Saw an old forge setup at the museum in Pittsburgh and it made me think

They had a hand crank blower from 1890 still hooked up to a brick forge. Anyone tried using something like that for small work?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

fiona5026mo ago

Actually tried a hand crank blower on a friend's farm. It looks cool but it's a real pain for any real work. Your arm gets tired fast and keeping a steady heat is tough. For small work, a cheap electric hair dryer hooked up is way more reliable. Ever find the old ways are more trouble than they're worth?

4

scott.mia6mo ago

Yeah I used to think those old tools were built better, but you're right. I tried using one to help start a campfire last summer and my shoulder was sore for days. It's neat in theory but for actually getting things done, give me a plug in fan any time.

3

ivan2115mo ago

Yeah I was the same way, always thought the old bellows and hand crank stuff was tougher. But @fiona502 summed it up, after a few minutes of real work your arm is done and the fire's not even going steady.

5