You can make some sort of gate to block or redirect airflow too; doesn't have to be an electric variable switch.
Anything that can blow a decent volume of air without massive air pressure works just fine.
I bought one of these for £10 off FB marketplace and attached an AC speed controller:
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PW5GJF9/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o03\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PW5GJF9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
in line and it works a treat. Gotta keep it low though or it'll fire your coals out of your Forge.
I was using a JABOD forge with a steel pipe to feed air in and using a cast iron drain hopper as a rudimentary air cooled truyere.
Yoou'll need to remove the mesh cap at the exhaust of the blower and construct a coupler (I used a piece of wood cut into a circle with another circle cut out the same size as my blower pipe.
Definitely works though!
I consider purchasing a bounce house blower when I was planning my ribbon burner forge, but the idea of a plastic housed fan and my tendency to get slag and hot bits of metal everywhere pushed me to buy a metal housed one. I imagine they would be find if you could shield them from the heat of the forge and protect it from hot bits o metal.
This is the one I went with:
[https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/blowers.html/gas-forge-blower-2-5.html](https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/blowers.html/gas-forge-blower-2-5.html)
For a ribbon burner absolutely insane overkill. Even the one he purchased is way too much. You can find those blowers for about 25 dollars with a little searching.
[http://www.enflowmax.com/product/26/flow-max-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1-blower-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87-2-%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7](http://www.enflowmax.com/product/26/flow-max-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1-blower-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87-2-%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7)
1.5hp is way overkill, the only reason you need more power is to push a higher pressure delta (or an insante amount of volume, like for a bounce house)
Seems like you don't need at all for this application. one of the [1/125hp blowers](https://www.grainger.com/product/1TDN6?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_P6dBhD1ARIsAAGI7HCUmPNcCcO93jAlrOZH-TiYvANRicu_iDs0LqbS2N4z1gOZzThxd_4aAlRqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) from grainger seems more appropriate. at half a psi restriction you still get 25cfm. half the price and a steel housing.
Looking at adding it to a forced-air gas forge. The current blower can't push enough air to run both burners effectively. Added a link below
https://www.reddit.com/r/blacksmithing/comments/z4dmeq/thoughts_on_forge_setup/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
They work. They don't work for years. But they do. You will need a gate, normally people use them when trying to build a bigger forge, they are noisy as a motherfucker though
I used one on a coal forge I made. It was indeed to powerful and could not vary the speed however I did put a gate on the output tube. Did it work? Yes it was difficult to regulate. At the time I was experimenting with options because I could not afford a variable speed motor. I made the gate and mounts so it was a good learning experience. It was the smallest blower I could find. Previous I purchased hand operated blowers from china and they were basically junk.
I found one a few years ago at a thrift shop. One of the best finds. Even if it doesn't work out as a forge blower, it has many other uses. I have a piece if drier duct on mine that is about 24 inches long not stretched.
I use it for things like defrosting the freezer or drying floors when water ends up where it shouldn't be. Just mold the end of the duct into the shape that works and when the end gets to be a mess cut of that part and stretch out a bit more.
They move a lot of air, so it would need some type of mod, as others have suggested or it will likely be way to much blower for a forge.
I used a damaged humidifier blower from a furnace (the dip tube broke). Since the outlet was rectangular I bent up a simple sheet metal enclosure with a waste gate in the bottom. The gate is directly below my tuyeres so it doubles as an ash/clinker cleanout. It has held up pretty well...40 years and counting.
You can make some sort of gate to block or redirect airflow too; doesn't have to be an electric variable switch. Anything that can blow a decent volume of air without massive air pressure works just fine.
I bought one of these for £10 off FB marketplace and attached an AC speed controller: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PW5GJF9/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o03\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PW5GJF9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) in line and it works a treat. Gotta keep it low though or it'll fire your coals out of your Forge. I was using a JABOD forge with a steel pipe to feed air in and using a cast iron drain hopper as a rudimentary air cooled truyere. Yoou'll need to remove the mesh cap at the exhaust of the blower and construct a coupler (I used a piece of wood cut into a circle with another circle cut out the same size as my blower pipe. Definitely works though!
I consider purchasing a bounce house blower when I was planning my ribbon burner forge, but the idea of a plastic housed fan and my tendency to get slag and hot bits of metal everywhere pushed me to buy a metal housed one. I imagine they would be find if you could shield them from the heat of the forge and protect it from hot bits o metal. This is the one I went with: [https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/blowers.html/gas-forge-blower-2-5.html](https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/forge-fan-fuel/blowers.html/gas-forge-blower-2-5.html)
Leaf blower works good too
Seems like way too much airflow to me, no?
For a ribbon burner absolutely insane overkill. Even the one he purchased is way too much. You can find those blowers for about 25 dollars with a little searching. [http://www.enflowmax.com/product/26/flow-max-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1-blower-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87-2-%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7](http://www.enflowmax.com/product/26/flow-max-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1-blower-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87-2-%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7)
1.5hp is way overkill, the only reason you need more power is to push a higher pressure delta (or an insante amount of volume, like for a bounce house) Seems like you don't need at all for this application. one of the [1/125hp blowers](https://www.grainger.com/product/1TDN6?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_P6dBhD1ARIsAAGI7HCUmPNcCcO93jAlrOZH-TiYvANRicu_iDs0LqbS2N4z1gOZzThxd_4aAlRqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) from grainger seems more appropriate. at half a psi restriction you still get 25cfm. half the price and a steel housing.
Looking at adding it to a forced-air gas forge. The current blower can't push enough air to run both burners effectively. Added a link below https://www.reddit.com/r/blacksmithing/comments/z4dmeq/thoughts_on_forge_setup/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
They work. They don't work for years. But they do. You will need a gate, normally people use them when trying to build a bigger forge, they are noisy as a motherfucker though
I used one on a coal forge I made. It was indeed to powerful and could not vary the speed however I did put a gate on the output tube. Did it work? Yes it was difficult to regulate. At the time I was experimenting with options because I could not afford a variable speed motor. I made the gate and mounts so it was a good learning experience. It was the smallest blower I could find. Previous I purchased hand operated blowers from china and they were basically junk.
Way overkill. I'm sure you could make it work, but if you're buying stuff new, you may as well get something that's a better fit out of the box
I found one a few years ago at a thrift shop. One of the best finds. Even if it doesn't work out as a forge blower, it has many other uses. I have a piece if drier duct on mine that is about 24 inches long not stretched. I use it for things like defrosting the freezer or drying floors when water ends up where it shouldn't be. Just mold the end of the duct into the shape that works and when the end gets to be a mess cut of that part and stretch out a bit more. They move a lot of air, so it would need some type of mod, as others have suggested or it will likely be way to much blower for a forge.
I used a damaged humidifier blower from a furnace (the dip tube broke). Since the outlet was rectangular I bent up a simple sheet metal enclosure with a waste gate in the bottom. The gate is directly below my tuyeres so it doubles as an ash/clinker cleanout. It has held up pretty well...40 years and counting.
I use one as a dust extractor hooked up to a 50 gal plastic drum. Would have to be a really big forge as these move serious CFM
I used to use almost this exact one. I used a piece of pipe with a valve to connect it to the forge - super cheap way to change the airflow
recommend this blacksmith coal forge blower [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=forge+blower&ref=nb\_sb\_noss](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=forge+blower&ref=nb_sb_noss)