Iron Bear Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Hard up for a blower here. I've seen a lot of people on youtube supporting the use of hand-crank snail blowers, and I know better than to trust the supposed hair-dryer technique. Only problem is I can't get a hold of an old hand-crank. I was looking at a $55 Stanley utility blower fan that had 3 speeds, rotating head, etc., but then I had a flash of brilliance, or possibly stupidity. Has anyone ever used a shop-vac as a blower? Most models can convert to blowing vs. sucking by taking the hose out and putting it in the exhaust, and I do have a shop-vac, but I would like to know my options before I try something I might regret. Anyone else have any great blower options? I would greatly appreciate any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakksmyth Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Do yourself a favor and buy a Centrifugal blower from ebmpapst. Over here in Australia I paid A$150.00. My unit cranks out heaps of air and its one of the smaller models. Cheers, Rob Secretary Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Iron Bear , I've been usin' a 240 V single phase ( OZ power ) 1500 w vac motor hooked up to a light dimmer switch for the last 14 yrs Cost me about $ 40.00 AUD to set up Can be LOUD at times , but after 14 yrs i don't hear it anymore . 1 of these days i'll move it into an outside box , but then i'd be lost without that background noise . Another idea i'm toyin' with is getting an old hand crank grinder , riggin' a squirel cage blower to it , may not look pretty , but if it does the job who cares Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Bear Posted November 8, 2009 Author Share Posted November 8, 2009 cool! I can probably rig something like that up. I have access to a lot of home repair supplies and odd parts where I work, so finding the stuff shouldn't be to hard. I really don't mind the noise either, as long as it works. If it can supply constant, strong airflow at the touch of a button that's good enough for me. The dimmer switch is really a stroke of genius though, I would have never thought of that. Ty for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 nilfisk back in the 80,s made a vacum. Back in Denmark you can walk into most forges and see one of these coupled up to the hearth! Good suck..luck.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Covington Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 The first six months I forged was with a hair dryer. They do work when you need them. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Bear Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 I know the hair dryer can get you by - I've just heard too much negative stuff about having to rip out the heating coil or having to rewire the thing because the heating coil was part of the blower circuit, etc. If I can't get anything else to work I'll try that of course, and I'm sure it will last a while. But I think I can make the dimmer switch idea work with the shop vac I have. But ty again for the input - good to know the hair dryer can work if I do have to go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf's Den Armoury Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I just started smithing in earnest about a month ago. I found an old hair dryer at the Salvation Army thrift shop for $2.00 US that has a selector switch that allows you to decide whether or not to even *activate* the heating coils (which I never do, of course). It also has a seperate switch for fan speed (high or low). Serves me pretty well. I'm even able to get my coal up to welding heat fairly easily. I do have the blower assembly from a clothes dryer, just not hooked up yet. If I don't get a 110V motor for it, I might turn it into a hand-crank setup by using a bicycle cranks and gearing. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigcity Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 i have been using a shop vac for my blower but mine blows to much air and blows the coal out of my forge so i have to open my ash trap to get the right air flow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I used a shop vac to blow a trench forge---I needed a 2'+ long hot spot to do some box folding once. I had to offset the pipes from the blower to the tuyere to waste enough air it didn't over blow the system. As to noise----why damage yourself for fun when nobody's paying you to? For a start up system I once found a small old "handyvac": solid Al case, no bag so it was cheap and a universal motor so you can use a rheostat to control it. Cost me $3 and was much quieter than a shop vac. I had a ridged radiator hose connecting it to the forge and at certain flow rates it would "sing" like an organ pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I got ahold of a small squirrel-cage fan that was an electrical enclosure cooling fan (about 3 in fan). I'm in the process of putting a sewing machine motor on it so I can control it from stop to fast with the foot switch. Some hand dryers use small blower fans like that too. Can't think of what else I've tore apart that had good, small fans at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Bear Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 well, I DO have an old case vac that's sitting in my shed collecting dust, but I have a feeling it's in there because it doesn't work lol. I will just have to try a couple ideas and see what works best. I'm going to try the shop vac with dimmer switch first, then I'll try a hair dryer, if I can scrounge one up. After that I might try to tear down the old case vac and see if that'll work. TY for all the brilliance, guys. I finally got my forge assembled and worked out most of the kinks there, so I'll run everything up tomorrow if the weather's nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOC Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Another fan to keep a look out for is the squirrel cage-in-sheetmetal-snail from electronics cabinets. The one i scrounged has a handy 4" square outlet. good luck seeking! AndrewOC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Ive got a "Kirby" upright vacuum that we're getting rid of - I think, stripped down, it would make a great electric blower. PM me if your interested and local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Iron Bear, Contact your local heating/ AC company and ask then for the motor and assembly from the combustion chamber blower fans off a mid or high efficiency furnace. If you are lucky they have several around and you can get them free. Small, fairly compact, strong, and they run on normal house power. If you look at the bottom left you will see the blower I am talking about. I cut the bottom lip out before mounting directly onto the wall. I use a dimmer switch to control speed, and have more air then I will ever need. Sorry about the size of pic guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DClaville Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 nilfisk back in the 80,s made a vacum. Back in Denmark you can walk into most forges and see one of these coupled up to the hearth! Good suck..luck.. Yep many uses them here I use the blower from an old oil burner like from an oil stove to heat up water and such they all have a good blower in em and can be taken apart from the oil inlet thingy.. DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I use a dayton blower from granger #2c647 catalog 398 page 3052 they run about $65.00 and I use my abana discount. I have one that that I have used for the last 15 years. I have a damper also did use a reostat for a while but it did not hold up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Bear Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Well, as luck would have it the in-laws borrowed my shop vac indefinitely, so that's out anyways. But, I was able to hit up our small engine repair guy at work today and scrounged a 5" impeller fan from a weed-eater or chainsaw or something. Couple that with a fairly powerful fan motor and I might have something. Now I just have to figure out how to build a shell and I will have a pretty fair snail shell rotor fan for next to nothing. I love justifying hanging on to junk lol (old fan supplied the motor). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Covington Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 I've been told the fan from an old clothes dryer is 110 volts and works well. I haven't tried myself so don't take it as gospel. They should be easy and cheap to get at appliance shops. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf's Den Armoury Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Any ideas how to hook up a grounded 110v power cord to the motor so I can run one on 110V? I have a Maytag DE110 blower and motor assembly that I'd like to use as my blower motor. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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