TCook Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I am making a forge for the first time and all i need is a blower. I wanted to know what it is I am looking for for a good blower. I didn't want to use a hair dryer but if i have to I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 You want pressure and not huge amounts of CFM for solid fuel. The old centrifugal blowers (and bellows) could put out 200-400 cfm with a couple ounces water pressure, which allowed sufficient oxygen to enter the fire push its way through the fuel mass. Pressure is not so important for a gas forge since all you need is enough to mix the fuel gas and supply the proper air/fuel mixture. I tried an experiment many years ago using a common 500 cfm squirrel cage blower that came off an air handler with a coal forge - it worked but not as well as an old Canedy Otto paddle blower. Just for fun, I tried using compressed air, which also works to a point but you need enough volume to keep the fire hot without blowing coke out of the pot. So to summarize - it's a balancing act of CFM, which is needed to allow the fuel to burn - and sufficient pressure to make it through the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCook Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 I am making a 55 forge until I have the brick that I need for the forge I want to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Talk to a local HVAC company and see if they have any exhaust assist blowers on their bone pile. Used to help the super efficient furnaces to push the exhaust through the heat exchanger. Lots tougher than a hair drier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrin_radd Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'm just a newb but I bought a bathroom exhaust fan from a big box hardware store for about 20 bucks to use in my coal forge. It works well enough to burn the tip off of a rr spike. :( I did have one of those bounce around things for kids to jump in with what I think would be an awesome blower, but I sold it like a month before I got into this, doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCook Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 I was planing on using a pump for an air matress for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I too use a bathroom exhaust fan on my brake drum forge. Blows sufficiently strong enough that I usually only open my blast gate on 2" black iron pipe 1/4 to 1/2 way open. Full open will only burn too much coal and burn too much steel :wacko: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveylad Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Hi I'm in OZ and building my first forge a Brake drum forge. I've got hold of a large cast steel pot and have just got the 2inch pipes threaded to fit to it, the blowers here are like hens teeth to get so I'm looking at all alternatives, what is the best air flow that I need to get in CFM? has anyone used Boat Bilge blowers they seem to be about 130 to 250 cfm would that be okay or should I keep searching? Thanks for advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big-D Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 The 164 CFM blower at Blacksmith's Depot is a good one, and not too expensive: http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/blowers/forge-blowers.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukejoint Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 any part number from that box store bathroom fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Hi I'm in OZ and building my first forge a Brake drum forge. I've got hold of a large cast steel pot and have just got the 2inch pipes threaded to fit to it, the blowers here are like hens teeth to get so I'm looking at all alternatives, what is the best air flow that I need to get in CFM? has anyone used Boat Bilge blowers they seem to be about 130 to 250 cfm would that be okay or should I keep searching? Thanks for advice You might want to check the voltage on that bilge blower before you plug it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 any part number from that box store bathroom fan? The bathroom fan on my brake drum forge.was from H. Depot. NuTone Model 696N. Output 50 CFM. Don't know what the HD part # is. They have fans with more CFM output. Their price was somewhere around $15-$16 a year ago. Fan still running, use it 2-6 hours, 3-5 days a week. The 50 CFM sounds low, but I only run it about 1/4 to 1/2 open on my 2" blast gate. Wide open, it's too much and burns too much coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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