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I Forge Iron

Champion 40 blower - wooden stand


Quench.

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As noted in the prior thread, I picked up a Champion 40 blower in pretty decent shape, minus a handle.  I added a handle, and made a stand for it from 2x lumber.  This blower has no mounting bracket.  It was meant to be attached by the square output flange.  So the stand was tricky.

First I took the 2" iron pipe (air inlet) from the forge, and added the floor flange, then clamped that on the blower.  Then I clamped the pipe into my bench vise, with the blower attached.  First picture.  My son helped me get it angled properly.  Then I figured how much too high it was (about 15"). So I stacked two cinder blocks under it on the floor, and started building the stand, piece by piece, between the blower and the blocks.

When the stand was complete, I removed the pipe from the blower, re-installed it on the forge, put the blower on the stand, and then used a 2.5" Dynaflex pipe to make the air connection. Second picture.  Dynaflex pipe from eBay.  JP are the intials of the dealer/store selling this pipe. Good people.

The weight of the blower on the stand is enough to hold it in place, but I wanted some insurance, so I added the ratchet strap.

This blower works great.  Hardly crank it at all and get good air.  Very minimal oil leaking.

-Q

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If you get a hankering to try a different one may I point out that the bolts that hold the two sides of the fan case together can be replaced with longer ones and a bracket built to make use of them.

Of course in my *personal* experience nothing lasts so long as a temporary fix for a problem.  I remember when the "temporary" building on the mall in Washington DC were finally removed in the LBJ administation; we used to joke that they had gone up for the war, the war of 1812....

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2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Of course in my *personal* experience nothing lasts so long as a temporary fix for a problem.  I remember when the "temporary" building on the mall in Washington DC were finally removed in the LBJ administation; we used to joke that they had gone up for the war, the war of 1812....

The college where I work benefited from the post-WWII boom in GI surplus with a prefab plywood barracks that was used as a "temporary" dorm for the next fifteen years. It was never officially named, but alumni of that period still refer to it as "Federal Hall".

Apparently in its final days, a professor let slip that the trustees had decided to get rid of it, and a drunken mob descended upon it to hasten its demolition. As one alumnus put it to me, "The town was semi-dry in those days. You had to drink a LOT of 3-2 beer to get anywhere close to drunk, which meant that by the time we were drunk enough to start tearing the thing down, we were already frustrated and really needed to use the bathroom."

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The postwar married student housing here was an ad-hoc trailer park named "Botany Lane" for its proximity to the science buildings. The story is told that some college official once barged in on the wife of one of the students in an attempt to enforce dorm inspection regulations, but after the student and some of his fellow veterans paid him a visit, there was no further attempt at acting in loco parentis.

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Was a bit easier when I went to college as the official date for adulthood, (and drinking) was 18.  I however avoided getting married for a decade more making my college years a bit more "egregious" or should that be "excessive"? Not so many loco parentis issues when everyone was legally an adult.

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10 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

If you get a hankering to try a different one may I point out that the bolts that hold the two sides of the fan case together can be replaced with longer ones and a bracket built to make use of them.

Of course in my *personal* experience nothing lasts so long as a temporary fix for a problem.  I remember when the "temporary" building on the mall in Washington DC were finally removed in the LBJ administation; we used to joke that they had gone up for the war, the war of 1812....

I did consider using the fan housing bolts to mount it, but the overall level of fabrication looked at least as difficult as this solution.  I don't consider this temporary, unless it's to put a base on it made of pressure treated wood, and maybe add casters on lifters. It's quite solid and works well.  The handle needs work.  Keeps falling out.  The set screw can't tighten well enough and loctite won't hold it.  I'll probably put a small screw or bolt on either side of the spindle at least to stop it from falling on the ground when it gets loose :D    -Q

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7 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Why not drill through and install a roll pin?

I don't understand, so I drew a bad diagram of the handle mount with letters so you can point to where you are thinking to put a roll pin.  I would like to like the handle to be adjustable.

-Q

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Make sure the set screws have good tips, and that they are not bottoming out in the hub first. They should not come loose. I have yet to have one of mine come loose on my vintage blowers. Are the threads sloppy? If so, open it up to the next size bolt, and use a fine thread because they resist loosening better than coarse ones. Also make sure the handle isn't too sloppy in the hole. 

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