Picked a hand crank blower over an electric one for my little shop

I was torn between a $40 electric blower and a $25 antique hand crank I found at a flea market in Denton. Went with the hand crank because I wanted to control the fire slower, and my first forge weld this weekend actually held. Has anyone else gone old school and regretted or loved it?

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morgan32915h ago

Did you use a firepot with a good draft underneath that hand crank? I only ask because most antique blowers push a lot of air but not much pressure, and mine struggled with a deep fire until I raised the grate and shortened the pipe. The weld holding is a good sign, but if you start getting cold spots in the steel, that's usually the blower not pushing enough air through the coals. I ran a hand crank for two years before switching back to electric for bigger pieces, but I kept the old one for fine work where I need that slow, steady heat. It's a nice find at twenty five bucks, just keep a spare leather belt handy if it starts slipping.