October 10, 20232 yr is there a way to make this forge work with a proper 3 inch electric coal forge blower instead of a hair dryer? Just using it to get by until i can make a proper forge
October 10, 20232 yr It's an air supply and should work fine. You will need a way to control the air flow, either speed control of the blower or an air gate in the line.
October 10, 20232 yr EZ PZ, there are a number of ways to control the blast delivered by an electric blower that doesn't involve a rheostat or VFD controller. What does your imagination tell you? Run some ideas by us and we'll kibitz. This hardly meets the mark of "problem" solving. Frosty The Lucky.
October 13, 20232 yr Author I thought about keeping the blower further away from the fire using a longer pipe. But I'm in the process of making a welded fire pot forge. I have all the tools to make one just have to get the steel to make it with, and the dimensions for the fire pot. I can engineer the rest Edited October 14, 20232 yr by Mod30 Excessive quoting
October 13, 20232 yr I wasn't asking about where you put the blower, I asked about how you intend to control the air flow. Placement of a hand cranked blower is an issue while controlling blast isn't. So, how are you planning on controlling the output from a 3" output electric blower? Frosty The Lucky.
October 13, 20232 yr Author On my old dirt box forge i used a HF foot pedal switch which works quite well for what I was doing and I made a few s hooks with it. You bring the fire up to temperature and then cut off the air flow while you are working at the anvil which keeps you from burning up all of your fuel, but with it there is no precise way to manage airflow properly, its either all on or off, but at the same time I was using an old heater fan for an air source and it did have a rheostat but I left it all the way up and just used the footplate. Edited October 14, 20232 yr by Mod30 Excessive quoting
October 13, 20232 yr Being able to turn the blower off while you're working is a real plus. Have you considered putting a valve in the circuit? Stopping the air flow in or out of an impeller type blower can't hurt it, it actually takes load off the motor so I won't heat up. A screw and old can lid makes one to cover the blower intake. A simple slide gate in the air circuit is only slightly more complicated. The more control the better where fire management is concerned. Frosty The Lucky.
October 14, 20232 yr Author How do you put a valve in the circuit? and my model of air blower has a gate on the side where the air comes in at so that's a plus, and I need to find a new foot pedal on of better quality I have to use one with a certain gauge of wire over 12 gauge I think. Edited October 14, 20232 yr by Mod30 Excessive quoting
October 14, 20232 yr A butterfly valve is the same shape as the inside of the duct and mounted on a pivot, one end extends far enough outside the duct to be able to turn by hand. A gate valve is a flat piece that slides across the air duct. Some guys use a plumbing type gate valve but that's mighty expensive just to block an air flow. If your blower has a valve on the intake you don't need another one, it should be as good as it's going to get. Frosty The Lucky.
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