Hello! After doing some thinking, I realized I need a better air source:rolleyes:.
So, I was wondering, where could I get a good hand-crank blower?:confused:
Thanks!

Got mine off Ebay. You will pay premium, so it depends on how bad you want one.

Here's one if you're gonna be anywhere near Middle Tennessee:

Champion Blower

check craigs in your area and the want ads also ask friends and relatives ... ohio had a lot of blacksmiths theyre should be plenty of them around....

Ohio also has a great yearly blacksmithing event. I expect that you would find a selection there.

Check antique shops if you have any in your area, not always the cheapest places but they often have blacksmithing tools and equipment, ebay always has some but almost always way over priced unless you find a rusty one in need of a good cleaning or rebuild but then you still have the shipping to deal with.

welder19

You could always build a -japanese box bellows -out of plywood.;)

Or you could knock up a handcrank blower using an old bycycle for bits and some sheet metal. Sure there's something in one of the free pdf books (the African one I think) but it's not that complicated a design.

Try looking at these couple of links:

Blower Plans

Japanese Box Bellows

Both work well but don't have the "appeal" of an old cranker.

Good luck

I confess to having and using a hand-cranked blower, but I really enjoy using a bellows when it is available. I am working on having a bellows driven setup as shown in my Avatar. You might want to give a bellows a try.

To make things more complicated: I've used bellows once and persponally wasn't impressed.
If you have a swap, buy and, sell type radio station I would start there. Call several times over a week or so. I called our radio station twice and ended up with two blowers and one fixer upper forge thrown in. I didn't get super deals (paid $125 for one and $150 for the other) but you don't have to pay crazy shipping fees, (ebay) or drive a ways. (craigs) Plus you might trip across some free steel, coal, old files, or odds and ends to use in your shop. Both the guys I bought my blower from had all kinds of stuff laying around!
Good luck!

I would really like bellows:D, be it great bellows or the medieval 2 bellows side by side with a "rocker shaft" to pump them, but I thought that a blower would be easier to get right now:rolleyes:.

I think making two large single chambered bellows wouldn't be so hard, but it is a project for another time...

Still, either one would be better than my electric fan (an actual room fan:rolleyes:) that I am currently using!

Thanks so far, everyone!

I am in NE Ohio.
I have a pedestal blower manufactured by Canedy Otto in Chicago Heights Ill.
Works like a new one but it is pricey. Firm $250.
Chuck Hughes
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