Attaching a hand crank blower

[Steel Serpent Smithy]

I've been lurking a long time and I've never felt the need to post since I have been able to easily find answers to any questions I've had.  But I've finally gotten confused about something I have been unable to find a suitable answer to even after a few evenings spent searching.  Apologies if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it anywhere.

First, a little background.  I was going to build my own coal forge to get started, but I have been blessed and my budget has grown exponentially.  So I decided to buy a decent one, instead.  Going for the Centaur Forge Handy Forge and the active #35 hand crank blower.  And that's where my problem is.

The Centaur Forge site has a kit to attach the blower to their forges.  But the hose is galvanized.  I am not willing to have anything galvanized within 100' of my forge.  Call me paranoid, that's fine, I may be.  But I have struggled to find metal hose that isn't galvanized for a price that isn't extravagant.

I was considering getting black iron pipe to attach it, but then couldn't figure out how I would attach the pipe to the blower.  The outlet is smooth, and I don't see anywhere to bolt anything to it.

TL;DR-

So I guess I have several questions: What can I use to attach the blower to the forge intake, and how do I attach it? 

 

Thanks.

[Frosty]

First, there is NO as in ZERO way a galvanized flex pipe feeding the blast CAN get hot enough to release zinc oxide fumes. 

Check with an exhaust shop or Auto supply for exhaust flex pipe the size you need. A muffler shop might be more likely to sell you a piece short enough to suit your needs but an auto supply might too. Most folks working on their own car don't want to buy a full length if all they need is a few feet. 

Call around, do NOT look online or try contacting them online that's a good way to be put on ignore unless you want to buy a lot of something. Talking on the phone is almost always more productive looking for things like this. Know what you want, measure the connections Dia. and know the length, 2' 4' 3.5' whatever. Be polite don't go into a story they're working, tell them what you need and ask if they can help you.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Steel Serpent Smithy]

Thanks for the tips, Frosty!  I already have a few people and places in mind that I can call. I guess now my decision is do I go the easy route and face my fears regarding the galvanized hose, or face my fears regarding social interaction to call around..  Such is life with generalized anxiety disorder.

[LarryFahnoe]

Although I agree that the pipe shouldn't get hot enough to pose a problem, I wonder, would it be reasonable to strip the galvanize from the hose Centaur provides? Vinegar is one possible approach, search the site for other means as zinc removal has been discussed previously.

--Larry

[Daswulf]

I'm with Frosty on this one. The galvy on the blower pipe won't get hot enough to burn the zinc.

I just looked at their site to see what kind of pipe they use and it looks just like what I use on my travel demo forge for the blower but mine is aluminum. Don't know if you could strip that kind of piping but then it won't even be an issue.  

[JHCC]

No, it is not reasonable, since there is no reason to do so. Zinc turns to vapor at about 1,600°F / 870°C, so unless your air pipe is glowing light red, you don't have a problem.

In fact, it is reasonable to leave the galvanization alone. The reason in this case is that it prevents rust, and having your air pipe rust would make it much more susceptible to damage and leaks.

"Reasonable" is not the same as "conceivable". A reasonable doubt is a doubt for which you can give an objective reason; a conceivable doubt is a doubt that you can think of, regardless of whether or not there is any reason to believe it to be a genuine concern.

1 hour ago, Steel Serpent Smithy said:

Such is life with generalized anxiety disorder.

I totally hear you on that, both from my own social anxieties (odd for someone whose profession requires them to deal with strangers on a regular basis) and from supporting my children through their respective anxiety disorders. I've had the best success balancing two things: (a) that the physiological effects of anxiety are absolutely real (increased heart rate, cortisol levels, etc) and cannot be dismissed or ignored and (b) that I need to look past the unreliable filters of my anxiety to determine whether or not a particular situation merits concern. (This latter also requires teaching myself to be patient and comfortable with the unknown, especially when I don't yet have the data to make such a determination.) One of the greatest things about being a human is that we have the neurological capacity to use the gap between stimulus and response for objective analysis and choice, and the more we exercise that faculty, the stronger it becomes.

[Steve Sells]

Once again I have to ask, what will you do with the zink contaminated has-mat vinegar after you are done

[Steel Serpent Smithy]

8 minutes ago, JHCC said:

"Reasonable" is not the same as "conceivable". A reasonable doubt is a doubt for which you can give an objective reason; a conceivable doubt is a doubt that you can think of, regardless of whether or not there is any reason to believe it to be a genuine concern.

See, there's my problem.  I am very good at conceiving how things can go wrong.  In fact that is how I spend most of my day!
I think I may just go for the hose they sell for the sake of simplicity.  The more I think about it, the more obvious it is that it really couldn't heat up enough.
I appreciate everyone's input!

[JHCC]

42 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

what will you do with the zink contaminated has-mat vinegar after you are done

Dissolving zinc plating in acetic acid (vinegar) produces a solution of zinc acetate. While large industrial quantities may require professional disposal, the small quantities produced here might not. Consult your local authorities about proper disposal.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

23 hours ago, Steel Serpent Smithy said:

But the hose is galvanized.

Have you contacted Centaur about the flex pipe that connects the blower. I just looked at all the forges on their site and could not find where it said the flex pipe is galvanized. To me it looks just like the pipe I have connected to our cloths dryer and it is aluminum not galvanized.

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

 

BTW: on our side blast charcoal forge I built the hand crank blower is connected to the tuyer pipe with a section of plastic vacuum cleaner hose and it has never gotten hot enough to melt it.