Here are two bellows currently being worked on in my shop.

Today's progress on bellows repair.

 

The top block is one of the three support points for the bellows, thus the reason for the block to be both glued and screwed to the center board. The bottom block, when added, covers and hides the screws.

Great pictures David! Did either of these bellows use floating ribs to support the leather?

Great pictures David! Did either of these bellows use floating ribs to support the leather?

 

Excellent question.  The bellows that are being built from scratch will have two ribs, and in the photo the ribs are sitting behind the top and bottom boards. I guess I should have shifted them to where they could have been seen in the photo.

 

I would have thought that the bellows that are being repaired would have had ribs, but looking at the U.S. Army drawings by Captain Albert Mordecai circa 1840s-1850s, the drawings show only the top, middle and bottom boards.  This bellows worked ok without ribs, so it seems that the bellows is so small as to not need ribs.

 

With both bellows, the wishes of the smith-owners are used as guide for both materials used and various construction details. Although, if I had two more wood panels on hand, I would have simply used all new materials instead of trying to save any parts of the old bellows.  Optimally, the valve openings in the smaller bellows would be further forward, so that the valve covers could hinge in the opposite direction. I replaced the top board because I had one similar wood panel on hand, and it was *much* simpler to replace the top board than try to repair it.

Good to see new photo is these bellows made from plywood like you made one on facebook. What if you make uneaven side in one of padle like from center one padle have one side wider than other is that real problem. But all of tree can be matched.

.....What if you make uneaven side in one of padle like from center one padle have one side wider than other is that real problem. But all of tree can be matched.

 

The important thing is whether air leaks from chambers and the seals on the valves.  The shape of the bellows boards are not critical, and has some margin of error.  You just don't want the bellows boards to have a huge difference in shape.

 

There are several ways to draw a symmetric shape. One way is to draw one side and flip the pattern over. Another way is to draw squares on a board and copy the lines from boxes on one side to the matching squares on the other side. Then use that board as a pattern for the other boards.

is this too critical. 

is this too critical. 

 

In cases of too much damage to bellows parts, it is easier to simply build a new bellows from scratch.

I mean you can see that all three board are ot simetrycal but they are damaged too much

In the situation where a bellows has special historic value, *and* the wood within the bellows is solid, it might be possible to take the panels apart and edge-join them back together.  There is a woodworking technique called spline-joining where matching grooves are cut in the edges of boards to be joined, and then a wooden spline is glued into the joined edges of the boards.  Done properly, this joint is strong and provides a highly air-tight connection between the boards. 

Hi,
   I am working on setting up a forge but i have limited shop space so i have been looking into alternative bellows designs. So far my favorite kind is the Japanese Box Bellows. Has anyone herdof these bellows and if so do you have any information or tips on them? If not here is a link to a description of one and I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=23504.0

Thanks

Hi,
   I am working on setting up a forge but i have limited shop space so i have been looking into alternative bellows designs. So far my favorite kind is the Japanese Box Bellows. Has anyone herdof these bellows and if so do you have any information or tips on them? If not here is a link to a description of one and I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=23504.0

Thanks

Simply Google on “youtube build a japanese box bellows”

 

here are a few videos and information that came up from that search:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJ2mCv0Lls

I agree with  David  the double lung bellows are better  than box bellows. In box bellows you have two stroke push and pull.In double lung bellows you only have to pull chain or rope and bottom chamber will compress and air will go to top chamber .When top chamber inhale and get full it will automaticaly push air.Let's call lung bellows semi automatic where box bellows are manual. HEre is short  example.

http://www.metc.org/bellows.htm

I agree with  David  the double lung bellows are better  than box bellows. In box bellows you have two stroke push and pull.In double lung bellows you only have to pull chain or rope and bottom chamber will compress and air will go to top chamber .When top chamber inhale and get full it will automaticaly push air.Let's call lung bellows semi automatic where box bellows are manual.

good discription

Bellows repair continued: The photographs show the bellows valves, straps to limit how far the valves open, and the boards reattached with new hinges.

Bellows repaired and ready for bellows cover, and nozzle.

You valves are huge i gues its because one valve for each board. How much these bellows  are long i guess they are a litle bit smaler than previous.

You valves are huge i gues its because one valve for each board. How much these bellows  are long i guess they are a litle bit smaler than previous.

 

The challenge here is repairing the bellows by making *minimal* changes, and that the bellows are a rather small size being that they were reproduced from mid-1800s U.S. Army specifications and drawings.  By enlarging the valve openings, and hanging a weight off the bellows hook, we hope to increase air flow.  .....

The bellows being repaired has been finished.  Now the bellows that is under construction is ready for its cover.

How this board was glued it look to me that wood was rotated 180 degrees?

How this board was glued it look to me that wood was rotated 180 degrees?

 

The bellows under construction is being constructed from furniture grade plywood with oak top finish layers.