Restoring Granddads old forge kind of side tracked me from the Dodge for the last couple of months but every once in a while I need a break from the project cars.

I think I did a pretty fair representation of what was in the 1930s farm shop
on the family farm (and I like not having a tin roof and dirt floor). I still have to use the area for storage of some things like oil, carbs, small parts, books until I get my new shop built, but for the most part I’m pretty much satisfied with it.




Besides the forge and post drill I already posted about, I have Granddads/Dads anvil, and found and restored an era correct post vice and belt driven grinder. The grinder is old enough that it can be set up to run off either a flat belt from a line shaft or a V Belt and electric motor (as it’s currently set up for). I was lucky enough to find dated ads for most of the tools which helps date them and provides a bit of information to go along with them.








The more I did the more out of place the scruffy, white, 40 year old refrigerator looked but I didn’t have any other place for. I thought for a while about using wood veneer and making it look like a cabinet of some kind, but couldn’t find any veneers that I felt would look right.

While having a couple of barley pops one evening it came to me that when granddad he returned from WWI he had spent a few years as a rail road guard before he returned to the farm. As far as I know (but can’t confirm) Granddad worked for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail Road and Galesburg was his home station. Anyway a few cans of paint, some masking tape and a couple pieces of hardware and it didn’t look like a refrigerator anymore. Admittedly a safe wouldn’t have been found in an old farm shop, but it does tie into the family history.





My 8 year old Grandson has been a big motivator in this and has helped with the restoration on a lot of the tools. Yeah, when I walk into the shop now I get a big smile on my face and even sometimes almost feel Dad and Granddad there.