woodtick Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 On the forge I'm using now I have a hair dryer for a blower with a dimmer switch for air control. It's just a rivet type forge so the hair dryer works pretty well, but I just acquired a Champion hand crank in excellent condition. I take it that a hand crank is a better blower by design, but would it be better enough to make up for the pretty much hands free air supply that I have now? When mounting a hand crank blower to a forge, for convenience, which hand do you set it up for? for example I'm right handed so I'm thinking I should be cranking the handle with my right hand so I can leave go of the handle and just pick up the hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I went from an electric blower to a hand crank, I may be in the minority but for the most part I prefer the hand crank. I feel I have more control of the airflow, plus it's free and doesn't have to be plugged in! I have it set up for my left hand, and I am right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I learned on forge with an electric blower and thought it was great, until I used a hand cranked blower. For me, having the ability to control air flow is more important than running hands free. I am sure that you can do the same thing with an electric blower by restricting the air intake. Every hand crank forge I have used or seen is set up so that you crank with the left hand if you hammer with the right. This assumes that you move from left to right when going from forge to anvil. Stop cranking, pick up iron with left hand, start hammering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverDamForge Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I used a box bellows for my wood (charcoal) forge, and initially set it up to use with my right hand (I'm right handed). But then I realized I was doing everything with my right arm and changed it when I moved my forge. The coal forge I've used is set up to crank with your left hand. The blower would be in the middle of the floor otherwise, but I think it was laid out that way on purpose. Sometimes I need my good hand to position the iron just so in the fire, that's probably inexperience. I also used a rivet forge with a pump lever on the left side. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) The new blower that I got allows you to control the airflow via foot-pedal. Push down a little bit, the blower only blows a little bit. It's like a killswitch, take foot off and it stops, and the fan as an air-gate as well. It's electric if I forgot to mention that. Pictures attached below. Edited July 22, 2008 by m_brothers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I went from an electric blower to a hand crank too. Use less coal, burn up a lot less projects! Doug hasn't seen my forge or most of the ones I have seen where the left hand with the tongs is used to move the iron in the fire and the right is used to crank the blower or pull on the bellows pole. That way you don't have to switch the tongs out of your hand and it's easy to grab the hammer when you let go of the crank/pole. Takes longer/more effort to get the tongs set up than it does to grab the hammer handle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 For me a hand crank set up is just more economical and easier to use. I don't fry nearly as many projects as I did with the electric blower. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Thomas' experience versus mine, which is limited, shows that there is no right way except the one that works for you. Watch how you move from forge to anvil to vise. I Move clock wise, forge to my left, anvil to my right so cranking with the left hand just feels right for me. Vise and bench is behind me to form a small triangle. I agree with Finnr that you burn way less coal and steel with a hand blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) My experience might be a bit greater with 27 years in the craft in a number of states and countries, (did a pattern welding demo in Germany once...). What I have learned is that: "There is only *ONE* *RIGHT* *WAY* to do blacksmithing and that is *ANY* *WAY* *THAT* *WORKS*!" When I made my double lunged bellows stand I mounted the lever for it on a piece of rope that was looped twice across the top cross piece so it was easily movable from one side to the other or could stay in the middle if we had smiths working from both sides. Watch your hand if it's in the middle and you do a long pull! More important than which way you go when you smith is the concept Doug mentioned of the "Work Triangle" which should be set up so that the tools you use the most should be within a turn and/or a single step from the forge. For small work like bladesmithing you can have a very small forging area indeed! Edited July 23, 2008 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 until I can get the shop up I am working in an area about the size of a big closet. Not the best set up but I get a lot of work done. A huge amount of space isn't needed if you lay out what you have in a logical manner. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 As a rookie and a lefty(Talk about handicaps-though I am not familiar with anyone making right hand vs. left hand hammers for smithing), by instinct I set up with the forge to left center of the front of my body. The anvil is a 90* to 120* pivot to the right(clockwise)- if I used a blower it would be a bit more left of the forge opening( fire center). I find that it is smoother for me to use the right to tong and transfer from forge to anvil and back. I can see a downside in cranking with the hammerhand- tired from cranking would likely affect energy and accuracy. I have several blowers and when I finish my skillet based forge(s) I will have to pay attention to that.mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I think Thomas and I are saying the same thing, though with 27 years he gets to say it with way more authority and experience. Do what works best for you. Change it continually until it works right for you. There are lot's of opinions. Listen to them all, try what makes sense, share what you learned!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I am not familiar with anyone making right hand vs. left hand hammers for smithing They are usually made universal, but can be custom made right or custom made left. Being left handed I ordered a left handed diagonal cross peen. The left hand diagonal lets me see the work where as a right hand diagonal would block my vision when used in the left hand. There are also offsets in the eye, the tuning of the hammer handle, the grip, and the use of the hammer. Together, this makes a custom hammer, YOUR HAMMER, and much more comfortable when your using it 10 hours a day. I used another smiths (right handed) hammer at a demo and could not get it to work. Embarrassing to say the least as people were watching. I reheated the metal to yellow, so it would move better, and the hammer still would not move metal properly. During the third heat, I remembered the smith was right handed and switch hands in order to swing right handed. The metal moved very quickly, easily, and much to my satisfaction. The hammer was well used and the face had a slight angle and bevel from wear, always being used right handed. The grip was also tuned right handed by natural wear. When used left handed, the set-up was off and did not work for me, but right handed, it worked very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 There are some Handed mallets for chisel driving in wood (Glen Drake). You are the first to confirm that lefty hammers for smiths are out there.mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Click to enlarge Here you can see the left handed diagonal peen, cross peen and right handed diagonal peen. The difference in use is the blacksmith being right handed with the hammer in the right hand, they still have the ability to see where the hammer is hitting the work. If they were to use a left handed diagonal peen, the peen would block their view of the work. More information at IForgeIron.com > Lessons in Metalworking > Blacksmithing > LB0004 Blacksmithing Hammers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Mike: Turning the blower crank isn't tiring at all unless you're feeding a bonfire. If anything the gentle regular motion aids circulation and helps ease fatigue in your hammer arm. That said, it doesn't make a lot of difference to me and to tell the truth I don't recall whether my hand crank is set up left or right handed. The simple reason is how the blower itself works. It doesn't stop as soon as you let go of the handle, it coasts for a while, sometimes quite a while. This lets you pick up any tools you need in either hand long before the blower stops feeding the fire. Another big bonus of having a hand crank blower or bellows is audience appeal. Old folk will stop and tell you about turning the crank in their grandfather's smithy and you can put youngsters to "work" for you turning it. This scores BIG points with the kids and their folks. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 (edited) The largest cast iron skillet I could find that I could justify taking a holesaw to, is 15inch. The econo 17" ones would/did self destruct in shipping. Not unusual for that product by comments on Amazon. I got a price break on cast(ductile) iron tuyere "caps" buying 6 so I have that covered. The generator fires first pull and the Mig is working fine. I am waiting on a special order Charlotte Pipe Co. sanitary "T". It is called a New Orleans and has two horizontal stubs across from each other making a complete "T"- I figured just about ready made for a clinker knocker.Drill a hole in two plugs, slide a knocker in, slide the second cap over the shaft and thread it in and there you go- holesaw an opening for the air.. As always, I am open for suggestions. The two 400 Champion blowers I have will need stands. I am going to use ERW tubing with a slot cut out lengthwise to slide over the cylindrical bases on these blowers/worm gear hose clamps-then weld on some legs and use flex hose and it should make wind directed into the heart of the forge. I have to find some coke because even though the youngsters on either side of me find me curious and "colorful" the fire department would not find me so entertaining---Headline---" Magistrate Arrested for Smoky Open Fire."( on the other hand, the fine would be less than our new No Smoking/ Chewing[tobacco] In Public Places Law, effective July 1.)mike Edited July 24, 2008 by racer3j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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