In early experiments (Pleiner, Bielenin, Tylecote, Cleere) we found 200l/min
a good level to aim at. I used my wife's vacuum cleaner for my first smelt,
but abandoned it because a. we burned the end off the nozzle and b. it
didn't give enough blast. I then went on to an electric blower which we
maintained at 200l/min and, since we got some iron when we first used it, we
didn't change this variable.
Henry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Hutchison" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Arch-metals" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: Experimental bloomery
> Lee
>
> Peter Crew estimated 300l/min from some of his heats which I think were
> bellows blown.
> I may be wrong there because he does not say in the report what he was
using
> and he does now have a mechanical bellows. His hand powered bellows are
> quite big.
>
> If you want a high flow through a finite pipe (we know the size of the
> tuyere hole) you have to increase the air pressure. This may mean reducing
> the
> size of the bellows if they are to be operated by one man. You then have
to
> pump at a high rate - jolly hard work. It also produces a highly pulsed
air
> flow. No doubt for a short time you can produce high flow rates.
>
> I don't know the power of your blower but a man can sustain about 100-150
> watts
> in steady work.
>
> While I cannot see the comparison between your experiments and the early
> iron age furnces being easy the American bloomeries (which I would class
as
> industrial archaeology) seem not to be well understood. Turner wrote that
> they could make high carbon steel at will. From what you say on your
website
> perhaps you can too with a little more work.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
>
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