Harold Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 A couple months ago I picked up a cast iron forge with a hand crank blower. I'm pretty sure I got a really good price on it and at the time I wanted to get into blacksmithing, but I've since decided that between work and full time college I won't have the time, so now I kind of need to figure out what I have to put a fair price on it. It has a circular pan measuring about 19" diameter and a four legs. There are no cracks or damage anywhere but there are three small holes cast in it to attach a heat shield. There are markings on the inside of the pan but they are no longer legible. I can't find any model number on the blower but it's marked "Champion Blower & Forge Co. Lancaster, PA USA". It turns very freely and blows air well. The inside of the gearbox and the gears are in excellent shape and so is the tuyere. The exterior of the whole thing is browned from years of sitting in a barn or something but the only real rust damage is to the bottom of one of the legs. I have pics taken and will try to get them up shortly to help identification. Just hoping to get a better idea of what I have so I can figure out a fair price - or even if it's valuable enough that I should just hang on to it. Just thinking that although I want to get more educated eventually on blacksmithing, my current nomadic lifestyle would probably be better served by getting a blower and taking that (which is way smaller and more portable than a eighty or so pound cast iron forge) with me when I move, then building a forge when I get where I'm going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Could be a riveters forge. As far as the blower, well - living in Lancaster these things pop up around here from time to time at different flea markets and auctions for a decent price, but I've seen some people really take a chunk out of peoples wallets for them - especially on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 A nice small forge; but nothing extraordinary. A riveter's or farrier's forge good for small work. Not one I would want to try to weld up billets or heat 1" stock in. It would make a nice demo forge for folks doing small ornamental work. The tuyere looks to be in excellent shape. How many full turns does the blower handle make when you release it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 Yeah, the whole thing seems pretty solid. I didn't pay a huge amount for it and figured I'd be able to get about what I had in it if I decided to sell later. I'm not sure how many turns the crank will turn when I let go of it but I know it will fall from an upright position under its own weight. How many turns should it make when let go of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 It looks like you need to flip the blower over so the oil port will be top side, the blower should coast for a couple of turns after you stop cranking, and only use light oil in it (automatic transmission fluid works good) and it only takes a little bit you do not want to fill it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 The number of revolutions varies but in general the more the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zampilot Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Yeah, the blower is wrong-side up...if it leaks any oil just use a good grease instead, it'll do fine, after all you dont want to blow sparks all over the neighborhood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Yeah, the blower is wrong-side up...if it leaks any oil just use a good grease instead, it'll do fine, after all you dont want to blow sparks all over the neighborhood! I dunno, but I think the picture was taken with the camera on its side. The top picture shows the oiler cap sticking over the top of the blower. It should be fine the way it is sitting. A picture taken from the other side like the one on top would solve the mystery. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Yeah, the blower is wrong-side up...if it leaks any oil just use a good grease instead, it'll do fine, after all you dont want to blow sparks all over the neighborhood! Blowers are not made to hold a lot of oil. Grease will harden up during cold weather making it harder to crank. A light oil, lighter the better, is all you need. I use ATF and 20wt oil mix-- 50/50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie C. Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 You are proud owner of a rivet or farriers forge. I have one identicle to it. The story that I got from a fellow blackmsith is that the blower was designed for charcoal grills. When champion hit the end of there run they were trying to do anything they could to stay business. A small word of advice, this is cool little forge but not a good choice for forge welding. The blower is a little too close to fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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