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I Forge Iron

is this true


Azur Jahić

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The bucket is the structure, the plastic bag is just a way to gather air and force it into the pipe and into the fire. I would imagine that if you saw them in action, you would see short puffs of air being produced. I doubt that they would use the entire volume of the bucket, just enough to drive air into the fire while the second bucket was gathering more air.

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If you make a side blast forge as pictured, and postion the pipe far enough from the fire you do not need valves, and the iron pipe can serve as intake and blast. Positoning so the pipes are close enough to the fire to be effective, yet far enough away to draw clean air is important.

The blast is going to form a controlled column of air, while drawing will draw equally from around the pipe opening and will be much less forceful, which is why this method can work.

Phil

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Actually the bucket is extra and not necessary. All you need are a couple bags, goat/sheep bladders or stomaches work just fine and have been for thousands of years. To make a bag work all you need to do is hold the bag where the pipe enters and simply pull the bag open. A large gap will open around the blast pipe so it won't draw air from the fire, when full simply press the bag closed around the pipe and push the air out. One for each hand and you have a double lung bellows and a nice smooth continuous air blast.

Not letting the bellows draw air from even near the fire is pretty important, especially if you're using coal. Unburnt gasses from a coal fire can be darned flammable so filling your bellows with a mix of combustible gasses and fresh air can spell an exploding bellows. Sure the explosion isn't likely to knock your shop or house down but I guarantee it'll scare the poo right out of you and maybe leave a mark or two.

In 3rd world countries bladders and a couple children are the common way these bellows are worked and they do some darned fine work with a hole in the ground, a piece or two of pipe and a goat bladder.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Without a valve, and with a closed bag there is a gap, open space, between the end of the pipe and the fire. It becomes like blowing on a fire with your mouth, there is a lot of space between the fire and your face, yet you can blow forcefully on the fire and breathe in safely.

Phil

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Ever have the bellows pop Phil? Drawing the "fresh" air from close to the fire can indeed draw flammable gasses. I don't know how far is far enough, you're not likely to draw a lungfull of smoke, etc. it tastes really bad. Then there's how long it takes to fill the bag through a smallish pipe.

There's a reason folk in the 3rd world open the bag around the pipe to fill it and heck it's not hard to do.

Frosty The Lucky.

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