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champion 400 stand


spowynn

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I bought my son a champion 400 blower in need of restoration.The raised letters just need to be painted gold and install a new oil hole cover. Its been refurbished inside and out. My question is, does anyone know where I can get the three leg stand/mount as the one I bought didnt have it? I could even be satisfied with just the mount, as I could make the legs. My son is quickly learning blacksmithing and has aquired alot of his great great grandfathers smithing tools and built his own forge. He is 18 and received a nice large anvil for graduation. This blower is going to be his Christmas present. He is currently using a modified hair drier for a blower. lol. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Not a complete answer to the problem but an alternative. Remember seeing one of thos gum ball machines...yeah tose round glass spheres were mounted onto them. Well the base is a bit heavy and about the right diameter to withstand the motion of the arm going around the blower. One of my friends uses a bottom of an industrial freestanding fan. The fan base is a bit wider but thinner to the ground.

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I looked at my 400 blower and it looks like a triangle with 3 tubes for the legs to fit in. It has a hole in the center with a tube for the blower mounting shaft to slide down in. There is a set screw threaded into the tube ( you tighten it to keep the blower from rotating ). Should be fairly easy to make one. If you want the legs with the curve in them, get some EMT conduit and get your local muffler shop to bend them for you. Mine did this for me. Only cost me a 6-pack to get the guy to do it.

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If you want pipe call upon your local garage door place and ask about their scrap pile. Springs too. The majority of garage doors use a pipe, and every replacement creates a scrap pipe that is almost identical in diameter to what Champion used. (Well, at least on my Lancaster)

Phil

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thanks phil. i will definately do that if i wind up trying to copy one. i made a temporary one out of a flat drill press vise ive had laying around for years. i welded 3/8" angle iron to the jaws to clamp onto the splines cast into the bottom of the case where the worm gear is house like the original. it will work for now until i find one or make a copy. but my son is all about original because it will match all his greatgreat grandfathers equipment.

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I had several replies about that very same item when I asked for one inthe Tailgate section. Look there. I never did buy one because the local blacksmith supply store recieved a complete blower and so I bought that. Sold the blower and retained the tri-pod. I have a local machine shop bend the tube(s) for me. It takes a (very) special machine with a (very) special jig to form the radius. If that is not used, it will not look good. An exhaust pipe bender is exactly what you do NOT want.

I have also made a mount (which I have since sold) from a truck brake drum (very very heavy) and a plate of 1/4" bolted to the top of said drum. I used 3" pipe for the "stand" and welded pipe inside of that into which fits the Champion blower stub shaft/clamp assy.

I hadn't noticed, but a new handle goes a long-long way to a proper restoration. I see some real real nice set-ups with blower/forge and a piece of steel or plastic pipe for the handle. I never understood that, but I guess to each his/her own.

I know a local wood shop, which makes my handles for me. I use 6.5" long bolt and round the hex head to form the "pin"

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Buffallo also had an arm that bolted to the bottom of the forge pan and the blower mounts on that there is a split "C" clamp that fastens around the tube shape along the bottom of the blower I have one here. This arm goes on heavy forges it was very tippy on my small oval buffallo forge I found another blower that had the cast Tripod top your looking for I just mig welded 3 sections of pipe that fit the leg holes on the casting to a gear I found 2 foot in Dia. as a base its served me fine for 20 years it's very heavy and the blower is no longer top heavy.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes, the bolt works well, for a short, while as the threads of the bolt serve as a file and wollow out the wood handles in short order. A pin is more of a permenant solution, really.

 

In reality, all you need is a bolt to grab ahold of, but I rather make something like it would originally have had.

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Here is my solution for a Champion Blower 400 mount. I purchased the blower on Ebay for a good price  (as it was in great condition) but, it did not have a mount.I hope this may help others who are looking for a quick solution for a mount. I used materials I had in my shop. 

 

Here is what I used:

— I piece of 1 1/2 inch black iron pipe for the leg of the stand (cut to the length needed for my application).

— 1 piece of 1 1/4 bar that I cut into two 3” sections

— 2 pieces of 1/4 flat bar that I cut to the length of the sides of the blower base

— 2 pieces of 1/8 flat bar  (cut to same length as the 1/4 flat bar) that I quickly bent over my leg vise to form an L shape

— 2 bolts and nuts…

 

 

 

The design was pretty simple and works really well. It is very strong and solid and will not come loose.

First I bent over the 1/8 flat bar to form the Ls at the top (this is what will grip over the blower mount rails that are at the base of the blower.

I then welded the 1/8 bar at an angle (just eyeballed it) to the top of the 1/4 flat bar

 

I drilled the bolt holes through all the pieces to line up the  bolts. I then notched the  2 1/14 sections of the bar on the right side  that is not welded so that the side piece will rotate and fit snug. I welded the 2 1 1/4 bar to the left side of the side plate. I left the right side free so I can adjust etc. I then welded the left side to the top of the black iron pipe for the base stand. You could add whatever you need to fit your setup for the base. Mine will be able to be removed from my forge...

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