mnray Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I'm trying to make a hand bellows for my portable forge. Guess I'm getting to cheap to buy one on ebay. Seems like with freight you are looking at around $150+. :confused:Anyone know of any plans on the internet? I understand the outside, but not sure about the inside of the bellows. Thanks Mike (mnray@aol.com) Houston, Texas:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1860cooper Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 There used to be a really good set of plans online, but that was years ago and I can't find them now. I did find this:Bellows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Mike, I think there is a sketch in The Art of Blacksmithing by Alex W. Bealer. I loaned my copy to a friend so don't have it now. Lefty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike BR Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 The book available here: Smith's Work: With Numerous (Smiths' Work by Paul Hasluck on Google Books) has plans for a portable forge with a circular bellows. The plans begin at page 131. I built one last Fall and might be able to answer questions if you decide to go that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Thanks Mike, that's one I hadn't seen. It's safely tucked away in my smithing book file. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Try the followinghttp://iforgeiron.com/blueprints01/BPO127Bellows/BPO127.shtmlhttp://iforgeiron.com/blueprints01/BPO141Bellows/BPO141.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Oops that did not work..... Try going through primalfires at yuko.com: The Leading Genealogy Site on the Net call up the traditional blacksmithing and metalworking page and put bellows construction in the search box. Its a bit long winded but I can call up the two iforgeiron blueprints on bellows construction via this route.www.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints01/BP0127Bellows/BP0127.shtmlwww.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints01/BP0141Bellows/BP0141.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I give up!!!!!!!!!! search for primalfire and follow the above.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Ok, last try then a large coffee..........yuko.com: The Leading Genealogy Site on the Net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 VITA TECHNICAL BULLETIN it's got a good simple bellows design. They don't absolutely have to be triangle shaped/hinged. be merry, Archie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jymm Hoffman Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Aldren A. Watson wrote and illustrated a book, "A Village Blacksmith" , I think the title has been changed, that has an excellent set of drawings for building a bellows. The only part I would change is how to place the leather. I can make a smaller bellows work better than some larger ones by using more leather on the top chamber than the bottom chamber, as much as a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. They are not very complicated to build, but time consuming. The other point that some miss and can cause problems, the valves need some sort of device to stop them from being able to flip over or stick open. I small piece of leather strap is all it takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverDamForge Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I wonder if Tyvek would be a good replacement for the leather. Strong, flexible, not likely to be eaten by rodents. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Yeah, it probably would. I've used plastic sheet in a bellows which worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 www.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints01/BP0127Bellows/BP0127.shtmlwww.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints01/BP0141Bellows/BP0141.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Caradoc Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The google book Smith's Work is missing pages 64-69. I just thought i would let you guys know it is not complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 When I built my double action bellows I used the heavily impregnated tarp materials used to make wind wings for the oil patch. It lasted 20 years including being stored outside a couple of Ohio winters! The basics were: 3 solid boards: top, middle and bottom. Top board has no cut outs, middle and bottom board have intake valve cut outs on them. I made my flappers from AL with felt glued to them and very "loose" hinging. I aslo made a cage so that the valves couldn't flop over backwards. In between each set of solid boards I had a "horseshoe" board to help keep the "leathers" from popping out. The horse shoe and top and bottom boards are hinged to the nose piece. The middle board is hard attached---no hinging. The supports for the side of the bellows are attached to the middle piece. I glued up the nose piece from dimensional lumber and drawknifed the out side to shape and just used a piece of pipe for the outlet as that was what my forge was plumbed for. In use the bottom section of the bellows is pulled up by the handle using a lever that the blacksmith holds that is fastened to the top cross piece of the frame holding the bellows and a chain or rope down to the bottom board's handle. This pushes air up through the valves in the middle board inflating the top section. The top section is the one connected to the outlet and thus the forge and it "floats" on the air being pushed into it acting as a resevoir so that in a well designed double lunged bellows you can get continuous flow with no stops. If you need more air you place a weight on the top board so it will push out air faster and then pump the bottom faster. In general use I could pump my double lunged bellows with my pinkie and it would store enough air that I could let go and get a fast drink, change tongs or hammers, etc before it would be completely empty. If it's hard to use you have done it wrong! (picking the piviot point for the lever is a big part of it. I used a piece of rope looped arounf the cross bar and the lever so I could adjust it as needed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 (edited) I have a set of plans and instructions on making a double lung bellows. BP0141 Building a Bellows or Email me and I will send them to you. I made one set and I would do exactly what Jymm Hoffman said above about making the upper chamber bigger than the lower chamber. The set I made was 3 feet wide at the widest and 5 feet long. I would also use plywood instead of tongue in gruve lumber if I made another set. I put a removeable pannel in the top board so that if I had a problem with the valves between the chambers I could access the valves without removing the leather. Edited August 12, 2008 by Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike BR Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Justin, I hadn't noticed the missing pages. If you search on "smiths work" (no apostrophe) in Google Books, you'll find the American version of the book. This version seems to be identical to the British one I linked, except that the copyright date is 1904 instead of 1902. And it has pages 64 -69. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Caradoc Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 thanks ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtforge Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Aldren A. Watson wrote and illustrated a book, "A Village Blacksmith" , I think the title has been changed, that has an excellent set of drawings for building a bellows. The book I have says The Blacksmith Ironworker and Farrier by Aldren A. Watson. I agree it has an excellent section on bellows construction. The bellows I use was made on this pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grafvitnir Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) Hi! This is my first post. Some months ago I found a site for appropriate technology for third world development and there are 2 of the thousands of bulletins available, that deal with blacksmithing and blowers. A double action inner tube bellows by Inversin, and an oil drum forge with single action inner tube bellows and the construction of a centrifugal blower in the same bulletin; they are in this address (just checked and they are still there).http://www.cd3wd.com/CD3WD_40/CD3WD/index.htm Ok, now I Edited August 22, 2008 by Grafvitnir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverDamForge Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) Hi! This is my first post. Some months ago I found a site for appropriate technology for third world development and there are 2 of the thousands of bulletins available, that deal with blacksmithing and blowers. A double action inner tube bellows by Inversin, and an oil drum forge with single action inner tube bellows and the construction of a centrifugal blower in the same bulletin; they are in this address (just checked and they are still there).http://www.cd3wd.com/CD3WD_40/CD3WD/index.htm Ok, now I Edited August 22, 2008 by BeaverDamForge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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