in the outside wall of the building. And then it got even more exciting.

Once the walls were up, the floor got finished – Darrell put a little bit of insulation under the floor and the boards got screwed down. The larger pieces had been loosely placed on the boards for layout and positioning and got moved back into their homes. I made measurements and did chalkmark layout of the rest of the space.

We had talked about bench space, something I've never had much of with the result of always having to shift tools and projects, well, off of other tools and projects frankly. Never having had it, I wasn't sure how much of it I would need. I listened to the voice of experience, and opted for more rather than less. There was a scrounged steel counter that was laying around, but when I looked at it it seemed extremely imposing and space consuming. I mentioned that I am small, looking at the counter what I saw was wasted space where I would inevitably pile things and continue my bad habits.

Solution? Rip it in half and make 2 narrow sections rather than 2 large sections. I love that we are metal people. Deciding on its height was also a big challenge. I am so used to having everything the wrong size that this was a big learning curve. Once the height was settled, sturdy framing set it firmly in place, and a leg vise, appropriately adjusted for height, was attached. (The attachment bracket of the leg vise was a partial decider on the height.)

 

 

I went outside one day and found Darrell atop a ladder, pulling boards from the outside of the building. One of the things we had talked about was light – natural light. While it is true that natural light can be difficult in a smith's shop – the colours always changing depending on how the light falls, I knew I needed it. I find it too hard to work in a dark space and light where there are no windows is always somehow, inadequate (for me.)

 

  Solution? The original solution was that window I talked about on the north wall. On further discussion, Darrell suggested we could put windows on the top of the south wall of the building and put a clear panel into my ceiling to allow for more light.

 Again, there were a number of scrounged windows waiting for use, so they got put into play. While it was a big job, I cannot tell you the difference it has made, not just in my shop but in the shop as a whole.

 Suddenly the world is lit up with those 2 windows in that wall. And my shop in particular practically gleams when you enter. Although we did install a ceiling fan overhead light, as well as making provisions for other lights where needed, during the day they have become almost redundant. Suddenly the shop that was already so exciting became a real joy. Working there will be an easy task, and I know that I can adjust to changing light, though there will be some tasks that will be more challenging with it.

 

 

 

The boards for the walls were chosen and placed with thought to texture (or lack thereof.) This meant that I could turn one full panel and one of the panels above my fantastic new benches into chalkboard. They are already covered in lists of “to do” - largely custom hooks to give my stakes permanent storage places under my benches...off the floor.

The wheeled metal frame that used to hold my propane forge was customized and given new life as a stand for my swage block and bench plate. The casters allow me to leave it stored against the wall or move it into closer proximity to the forge on my lovely wooden floor.

The propane forge now sits on a plate covering the firebox of the coal forge – allowing for me to switch to coal on larger or more curved objects (though the ventilation is not in yet.) The coal forge – a portable table style sits atop a metal plate, which gives me extra space for cooling pieces, still on the floor as is my longtime habit, but well out of the way of my feet.

The forge itself is positioned so that I can either use my anvil, my leg vise or step down and use my BAAT Hammer with ease. It will take a bit of getting used to that it isn't in the corner, but the placement is much better, especially with the changes in equipment.

An old freestanding wire basket style shelf has been repurposed as my hammer rack, also holding many spare sets of tongs and a few other pieces, nestled in the corner where my forge used to be. And steel is now stored in a rack on the west wall, neatly sorted (well, mostly) rather than a mass of buckets with random odds everywhere. Longer pieces are stored just outside the new shop space against a wall. Everything is safely chained off – and I can actually see what stock I have. Not surprisingly I have more than I realized. And now I'll be able to find it rather than assuming I don't have any and buying more. It will also serve as a reminder of the projects I'm supposed to be doing...things I bought stock for, stored it and then forgot about it, project and all.

There are still things to be done – a stack for the woodstove has to be installed, ventilation for the coal forge put in, doors to the space to be built an attached, but the place is a joy to work in. I haven't gotten very far just yet. There is a lot of new to get used to, everything has new homes – shelves and racks and a level of organization that will take some fine tuning and a lot more familiarity before it achieves the efficiency it promises. And I have been mostly trying to “make hay while the sun shines” and all that...true enough.

But I can tell you that I've had inspiration for 3 new large projects since this adventure began – larger than any of the things I've attempted yet. This is a space where I can see things happening, and keep track of what I'm doing. Not that the previous spaces were to blame for that lack – that was all on me. This space though, and the time ahead where I am here and not travelling to and fro to that other life that is on hold for the forseeable future...well, I have much hope for the undertaking of great adventures.

Swapping Hats

Photo by KPS

The other day I was having a conversation with a colleague. She asked about the piece I was wearing. It was a stonewrap – one of the little hoard I have of pieces that are “mine” and I won't sell. We talked about stones, and I told her what I could think of off the top of my head. It got me to thinking about how often I am “on the spot” about things and what my brain holds and what it buries.

One of the problems with wearing so many hats is keeping information to hand. While I have studied most of the aspects of what I do in some relative amount of depth, keeping all that information to hand on the top of my head fails me. When I am working with something, the information tends to filter to the surface if I am immersed in it for a while. But when I am focused on a different aspect of what I do it goes deep into the filing cabinets of my brain and trying to recover it is often a futile exercise.

This is true for many of the things I do.

Photo by Darrell Markewitz

When I am working with my partner on an iron smelt, the processes that take place as I understand them are generally something I can describe reasonably well. When I've been smithing for several days all that stored knowledge starts to be in the forefront of my brain because that is where it is focused. When I am working with stones and immersed in their energy I remember their geology and their properties and their unique characteristics with more clarity. When I am building a wig I remember how it all goes together and the order of operations, and how I like to finish the edges. When I am doing paperwork and bookkeeping I know how to figure out the bits that go together for the reports and how to create the necessary picture. When I am processing photographs I remember the order of what I do to make the photos consistent and try to make them as good as I can for my needs.

But then, doing a craft show and remembering how my square reader works on top of setting up and trying to be informative about my products? Or asking me about any of those things while I am running my track at the theatre and you will often get a blank look, or a jumbled semi-coherent explanation with a lot of ummms and ahhhs and apologies for not being able to call up that piece of information with any clarity. And I will probably spend half of the rest of the day (or night) feeling like a fraud and berating myself for not keeping up with my studies and questioning whether I really know what I'm doing at all.

And it seems I never stop adding to the list. I am certainly a victim of “shiny” syndrome when it comes to learning. I love learning new skills, finding new ways to put things together. And there is so much knowledge that is important to me. Along with everything else I'm doing (or supposed to be doing) right now – you know, focusing on making, building the business, revamping my booth, rebuilding my tin demo box, prepping for demonstrations, applying to shows, working on the permaculture garden and (ha, ha) relaxing, I am immersed in 3 college courses and trying to get in some fiddle practice and learn some music theory. Now, don't get me wrong...I wouldn't change it (clearly, since I don't). But there are many days I ask myself what on earth is wrong with me. Many days. Especially the days when I feel like I'm locked out of that filing cabinet of information.

Photo by KPS

The trouble is, for me it is all important. Every piece of that information from the geology to the history to the attributes of a god to how to tie a knot in a piece of hair, how to do a smooth eyeline on a performer, how to process a photograph or enter something into my inventory – how and where to hit, what is going on in that iron furnace, what is the history of that artifact, what was this street called in 1812 York....every one of those pieces of information has been gathered because it is important to me. Like all of us, I'm aging and my brain doesn't bounce as well from one topic to another as it used to. The smart thing to do would be to narrow my focus – at least for certain periods. But the way life likes to work of course, there are always things colliding in time – working an historic demonstration in the middle of a theatre contract and a bookkeeping job, say. And then, in spite of having prepared for the demo, try calling to hand that obscure bit of information about tin in that period. Hah!

Luckily for me, it is mostly the between times and those bits of information that go missing that are the frustrating bits. Truth is, I do manage to narrow my focus while I'm doing something most of the time.

Photo by unknown.  Maybe Beth Bidwell?

I get utterly immersed most of the time in what it is I am doing, or studying, or reading. The trouble starts when I come up for air, or to switch tasks. Trying to shake my brain free of what I was just doing in order to be able to dive into the next thing or even hold a conversation– that's the difficulty.

I'm going to work on a bit of a theory this summer...most of the time I try to switch tasks pretty much on a dime....most of the time I have to. This summer I'm going to work on either some breathing space or something neutral between tasks. I think that might be what I used to do to make it work better. So I'm going to give it a go and see if letting my hair down between switching tasks helps me keep the information cabinet unlocked. Between tasks do the dishes, feed the fish, go for a walk. They don't need to be long breaks, just breaks to let my brain sort through the last threads of what I was just doing and be ready to be engaged in something new...because there are always a few threads that are left dangling, enticing me to dive back in.