Could the blower end of a small shop-vac (or large if you want) be effectively used as a forge blower? 

yes

I've used a Buckethead shop vac for my coal forge blower for the last 3 1/2 years.  I use a cheap plug in light dimmer switch to control the blast.  It sits out in -70 f temps in winter.  It still works great with zero problems.  I paid $20 for it new.

I've used a Shop-Vac as a blower (using an air gate to control the airflow) and it works well. However, it is LOUD. Could be I'm just overly sensitive, though.

Thankyou,  good ideas for controlling airflow. 

They are LOUD; but as vacuums are oftrn universal motors they can be throttled with a plain rheostat.

 

However you can often get a FREE blower that's suitable and quieter at a local HVAC company where they are used in modern high efficiency furnaces for forced draft of exhaust.  They are generally still good when the furnace gets replaced and so can be sourced from their bone pile if you inquire politely and explain what you are going to use it for.

would an exhaust blower from a furnace work well? ive got plenty of those.

would an exhaust blower from a furnace work well? ive got plenty of those.

 

Probably... A blower is nothing exotic...  its just a air mover .... Only  real problem is it may not move enough air... if it supplies to much air you can always throttle it down by a "blast gate" on inlet or outlet or a rheostat (solid state lamp dimmer?) ...

 

Dale

I can think of twelvehundredseventyfour other items I'd much rather listen to than a shop vac screaming away next to/under my forge.

Wow.

Seriously?

I put mine on a dimmer switch, its not loud at all. 

If a shop vac is all you have, put it outside and run the hose in. I don't like listening to my compressor either, it'll get a room of it's own eventually, the shop vac could live with it.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

As Thomas & others suggested, check out an HVAC company and get a small furnace blower or squirrel cage.  They put out an insane amount of air and based on the amount of resistance will increase the speed in which it blows.  Full speed it burns intense and can go thru coal quickly & burn up metal.

 

Here's my current setup, about as simple as it gets, no airgate or dimmer switch required.  These pictures don't show it, but I now have a foot switch (former life it was a Christmas tree light switch) so I can leave it at the same speed and turn it off & on by stepping on it.  One of the nicest things about this is how quiet it is.  I like having my kids or friends join me in the shop and being able to have a conversation.  When I was using an air compressor that wasn't the case.

 

Dan