Fixing The Garage-Smithy!

One always expects the need to work on a house, but sometimes, they cannot do the work alone.

My wife and I recently purchased a home in the form of an old house, expecting to put in some work and add our own touches. Sadly, we have to add more than our own touch to the garage, which was left neglected for years.

While a garage may be "just a garage" to some, it's something more to me. When I am not at work fulfilling my role as a librarian, I am a SCAdian and a blacksmith, working with metal and trying to keep the art of blacksmithing alive. I love presenting my work, talking with other smiths, seeing the work of others at SCA events, discussing techniques, and even teaching those that visit what I know.

Those that know me know that I am passionate about teaching and metalwork, among other things, and it shows when I am given a chance to mix the two together. Sadly, it was hard to do that with wheeling everything for my shop outside only when the weather was nice.


My original goal for the garage wasn't a place to store cars, but a place to keep an old art alive and well, a meeting place for blacksmiths, SCAdians, and anyone who wants to see metalwork done to meet and talk about this art.

Who am I?

My name is Anthony, and I recently moved to the Charleston area to begin my new position as a librarian at a local library.

I began my journey into blacksmithing while living in NJ, working in the yard of a small apartment with whatever tools I could store. It all started with a single class at a local Renaissance Faire in November 2014, and from then, I was hooked.


Since then, I've taken additional classes to learn more techniques, ranging from making swords to pattern-welded billets to make "Damascus" objects (the photo of me was taken during that class). This is a craft I am passionate about, and would love to continue working on this new skill and not be at the mercy of the weather or available space.

I joined the local chapter of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) after moving to Charleston this year, as the organization promotes active participation in recreating the culture of pre-17th century Europe. As a blacksmith looking for other smiths and a community to be a part of, this was a logical step, and now that I have joined this community, I realized one of the things we lack: a place to do our craft away from the elements and away from the city.

This is why I need your help.

The previous owners left quite a mess of the property, and if I were to try to save the money for repairing the garage while fixing their other mistakes, it may take over two years just to get the basics taken care of on top of the regular upkeep to ensure things don't get worse.

My goal here is just enough to cover the bare minimum to get things started: replacing a damaged wall and getting electricity running again. With that, I can start using the building for the purpose I'm hoping for while making other repairs as I go. Anything beyond the goal will help make additional and further repairs.

How bad is it?

I do not speak lightly of the task ahead of me, and I do not exaggerate the condition of this structure.

The building needs new electrical wires run to it, as the previous owner made all of the connections with odd cords, including extension cords, in a way that could burn the garage and the house down. Doing this right to remedy the problem will require a number of materials and hours of work.

There was a termite issue at one point, and upkeep was not maintained on various wooden parts of the building. Part of the wall has rotted and fallen away due to this combination, leaving openings in the wall large enough for animals and possibly people to get through. 


Replacing the wall and ensuring further damage does not occur again is a priority, but will require new materials, for both outside (above) and possibly inside (below).


In addition to the damage on the wooden portions of the walls, some parts of the roof were damaged. At the bare minimum, parts of the roof will need to be patched, but it seems the entire roof needs to be replaced and possibly reinforced.


One of the windows on the far side of the property has been broken, and the sealing for the window has rotted away. Options are being considered for a temporary fix, but as the goal is to perform metalwork and keep the tools safe, glass blocks are the strongest contender for a long-term solution, which does involve a high price tag.


As the garage seems to have been designed around an old carriage house, it has three doors. Sadly, two of the three doors were boarded shut and left to rot, while the third was replaced with a standard garage door that has seen better days. While they work for the time being, it is a matter of time before the rot lays final claim to these doors. Options are being considered, but the costs for replacing them with anything, even if built at home, is high.


Due to the lack of care, numerous vines have grown into the building, cracking some of the masonry. At the very least, vine removal projects are in the future, as well as patching a few holes, but the walls may need some reinforcement to ensure the cracks do not get any worse.


At this time, these are the concerns that I am aware of; more may arise as I and the community members assisting me work on this.

What is the timeline?

I would like to begin working on this before the end of the calendar year before winter settles in.  As part of the work involves digging trenches, it would be ideal to do so before winter truly settles in. 

As this project involves working on the roof, "as soon as possible" is a more apt timeline. With winter coming in, a secure roof is a rather pressing project to ensure it does not collapse under the snow, which may become a priority over the initial projects depending on condition.

How will the money be used?

The amount listed as the goal is only the beginning to allow us to limp along until better repairs can be made. All money gained from this will be put into repairs of the garage/shop space, mostly in materials so that I and members of the local community can complete the repairs. We are doing the work ourselves and relying on a number of backgrounds to get the work done with as small of a budget as possible.

I would love to pay people for their work and skills, and may still have to call in contractors to do some of the repairs. The funding amount will determine if I can resort to these methods.

Essentially, the more funding this recieves over the $1,000 mark, the better, longer-lasting repairs we can do to this building.  This number may change to reflect progress and new estimates as the project is worked on.

I do not intend to put this money into blacksmithing tools or supplies for myself. The purpose of this project is to fund the repair of the building. While I would love to completely outfit the shop, that isn't as much of a priority as repairs. If there is additional funding beyond the repairs, I'll look into acquiring tools to loan or assist beginners, but again, repairs are a priority.

While this does benefit me directly, I plan on utilizing this space to support the local blacksmithing and SCAdian community. I know how much progress someone can make in a short time if given the opportunity, and I'd like to provide that opportunity.

Sample of progress; May 2016 (top) vs November 2014 (bottom). I've come a long way, and want to continue to improve and offer the opportunity to other aspiring smiths.

Last but not least, thank you.

I know I'm asking for quite a bit here. I'm asking you to fund a project that doesn't impact you directly, but makes the difference to not only myself, but to the members of my community, both general and in the SCA. 

And for that, on behalf of myself and my community: thank you.