Making an electric blower adjustable

[ApprenticeMan]

My blower is so quiet, you barely know it is on at all. It's the one from BS depot

Blacksmiths Depot

[hammerkid]

Originally Posted by Dutchmancreek

I use an air gate that I bought from Centaur Forge. Simple and works well.

You might also consider adding a spring loaded foot switch, so that the blower is shut off when you step away from the forge. After you forget to shut off the air and burn up some steel, you'll find it handy. I made one from the foot switch that came off an old sewing machine.

Steve

Thats a great Idea! ANY PICTURES? Thanks,Chris

[Johannes]

Originally Posted by matt87

Yo can make a sliding air gate very simply: IronFlower Forge - Construction

Although this on is implemented on the output (blow) side of the blower, there is nothing to stop you doing it on the intake (suck) side.

Something I've been interested in but not yet needed is a blower muffler. I read this in The Artist Blacksmith by Peter Parker-Pearson; build a box from boards (lower density is probably best) and line it with something like rockwool (quite loose fibreglass insulation). Put the blower inside and have the intake hole reflexed; rather than just a hole, build an extra insulated enclosure at 90 degrees to the axis of the hole. With this setup you can reduce noise, easily add an intake filter and, crucially for this thread, add an intake control gate, irresepective of how your blower is built.

Hi,
Matt, i'v been looking foor building plans for a good sliding gate, but I don't lake the idea of making it in wood...
does annybody have anny plans for one in anny metal?

[matt87]

Try contacting John B. He build most of the English water cooled forges at Westpoint Forge; they use a metal sliding air gate at the back, controlled by a horizontally pivoting level at each side.

[Bruce Beamish]

Hi Eyrian, a simple restriction device on the air inlet side like an adjustable flap will work fine. Take note of Frosty's advice though 'as long as the motor doesn't rely on blower air for cooling'. I've used such a system for years at home and at classes I run, no problems. I'll get out to the shed later today and take a photo of my setup and you'll get the idea. Your blower maybe different to mine. I'll also post the details of the blower because I believe there will be a US verson available. Cheers

[Frosty]

Two Toes?

A dingo eight the rest?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Frosty

[Bruce Beamish]

Thanks Frosty,

Maybe it was Frostbite!
No the truth is they reckon I'm too slow to be a three toed sloth so therefore I must have only two toes.
Cheers.

[John B]

Another idea on air control is if you are using a bottom blast forge with air entering into the side of the ash dump area, if you have an ash dump plate that is pivoted so it crosses the base like a shear blade, as opposed to dropping down, Then by moving the plate across in small increments, then the amount of blast can be controlled as you can balance the amount of air going to the forge tuyere with amount of air being expelled from the exposed ash dump.

Just don't have anything combustible around the base of the forge

This is not a method I would use personally, but it is effective

[philip in china]

I just use a dimmer switch on my blower on the brick forge. It works fine. I don't have one on the latest of the portable ones so if I want to reduce the blast I just open up the ash dump- gets rid of ash and splits the flow.

If you want a good picture of an air gate look at Vaughans new on line catalogue. It is very well illustrated. Vaughans (Hope Works) - For all your Blacksmith and Foundry needs. and follow the link to the catalogue.

[irnsrgn]

I use a butterfly valve, on my bellows to control the air and the same thing on my lectric blower on the forge at the shop.

Side blown nozzle with built in butterfly valve for bellows.

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