AV, I much prefer a hand crank blower when using a solid fuel forge because it gives better control over the amount of air blast you need.  You just crank faster or slower as required.

Beware of some of the modern hand crank blowers with short handles (as seen on Forged In Fire).  They are, IMO, a POS and require too much effort to get a decent amount of air.  It is not too difficult to rebuild older blowers.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Another benefit to a hand crank blower is if you get side tracked and step away from the forge you are less likely to burn your workpiece. Have done that with my electric blower having not shut it off or letting the work piece heat while i go off and think, text or talk. There are fixes for that as well tho. But it really hurts spending hours on something then a second of misattention and it is ruined. 

I made this side blast out of the base of a water pressure tank back in 2018 it worked like a champ with the Champion 140 blower. I emptied the dirt out of it, planning to reline it with some fire clay for a more permanent table & fire pot. Sad to say I have not gotten around to that yet.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

A 55 talon drum layed on its side and cut in 1/2 for 2/3 of its length, and the cut off used to make the beginnings of a side draft hood works very well, as dose a drum set up on 24” legs (4 deep cement blocks) with this you cut out the side , to leave an 8” deep fire pan and a fire place looking opening that goes just a bit past 1/2 way around (let’s you put long stock all the way threw the fire) and swept in a bit of a curve. 
tho lots of things work, anything deep enough you can get enough insulation (dirt) to keep from burning out the bottom and large enough to hold the work and a few tools. 

Fit, I put the blower on the right and reach over it, so I can crank wile manipulating my tongs. Most blowers were for ricotta forges, were you threw the rivet to the riveters to catch in a bucket with your tongs in the right hand