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I Forge Iron

Bellows Installed


David R.

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I've used a couple of double lunged bellows and even built one and used it for 20 years.  My bellows was set up and balanced so you could pump it with your pinkie to welding heat.  A friend used one in a "historic" village that had not been installed by a blacksmith. It was up in the rafters and he had to put his weight into pulling the strap down. They wouldn't let him modify it and he ended blowing out his shoulder and hip using it for a decade full time.

Get your setup right and they are a joy to use. Wrong and they can be a misery!

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  • 4 years later...

Iam thinking to raise my bellows overhead on attic but I have. Oncern how to lift 40 kg.

They use toi much space at floor, and I cant reach them to treat them well.

Any suggestion can I use bike rims as pulleys?

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Are you planning just to store them in a high position and then lower them back down for use or are you planning for them to stay there and pump in that position?

Yes, you could use bicycle wheels for pulleys but they are pretty large and cumbersome.  Any grooved rim wheel would work.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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David R - 

Where did you get the leather to replace the old? And what thickness did you use? I have a large bellows the same size where the wood is in perfect shape but mice have attack the leather badly. I would like to rebuild mine for a 10ft x 10ft shop (ceiling mounted near the portable forge inside).

-Jeremy

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/5/2022 at 5:48 PM, George N. M. said:

Are you planning just to store them in a high position and then lower them back down for use or are you planning for them to stay there and pump in that position?

Yes, you could use bicycle wheels for pulleys but they are pretty large and cumbersome.  Any grooved rim wheel would work.

 Sorry for late respond.
I am planning using them to stay there and to pump them.
But for safety reasons i am not sure should i do that, there is deck under it, so bellows won't be seen if they "suck" air, they suck it sometimes when lever go down.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

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