Looking for a more efficient hand cranked small forge blower design.

[tombear]

Well, having messed about with the single bag bellows design a few times, our lad wants to make something better to blow air into our mini forge. Something that operates off of a crank which can be turned while the operator is in position to use the forge and anvil so there's no shifting about.

At the moment he's thinking of a POW camp style flappy leather bits inside a wooden box sort of air pump with some bike gearing from a hand crank. Because of where we want to use it a electric blower isn't a runner.

I've been poking around the net for plans for a decent air pump to make but are we having our selves on and should just buy one and if so what are the UK options?

ATB

Tom

 

[Toddy]

I watched a fellow working iron using a foot powered bellows.
He just had a kind of bent pipe tuyer running from it into the bottom of his forge. Would that do ?

It was just an ordinary set of bellows but it had a strap on top like the old bike pedals did, he slipped his foot into it and treadled away.

 

[Dave Budd]

you can pick up ready made hand cranked forge blowers on ebay quite often, normally for £50-£80 a piece. I've had several over the years. They put out a lot of air but are quite noisy.

The bellows that I'm currently using at shows where historical accuracy isn't important are accordion bellows. I've no plans as I just designed them in my head and built them from bits lying about. Basically a round board on top with a handle. Then working down, a cylinder of canvas (to be replaced with soft leather if I get around to it) with two wire hoops to keep it as a tube not a billowing bag; then an octogan of 2" high wood t make a ring. The inside of each flat face o that ring has a leather flat; then a board on the bottom that is pegged to the floor. One of the sides of the octogan has a pip leading to the forge instead of a flap. I've no picture of them either, but I had them at the Moot last year, so I expect there is one somewhere!

You could also make single action kite bellows,box bellows, or pot bellows as I used to use a lot. Any of those will be better than bag bellows and easier to make than a rotary blower!

 

[snappingturtle]

Japanese box bellows?

 

[petrochemicals]

Just draw it. Barbecue remenants from tonight


Proper flame from an 8 inch draw. So there must be something in it. Worried about the stainless melting to be honest. A lot hotter than the kitchen stove an just a half an inch of charcoal. A draw with a rotary fan underneath should get you there. I know you said no electric, but a paint stripper gun sets fire to a 2x2 so really you can't beat that.

 

[Everything Mac]

No point buggering about Tom. Get a hair drier on there. I used one for YEARS without any problems.Sadly I am currently offshore and can not access youtube but have a look at my videos and you will find one on building a simple forge - you simply point the hair drier up the pipe and angle it as required. A simple and effective way of regulating the air flow. A hand cranked blower is a great bit of kit if you can find one that works within a reasonable time frame at a reasonable price but you might wait a while, whereas a £15 Tesco jobby will be fine. Using bellows is awfully romantic but not always practical. All the best Andy

 

[tombear]

Unfortunately there's no power were we will be using it so it needs to be minion powered.

Currently we are favouring making another hinged kite bellows ( but with decent wood, fittings etc like I intended to after making the first one as a practice piece ) and upgrading the first one with a bigger outlet ( a cut down .50 cal case just isn't big enough to let the air out fast enough ). If we rig them up to a Y shaped connector that should do the job.

ATB

tom

Of course the pics are gone now but I'm referring to the bellows I made in this thread.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139631&

 

[Everything Mac]

Unfortunately there's no power were we will be using it so it needs to be minion powered. Currently we are favouring making another hinged kite bellows ( but with decent wood, fittings etc like I intended to after making the first one as a practice piece ) and upgrading the first one with a bigger outlet ( a cut down .50 cal case just isn't big enough to let the air out fast enough ). If we rig them up to a Y shaped connector that should do the job.ATBtomOf course the pics are gone now but I'm referring to the bellows I made in this thread.http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139631&

Ah. I see. Best ignore my idiotic rant then. Hand crank would be the most efficient, but as I say you may be waiting a while to find one that works at a reasonable price point. Like Dave I've had a couple over the years but one was completely shot, the gears were a bit knackered and the fan itself was jerry rigged with something from a car... That said the one I currently have works very well. - So ideally try before you buy. When testing a hand crank blower you want to spin it up to full whack then let go of the handle, it should do more or less 3 full revolutions by itself once you stop applying power. It might be a bit noisy but if it sounds like a tank gargling gravel then you will likely have a problem. I'm told you're supposed to oil rather than grease the gears. So clean out any carp in there and give it some TLC. Hector Cole uses a small set of "great bellows" on his portable wooden forge. (and a cracker it is too.) It's a double action so you get a steadier flow of air. "Born to forge" just made a set recently on youtube - well worth checking out his videos. Have you considered building a gas forge instead? All the best Andy

 

[tombear]

Cheers! I have been keeping my eye out for a proper hand cranked blower and got some of my carboot contacts looking for one. Any tips about them like the testing of them you mentioned are most gratefully received!

At the mo' because of general poverty from the continued doing up of the house, paying for the holidays etc etc we are working on a shoestring so for the time being we are stuck with what we have ( a big sack of Smithies Breeze ) and what we can make from what we have laying about. We're hoping to get more time practicing if this promised Indian summer actually happens. We spent far too much of the summer holidays travelling about and not getting on with various projects at home. Also me killing the band saw had slowed down anything with wood cutting involved. The d@mn thing has made us lazy. Anyroad I've been intouch with the manufacturer and know what needs to be done, not big but fiddly so I keep putting it off.

atb

Tom