4/15

We have now put up the skeleton of the outdoor structure. It is a 7’ x 10’ sideless, slanted roof structure that is 8’ tall on one side and 7’ tall in the back. We made it this tall to allow room for swinging hammers (specifically sledgehammers) above our heads. After continued delays, it is gratifying to finally have the structure up, and additionally gratifying that we were able to do it in less than a day. We still need to put the roof on and build the brick structure for the forge before we will have completed all of the permanent structures relating to our project. We plan to be forging by the end of the week.

Through my experience so far in this project, the value of planning ahead has been clearly shown. The weather has been very unpredictable and has often stopped us from being able to work, so I am glad that we decided to build a structure. It was also extremely helpful to have a comprehensive plan for the outdoor structure before we started building it, as well as a  list of materials and their cost. In this project, there are certainly things that should be played by ear, such as changes in design when forging. But it is certainly helpful for most things to have a plan before diving into a task.

(I don’t have my phone while I am posting this and cannot transfer photos and videos yet. This will all be in another post.)