Im sure there has been talk about the African pot bellows here in the past. My question is how to make one. Anyone have a link to how they are made? Thanks!

Like this one  to his left hip or the photo above

Nothing in the bellows section? Google goat skin bellows

There is an extremely good documentary on you tube made by and featuring an African villages iron smelt, including the building of the furnace and bellows look for "Smelting iron in Africa" well worth a viewing.

Haha my ugly mug gets everywhere! the bellows in the first picture were  my mark ones and have been replaced since then, but the idea kiss the same.

The pot is just that. I've  used hollowed out logs, wooden half barrels and even plastic buckets. In Africa some of the larger ones are built in place from clay and in India from old ceramic pots. The skin is normally goat but calf skin and sealed canvas also work (I used a damaged plastic tent with the buckets). The valve can be a flap in the pot or a hole in the skin, some have the skin folded in such a way as to allow them to close on pushing yet open when lifted.

They are dead simple to make!

On 04/05/2016 at 0:32 PM, Dave Budd said:

Haha my ugly mug gets everywhere! the bellows in the first picture were  my mark ones and have been replaced since then, but the idea kiss the same.

The pot is just that. I've  used hollowed out logs, wooden half barrels and even plastic buckets. In Africa some of the larger ones are built in place from clay and in India from old ceramic pots. The skin is normally goat but calf skin and sealed canvas also work (I used a damaged plastic tent with the buckets). The valve can be a flap in the pot or a hole in the skin, some have the skin folded in such a way as to allow them to close on pushing yet open when lifted.

They are dead simple to make!

You've got an ugly mug?! Any close ups of the valving to help me see more clearly as to their air operation? How does the air stay in and not get expelled out?