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daveylad
8th October 2014, 12:40 AM
saw this on ebay and wondered what thoughts you may have for use as a forge blower, Volume: 212 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) or 5.8 Cubic Meters per Minute
Pressure: 1150 PA


http://www.trianglelights.com/ebay_rhythmthree/pic/outdoor/250/air.blower.jpg

BobL
8th October 2014, 12:58 AM
Holy molely what size forge are you talking about?

You only need a few 10s of CFM to run a basic forge.

Something like a spa pump that does about 1 m3/min (35 CFM) will be heaps and you will still have to slow it down.
Have a butchers at these.
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Air-Blower-AP200-AP300-AP400-AP700-AP900-for-outdoor-spa-hot-tub/201021_312355173.html

I use a vacuum cleaner/blower running at about 1/3rd the full speed and I still have to end up spilling most of the air from that.

johnc
8th October 2014, 08:21 AM
Way to much air, a clapped out old vacuum connected to a bit of old metal pipe can be quite effective. Providing of course it is on the blow not the suck end. http://d1r5wj36adg1sk.cloudfront.net/images/smilies/happy/biggrin.gif

daveylad
8th October 2014, 10:28 AM
Thanks this is why I joined the site, so I need to find something about 40cfm,back to the drawing board

Marc
9th October 2014, 07:30 AM
http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/forge-blowers.html
http://www.centaurforge.com/Blowers/products/169/

That is a jumping castle blower, plenty of them turn up at my local cash convertor.
They can be used providing you make a gate to regulate the flow. You could also use a variable speed if the type of motor allows for it.
I have an old commercial forge blower that is not too much smaller than that. The lever for the gate is actioned by an old mac truck gear stick.:U

DSEL74
9th October 2014, 12:57 PM
http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/forge-blowers.html
http://www.centaurforge.com/Blowers/products/169/

That is a jumping castle blower, plenty of them turn up at my local cash convertor.
They can be used providing you make a gate to regulate the flow. You could also use a variable speed if the type of motor allows for it.
I have an old commercial forge blower that is not too much smaller than that. The lever for the gate is actioned by an old mac truck gear stick.:U


How much do they go for a Cash Converters???

BobL
9th October 2014, 01:44 PM
It might sound rather odd but one of the nice things I like about small scale blacksmithing is that, apart from the necessary hammering which has its own timbre, it can be a rather peaceful and quiet process in comparison to a conventional metal shop using angle grinders and other noisy machinery.

What throws a spanner in this search for peace and quiet life in my small shed is the noise from blowers. I really don't like the screech of vacuum cleaners and the hiss of ventilation fans that sets me on edge and makes it harder for me to concentrate.

I don't know how others feel about this but this is why I recommend using blowers that are as quiet as possible. Using a big blower and then spilling most of the air just adds can add more noise than is necessary.

DSEL74
9th October 2014, 02:04 PM
On small jobs I quite enjoy using an old hand crank blower, it gently whirrs while being cranked and is then quite. Also small car heater fans etc are meant to work well and fairly quiet.

auscab
9th October 2014, 04:19 PM
It is a big blower and blowing a lot of air , I saw them on ebay as well for $110 .
I agree, a quite forge is better , Even though it's blowing heaps you could move it well out of the way and pipe the air closer with pvc Pipe , the electrics and the fan could be a safe 15 to 20 meters away in its own cover. the pipes distance and bends will use up some of that cfm and you could have the luxury of just the sound of the air coming from the forge.

What I use looks similar with 90mm outlet , it pumps a lot of air and a smaller amount ends up where I need it with the leaks and bends.

What else is there without to much hunting around as well ?

Marc
9th October 2014, 06:56 PM
How much do they go for a Cash Converters???
I never paid attention really but seen them lined up big and small. Prices of second hand stuff is just the luck of the draw.

I second the comments on noise, however my electric blower is rather quiet.
An air con fan from a car would work also rather well, all you need is a 12v transformer.
My little workshop is everything but quiet. Angle grinder, yes, wheel grinder, yes, cold saw, yes, compressor, yes, die grinder yes, air tools galore, yes, ha ha:U


That blower on a blower is an interesting solution. Why not motorize the hand blower?

auscab
9th October 2014, 11:20 PM
My little workshop is everything but quiet. Angle grinder, yes, wheel grinder, yes, cold saw, yes, compressor, yes, die grinder yes, air tools galore, yes, ha ha:U


That blower on a blower is an interesting solution. Why not motorize the hand blower?


Yeah :U It's a noisy hobby for sure. Id love a play on a power hammer one day , have to join a club to do it though , I doubt that I would ever own one . Angle grinding , a necessary pain in the butt , I love them and hate them at the same time.
A cold saw , that's classy ! I would love one.
Love my die grinders, they solve some problems nothing else could.

I like keeping the original blower on my forge the way it is, Just like to play with it now and then . mounting a motor to that would have been possible but tricky and It all just pulls apart and gets stored away . except the forge . Its not an easy thing to move around, a motor on it would make it harder. The forge stays out side with a sheet of tin over it.

Rob

daveylad
11th October 2014, 11:23 PM
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/croydon-park/miscellaneous-goods/blacksmith-forge-charcoal-grill-blowers/1058869509


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/n94AAOSwDN1UNfli/$_20.JPG
On Gumtree at the moment bloke in SA selling them, No Papal though which make me a bit iffy.

daveylad
12th October 2014, 09:00 AM
If anyone if from Croydon Park South Australia any chance of sending me a PM wouldn't mind checking on the blowers if possible that anyone lived nearby to the guy advertising them he says he would give a demo

Marc
12th October 2014, 01:22 PM
Yeah :U It's a noisy hobby for sure. Id love a play on a power hammer one day , have to join a club to do it though , I doubt that I would ever own one . Angle grinding , a necessary pain in the butt , I love them and hate them at the same time.
A cold saw , that's classy ! I would love one.
Love my die grinders, they solve some problems nothing else could.

I like keeping the original blower on my forge the way it is, Just like to play with it now and then . mounting a motor to that would have been possible but tricky and It all just pulls apart and gets stored away . except the forge . Its not an easy thing to move around, a motor on it would make it harder. The forge stays out side with a sheet of tin over it.

Rob

Power Hammer is more a question of location, that is ...how far away are you neighbours located ... hehe.
To motorise a hand cranked blower you must take out one gear and then attach the electric motor directly to the fan's shaft. For that you need to extend the shaft and fit a pulley to it

Marc
12th October 2014, 01:31 PM
If buying made in India or China, check out alibaba.
The risk is the same then buying from that ad.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/hand-blower.html

And if you want to know what he paid for ti check this out. from 10 to 18 Australian dollars

https://www.zauba.com/export-HAND+BLOWER/hs-code-82055190-hs-code.html

daveylad
12th October 2014, 04:06 PM
If buying made in India or China, check out alibaba.
The risk is the same then buying from that ad.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/hand-blower.html

And if you want to know what he paid for ti check this out. from 10 to 18 Australian dollars

https://www.zauba.com/export-HAND+BLOWER/hs-code-82055190-hs-code.html

Been to India 3 times and appreciate the effort of doing business over there, its not easy, a lot of time and effort and a lot of seconds in the packages. Therefore the markup.

daveylad
22nd October 2014, 07:04 PM
Finally received the Blower and started to fit it to the forge I'm making here's a couple of pics of the progression

daveylad
22nd October 2014, 07:08 PM
Few More

BobL
22nd October 2014, 11:28 PM
Thanks for posting the pics - be better if they were a bit bigger.

Also how are you controlling the air flow?

DSEL74
23rd October 2014, 08:06 AM
Now all you need is a side draft hood

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 09:28 AM
Thanks for posting the pics - be better if they were a bit bigger.

Also how are you controlling the air flow?

not tried the 1st fire yet 1st forge I've made so as for the size time will tell I guess.

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 09:30 AM
Now all you need is a side draft hood

I'm keeping my eyes on Gumtree for an old fire hood or something before I attempt to make one, are they neccesary?

DSEL74
23rd October 2014, 09:45 AM
Depends where yo put the forge & how close the neighbours are. the smithy I work at doesn't have one but it is in an open stall on a farm. Plenty of ventilation. When I build mine it will have a sidedraft.

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 09:54 AM
Depends where yo put the forge & how close the neighbours are. the smithy I work at doesn't have one but it is in an open stall on a farm. Plenty of ventilation. When I build mine it will have a sidedraft.

I'm on a couple of acres dont think the neighbours will be a problem but I;m looking out for an old fire hood or 70s style fireplace

DSEL74
23rd October 2014, 10:52 AM
The fuel gives of Sulphur Gas I think it is and Coal more than coke. Breathing too much of it in or over time it can affect your nervous system. Also if you use coil springs, and other scrap metal for your stock material the coatings on them are smokey and smell terrible so I'm guessing they can't be good for you either.

Not trying to scare you just pointing out you either want a good exhaust or lots of free flowing fresh air or both.

auscab
23rd October 2014, 11:08 AM
I'm keeping my eyes on Gumtree for an old fire hood or something before I attempt to make one, are they neccesary?

I don't have one and have never used one. I would like to try one out because I think it would stop the huge amount of crap that lands on and over me .

I think BobL was saying better if the pictures were bigger . it's nice to be able to enlarge pictures and get in and have a close look :) I was thinking the same thing.

What I have found with smithing as a hobby is I learn the hard way sometimes .its a great way to learn . I built a forge that I think may be similar to what you are doing , I want a better one , and possibly if you may want better after you run yours for a while . Its a good thing having the skills to rip it apart and start again .
What I was told or heard being discussed when I first got into this was the problem of the clinker and keeping your fire clean . I didn't pay any attention to what I heard and built and used my forge when I needed to .
The big pain was that after the first load of coke was getting used up that parts of the fire would die off , it would start after 15 to 20 minutes of use , a whole half of the fire would die , "Ahh the Clinkers and waste , this is what they were talking about " I would try fishing them out , taking the fire apart and re packing it , it was a pain . My cast iron forge did the same thing , I use this one at home , but it was easier to clean and keep going , some times .
I went to the Mont de lency Black smithing day two weeks ago . I asked some of the guys working there about the forge design they use and how they keep the fire clean and running . Its fantastic . and works well by the looks and its all about the design and how the Disk brake rotor is used. They break up the waste and with the fan turned off rattle the grate in the bottom and the waste falls through . The disc rotor and the grate at the bottom have to be made just right by the looks of it, there is a collar the rotor and the grate. The grate and rotor are left loose and replaceable, they wear out , the collar is welded into the bottom of the forge base . I think by the looks of what your doing is that its the same as I did , it will work and you will learn from it . just keep in the back of your mind that you may want to re use some of those parts.

Rob

DSEL74
23rd October 2014, 11:27 AM
ROB, The design your talking about goes something like this:

You have your forge table with a hole in it that the rotor sits in free floating, held in place by the lip of the rotor. You make a large egg ring from about 3mm bar and weld that to the base of the table around the hole the rotor sits in. This has a flat base attached to it with the down tube (Same as the flange in the pipe version).

So the fire pot becomes a two piece unit a shell and the rotor a removable unattached liner.

Inside the rotor you can add a heavy duty "pot stand" like you have in the Kitchen. Basically get some steel rod and cut two horizontals, then run a series of bars across at right angles leaving a space between eack one and weld in place. Keep in mind to cut the rods at different lengths so your finish grate will sit in a round hole (the brake rotor).

During the working day you stick a fork down into the coke and turn your grate back and forth to break up the clinker, most of the fines should fall out through the ash dump. Then at lunch time or the next morning clean out the fire pot before rebuilding a new fire.


The other method is to have you blower tube come up higher than the base of the fire pot and the clinker falls to the side and forms a doughnut around the blower when the forge is cool the doughnut can be removed. The blower tube needs to have a cap with air holes of course. No personal experience with this type I have used many of the first type.

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 12:38 PM
just fired it up for the first time with only timber, it works great I made a video to post but its too large, have to get the young fella to fix it, I'll try to get some coke this week or go to Brisbane next week and pick up some at the Blacksmith supplies in the mean time I'm going into the bush there was a burn off a month ago and some of it got out of hand and made a good fire now there's plenty of charred scrub and trees with plenty of charcoal around so I'll give that a whirl for the time being. It did heat up a bit of flat but not hot enough to get red but enough to bend it.

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 01:20 PM
328832328833

couple of still shots of it warming up

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 01:28 PM
http://youtu.be/Bjoyx6755XE

Hope this works

daveylad
23rd October 2014, 06:59 PM
http://youtu.be/F1vkFs4ZC8E

Went down the Bush to a spot where there has been a "out of Controlled" Bush Fire, theres heaps of charcoal laying around so I thought I'd give it a try, it burns really hot and soon heats up a piece of flat steel hot enough to shape and bend

useit
6th July 2015, 02:21 PM
i know this is an old thread but for a blower on my forge i use a hand wash blower dryer ,ten bucks at a salvage yard works great with a light dimmer switch to control speed