bellows for fireplace

[radioman]

Instead of buying one ready made, how many of you have made your own? Any plans you can share?

 

[Craig Clayton]

The closest I have come to a fireplace bellows was I made a smoker for my bees. I used grey neoprene rubber it worked very well but for a mantle piece it would look very nasty.
Where are you going to buy leather nowadays?
Tandy sells computers
Saddle shops are all snooty ( for riding Horses )

Craig Clayton

 

[creekbend]

Perhaps this may help somewhat? Leathercraft and Leather Craft Supplies - Tandy Leather Factory Leather Supplier - Leather Reseller - Buckskin Leather Company Good Luck.

 

[forgeblast]

Making your own bellows in Forge, Anvil, Tools Forum

Building A Bellows Fed Portable Forge

They are modeled after the bellows described in the book;

"How to Make a Blacksmith's Bellows"
by Robert M. Heath

http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/VITAHTML/SUBLEV/EN1/BSFORGE.HTM

These were a few I found, you may have to adapt them to what you would like.
I would google fireplace bellows, and then do an image search. You can make a wooden pattern and then use what the links show to make the acordian. I would think about using a rubber inner tube inside maby with copper tube for the front, and then you could use what ever material you want over the innter tube.

 

[creekbend]

Plans for how to build fireplace bellows can be obtained from the Internet, Lowe's' or Mother Earth News.

 

[jbooth]

Just make a leather holster for your wife's hair dryer. Works better and you don't have to pull the trigger very hard. I have both the manual bellows and the hair dryer. My manual bellows gets used very little. Only downside was a new hair dryer for the wife.

 

[Depmandog]

Where are you going to buy leather nowadays?
Tandy sells computers

Craig Clayton

As creekbend mentioned, Tandy does have a few stores left. We have three in Missouri. I can usually find better buys online, but it hard to gauge quality unless you can inspect it in person.

Leather working is one of my hobbies. Don't get to do it much, but I love making stuff out of leather, mostly utilitarian items. Can't emboss a design for nothing

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/home.aspx

Last time I was in, they had a pretty healthy leather selection, with some exotics.

Your project sounds fun!!

Dean.

 

[pickstock]

if its 'for' the fire then id go a hairdryer, blowervac etc
even check tandy for a computer fan and run that up

bellows are old hack

 

[Depmandog]

if its 'for' the fire then id go a hairdryer, blowervac etc
even check tandy for a computer fan and run that up

bellows are old hack

Having an ELECTRIC hair dryer laying on the hearth or floor by the fireplace as a fireplace tool...nah. Not to mention utterly useless during a power outage. And - not speaking for the OP. but it sounds like he was wanting a project.

Working from my iPhone, I came across the following links and places to search:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1983-09-01/Build-A-Bellows-Business.aspx

I know this isn't what you want to build..but might be useful in some way

http://www.cd3wd.com/CD3WD_40/JF/JF_OTHER/SMALL/04-084_blacksmiths_bellows.pdf

I learned a bellows plan was published in the following magazine. I didn't spend any time trying to chase it down.

Fireplace Bellows (5:6:34). This project plan appeared in Woodworker's Journal Volume 5, Issue 6, Page 34. Nov/Dec 1981.

Dean

 

[Arkaybee]

Or--you could use one of these (Dustin-miser used for dusting plants with insecticide). It is inexpensive, operates via a hand crank and you can remove the deflector and reduce the output tube diameter with plastic piping to give more or less volume and speed of the air; simple and works well.

The one I use is a different brand and is metal but the same mechanism, i.e. a small paddle-type or squirrel-cage fan.

Arkaybee