We check in with Tom again today, with some photos from a shop owned by Noah, a New York Amishman.  Noah’s business is a classic example of an Amish-English partnership.  Most of his buildings are sold to an English dealer who picks them up and delivers them to customers.

The shed and storage building sector is one with many Amish manufacturers.  You’ll often see rows of lawn buildings on display when you drive through Amish communities.  They come in many styles, including Victorian, mini-barns, and dollhouse designs.  Children’s playhouses, garages, gazebos and miniature cabins built to mimic full-size homes are related products in this industry.

Amish Shed Building

I like these photos because they show the nitty-gritty of an Amish shop, down to the power source and distribution system.  Amish shops vary in how they power their tools and you’ll see below that this one is on the more conservative side.

Amish Board Batten Building

I also love the bare-bones simplicity of Amish shops.  You can see the insulation visible in the interior of the shop walls. There’s nothing pretty about this side of the process, except I suppose as the structure nears completion.

Amish Shop Wood Stove

This is a wood stove which Tom says is used to both heat the shop and get rid of waste.

Amish Table Saw

A table saw is among the array of tools found in Noah’s shop.

Amish Radial Saw

A radial arm saw.  But where does the power come from?

Amish Shed Shop Drive Shaft

Tom explains: “Noah was building a new long shaft to run his power tools.  The Amish in this area have a engine in a small room off the shop that connects with belts to a long shaft with different size pulleys that are connected to each tool that they want to power.”

You can see a similar set-up in photos I took at an Amish furniture shop in Ohio.

Amish Portable Gas Drill

This is a neat little device.  As Tom describes it:  “Amish portable drill powered by a gas engine connected to a flexible shaft to the drill bit.”

Amish Drill

Here’s a close-up of the drill.

Amish Shed Shop Engine

Finally, the engine that powers the entire shop.

And that concludes the Amish shed maker tour. Back to work guys!

Plus: a guide to New York Amish furniture, including outdoor furniture and buildings like the ones seen above.

Tags:

You might also like:


Get the Amish in your inbox


    Question on the Amish? Get answers to 300+ questions in 41 categories at the Amish FAQ.