No electricity forge!

[slammer187]

So I want to make myself a forge but I do not want to use electricity...I have the basic forge design but I need a way of adding air, I tried using a coke bottle with the bottom cut off and then plunging it into water and connecting a tube from the top of the bottle to my forge but it wasn't powerful enough!

Preferably I do not want to use a hand or foot pump but want to make my own contraption for adding air!
I've seen the forge that Dave Budd uses and tried to replicate it with a plastic bag instead of leather but that didn't work out

Any help would be appreciated!
Also a while back there was a thread with a link to a free pdf about getting into blacksmithing and it had some great mechanisms that you could make to add air...if anyone could link the I would be very thankful!

 

[SteveW]

You could try making a Japanese style box bellows…

http://www.twinoaksforge.com/BLADSMITHING/BOX BELLOWS.HTM

 

[JohnC]

Would vinyl work instead of leather? Or some of that thick plastic tablecloth material..

 

[Dave Budd]

LOADS of ways to power a forge, you've got several thousand years and an entire world to draw ideas from!

bellows:
1)bag bellows from a plastic sack with strips of wood over the open end (they close to pump air out and open to let in) and a pipe out of bottom corner
2) pot bellows from hollow log or pot with skin diaphragm like mine
3) kite bellows are easy enough to make like the fireside type, just a smidge bigger
4) accordian bellows, same as 3) but two discs of wood and a tube of leather or plastic bag
5) Jap box bellows
6) water pump bellows, like you tried but use a bucket and a dustbin to get the volume (I've seen some using oil drums)
7) air bed pump, not great though!

rotary fans:
1) hair dryer using a car battery (ok not completely non- electric)
2) paddle fan from car air con/leaf blower/vacuum cleaner/etc driven by:
a) bike pedal with direct drive to the fan
b) pedal and chain through the bike gears, can be turned by hand or foot
c) linked to a cam to allow you vertical/horizontal motion that translates to turning the fan

other ideas:
1) wind driven, set forge with tuyere pointing downhill towards prevailing wind. works well on exposed hills with good reliable wind
i
i'm sure there are other ideas, but not first thing in the morning!

 

[slammer187]

Thanks guys for all these great ideas and also if your able to Dave....Could you link some pictures to any of the setups you have named?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Stanleythecat]

I made these because I had no access to electricity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49911337@N05/4581618517/in/set-72157624007012672/

Just visit a local garden machinery repair place and they might have some broken air blower you can use. Recycling centre for the bike.

 

[slammer187]

That's a really nice set-up well done!