Hand Cranked Blower ???

[woodtick]

On the forge I'm using now I have a hair dryer for a blower with a dimmer switch for air control. It's just a rivet type forge so the hair dryer works pretty well, but I just acquired a Champion hand crank in excellent condition. I take it that a hand crank is a better blower by design, but would it be better enough to make up for the pretty much hands free air supply that I have now?

When mounting a hand crank blower to a forge, for convenience, which hand do you set it up for? for example I'm right handed so I'm thinking I should be cranking the handle with my right hand so I can leave go of the handle and just pick up the hammer.

[Nick]

I went from an electric blower to a hand crank, I may be in the minority but for the most part I prefer the hand crank. I feel I have more control of the airflow, plus it's free and doesn't have to be plugged in!

I have it set up for my left hand, and I am right handed.

[Doug C]

I learned on forge with an electric blower and thought it was great, until I used a hand cranked blower. For me, having the ability to control air flow is more important than running hands free. I am sure that you can do the same thing with an electric blower by restricting the air intake.

Every hand crank forge I have used or seen is set up so that you crank with the left hand if you hammer with the right. This assumes that you move from left to right when going from forge to anvil. Stop cranking, pick up iron with left hand, start hammering.

[BeaverDamForge]

I used a box bellows for my wood (charcoal) forge, and initially set it up to use with my right hand (I'm right handed). But then I realized I was doing everything with my right arm and changed it when I moved my forge. The coal forge I've used is set up to crank with your left hand. The blower would be in the middle of the floor otherwise, but I think it was laid out that way on purpose. Sometimes I need my good hand to position the iron just so in the fire, that's probably inexperience.

I also used a rivet forge with a pump lever on the left side.

Good Luck!

[m_brothers]

The new blower that I got allows you to control the airflow via foot-pedal. Push down a little bit, the blower only blows a little bit. It's like a killswitch, take foot off and it stops, and the fan as an air-gate as well. It's electric if I forgot to mention that. Pictures attached below.

[ThomasPowers]

I went from an electric blower to a hand crank too. Use less coal, burn up a lot less projects!

Doug hasn't seen my forge or most of the ones I have seen where the left hand with the tongs is used to move the iron in the fire and the right is used to crank the blower or pull on the bellows pole. That way you don't have to switch the tongs out of your hand and it's easy to grab the hammer when you let go of the crank/pole. Takes longer/more effort to get the tongs set up than it does to grab the hammer handle!

[Finnr]

For me a hand crank set up is just more economical and easier to use. I don't fry nearly as many projects as I did with the electric blower.
Finnr

[Doug C]

Thomas' experience versus mine, which is limited, shows that there is no right way except the one that works for you. Watch how you move from forge to anvil to vise. I Move clock wise, forge to my left, anvil to my right so cranking with the left hand just feels right for me. Vise and bench is behind me to form a small triangle.

I agree with Finnr that you burn way less coal and steel with a hand blower.

[ThomasPowers]

My experience might be a bit greater with 27 years in the craft in a number of states and countries, (did a pattern welding demo in Germany once...). What I have learned is that: "There is only *ONE* *RIGHT* *WAY* to do blacksmithing and that is *ANY* *WAY* *THAT* *WORKS*!"

When I made my double lunged bellows stand I mounted the lever for it on a piece of rope that was looped twice across the top cross piece so it was easily movable from one side to the other or could stay in the middle if we had smiths working from both sides. Watch your hand if it's in the middle and you do a long pull!

More important than which way you go when you smith is the concept Doug mentioned of the "Work Triangle" which should be set up so that the tools you use the most should be within a turn and/or a single step from the forge.

For small work like bladesmithing you can have a very small forging area indeed!

[Finnr]

until I can get the shop up I am working in an area about the size of a big closet. Not the best set up but I get a lot of work done. A huge amount of space isn't needed if you lay out what you have in a logical manner.
Finnr