Title says it all.

Just looking to throw some ideas around about what you might find in a dwarf machine shop. So have at it! All ideas are welcome.

You would probably be safe if you went with a coal furnace, an anvil, some hammers and chisels, and maybe some random cogs, sprockets and wheels. Perhaps a small wagon in need of repair. You know, generic fantasy dwarf stuff.

Steamy pipes that lead to dark corners; a table filled with steampunk electronics; tesla coils; an out-of-order robot lying in the corner; a dumbwaiter full of parts; a hatch to lower levels; stairs leading to the attic where you would find a big-ass telescope (in case this workshop actually has a roof and is not carved out of a mountain).

Google "steampunk" and you'll find a lot of brainfood for this theme

What sort of machines are the dwarves making in their machine shop?

I would imagine that you would find the same things as any other machine-shop, but smaller so as to be suitable for a dwarf to use -- you might also find additional equipment designed in aiding a dwarf when carrying out tasks where their stature is a disadvantage.


A machine shop is likely to contain fixed equipment (this could be things like a forge, or fixed-location power-tools in a more advanced shop), hand-tools, storage locations for hand-tools that are not in use, machine parts, schematics and diagrams, and perhaps some partly finished and/or broken machines that are currently being worked on. There might be prototype versions of things that differ from the machinery you normally see in use.


Researching "steampunk" is probably a good tip to get you going -- you might also try looking up blacksmithing, watch-making and retro sci-fi for ideas.

Thanks for the tips! Perhaps I'l throw up some of my sketches based on the ideas that I gathered.