That's a good start; depending on if the smith knows good coal.  (I've wowed some folks out here using sewell seam coal I brought back from Quad-State as they were just used to locally found stuff. )

On 7/23/2018 at 1:25 PM, Charles R. Stevens said:

Only complaint I have is the dang things are all set up for lefties...

I actually prefer that aspect as it gives my hammer arm a rest.  I essentially do everything with my left arm EXCEPT swing a hammer, which includes cranking the blower and manipulating the stock.  Not only does it help me preserve some strength, it helps to even out the workload so I don't end up looking like Popeye on one side and Olive Oyl on the other.

I crank with my hammer hand and manipulate with my tong hand. That way I don't need to swap everything when it comes time to pull the workpiece and head to the anvil---where the hammer is already waiting.

Aperantly your arms hinge difrently than mine, TP. Reaching across my body and around my round hand seems unnatural. 

Perhaps my set up is different than yours:  Blower crank to the right, fire to the left; no cross reaching involved.

If I get a Lefty in to teach we turn the forge 180 so they have the blower to the left and fire to the right----AND starts teaching them about adapting their environment to suit their "style"!  

Friday wandering:   You notice how many folks here seem to think that there must be only *1* way to do things?  Only 1 alloy used by hundreds of manufacturers all over the world for over 100 years? *1* "best" style/material/size/method/process/?????

Hmm I wonder if that is a side effect of computer gaming where their is *1* way to do things "right" for some tasks and doing it otherwise results in failure? The old Guild system used to address that by having Journeymen journey and learn how others did things in their shop (and also spread new ideas around...) I would have thought that Dude Tube would provide more options to people---but I do see where so many folks say that *This is *THE* way to do something instead of "This is *A* way to do it...

Perhaps it’s a brain xxxx on my part, you reach around the blower to reach the handle as it is on the opposite side of the blower when it’s on the right. I will have to drill and move the windshield on my little rivet forge to do this tho. That eliminates one reason I dislike hand cranked blowers.

 

May need a blower where you can shift the handle from one side to the other...

When I build my double lunged bellows I had the handle adjustable as to which side it was on and it could also be used straight down the middle so folks on both sides of the forge could access it---but be careful to not dip you hand into the fire!  (my firepot had air connections  for either side, I could cap off the one not being used too. ) I used a loop of rope that was around the pivot beam and could be adjusted from side to side swinging the handle.  A simple twist would hold the handle pole.

This is the result of my latest find and overhaul. Remember, light oil. A sparingly few drops.

I got a call from a junk/antique dealer this week about a blower and finally got a chance to go look at it yesterday.  Small, one of the smallest I have seen, buffco stamped tin blowers in quite nice shape, original paint!, hooked up to a pipe tuyere with just a plate with some holes on the end.  They only wanted US$185 for it; which was about $150 over what I would have given for it. Them selling that Vulcan for $2 a pound seems to have inflated their concepts on pricing smithing equipment...

Better shot with pricetag.

I just overhauled one of these little guys - he was filled with grease. He cleaned up rather nice.

Edited August 15, 20187 yr by Mod34
Excessive quoting

My first and long used forge was similar. The first thing I did was to cut the old original firepot detail out and sized the opening to fit a rectangular centaur forge firepot complete setup. I'm on my third firepot and do not remember how many clinker balls ive replaced. It makes an excellent full time forge setup for relativly little money. I also replaced the origional blower with a 14" champion 400 blower on its own stand. 

Obviously im not into collecting antiques. 

Also im left handed and my blower is on my right side,, tong hand side. I maintain the fire with my left hand. Hammer is on my anvil and tongs either on or near the hot iron on the right. If i need to rotate the iron or move irons around, the blower continues to add air on a decreasing volume. Its all a matter of plumbing the blower for your own comfort.