326-Article Text-607-1-10-20200910

ADRRI JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
ISSN-L: 2026-674X
VOL. 3, No.10 (2), September, 2017
Published by Africa Development and Resources Research Institute
ADRRI JOURNALS (www.adrri.org)
ISSN-L: 2026-674X VOL. 3, No.10(2), September, 2017
Re-Design and Manufacture of a Mobile Multi-Blowing Blacksmith Forge

Philip Yamba1,2*, Anthony Akayeti1,2 and Enoch Asuako Larson1,2
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tamale Technical University, Northern Region,

Tamale, Ghana.
2School of Mechanical Engineering (SME), Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013,

People’s Republic of China.
*1Correspondence: philipyamba@yahoo.com
Available Online: 30th September, 2017
URL: https://www.journals.adrri.org/
[Cite this Article as: Yamba, P., Akayeti, A. and Larson, E. A. (2017). Re-Design and Manufacture of a Mobile
Multi-Blowing Blacksmith Forge. ADRRI Journal of Engineering and Technology, Ghana: Vol. 3, No. 10(2), Pp. 1-12,
ISSN-L: 2026-674X, 30th September, 2017.]
Abstract:
Blacksmithing is a perfect gift of art and creativity. The forge is the heart of every blacksmith firm because
forging cannot be done without it. However, the problems in our localities about the blacksmith forge is
that the forge is created by modeling the firepot out of digging the ground which is not convenient to use,
waste a lot of charcoal (fuel) and is also static in nature. Therefore, a mobile multi-blowing blacksmith forge
is re-design and manufactured to eradicate these problems and its performance evaluated. The test results
show that the forge is efficient in retaining heat much longer than the primitive once hence improving fuel
efficiency by increasing income and also due to its lining, heat radiation is drastically reduced thereby
providing much healthier environments for the blacksmith.
Keywords: blacksmith, forge, manual blower, firepot, mobile
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INTRODUCTION
Forged tools used by specialized crafts people have evolved over the centuries, borne of necessity
and conceived at the hands of skilled artisans called the blacksmith, who often worked from a
small shed mostly in the village communities (Houzz, 2016). Blacksmithing was born when Stone
Age man first succeeded in separating metal from ore and making something from it (Augustus,
1968). The first evidence of smiting by hammering iron was found in Egypt and it dated 1350BC
(Blandford, 1998). The “black” in “blacksmith” refers to the black fire scales, which is a layer of
oxides that form on the surface of the metal during heating and the origin of the “smith”
originated from the proto-German “smithaz” meaning “skilled worker” (Online Etymology
Dictionary, 2017).
The art of blacksmithing believed to have been introduced into Ghana as part of the British
colonial legacy for the manufacture and making of simple tools and implements for small and
medium scale sectors in industries. These facilities provide one-stop shops for various items
ranging from nails, keys, bolts and nuts to bigger machine parts and farming implements [(Otor,
2014), (Catherine et al.,2014)]. In recent times, however, modern technology has to a large extent,
diminished the impact of this age- old foundries on the larger society. Nevertheless, the trade still
persists in parts of the major cities and towns across the country operated as small and medium
scale family business holdings which is handed down from one generation to the next.
Currently, the economy of the most villagers in the rural areas in northern Ghana are still highly
dependent on agriculture by small holder farmers using manual implements for cultivation and
the tools that help these rural farmers to constantly feed their families are the handiworks of the
blacksmith. Hence, the role of the blacksmith as a major link between agriculture and
manufacturing with the resultant effect on the socio- economic development of the country
cannot be underestimated. This role no matter how small has to a large extent, inured to a
mutually beneficial relationship between farmers, traders, and consumers in the rural areas.
A blacksmith makes many kinds of tools and other objects out of metal. The basic tools in a
blacksmith shop are an anvil, a mall hammer, blower, and other cutting and shaping tools. There
is a molded fire place (firepot) dug from the ground and fitted with bellows to control airflow
into the firepot on which charcoal is placed for use as fuel for heating the metal in a firepot (to
cherry red) to make it soft, and then repeatedly hammers the red hot soft metal on an anvil to
shape it into a finished product. (Parkinson, 2003) states that a blacksmith is someone who uses
fire to transform unprocessed material into an object of utility and beauty giving life to inert metal
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(iron). Blacksmithing and engineering forms parts that deals with shaping, forging and forming
artifacts in metal industry, the working of metals contributes greatly to the well-being of
individuals because a lot of everyday life objects made from metals such as household items,
agricultural implements, vehicle parts, machines and machine parts are produced by the
blacksmith (Sackey and Amoakohene, 1996).
The forge blower is one of the most important tools in a blacksmith workshop, which is
considered as the core of the blacksmith workshop because of the role it plays. The function of
the blower is to deliver a consistent air supply to the base of the fire to aid the combustion process
(Robert, 2007). Supplying the fire with oxygen means that the fire can get to a temperature hot
enough to manipulate and craft iron object without a consistent supply of oxygen. However,
some of these challenges are the kind of blowers use especially in the rural areas which are not
suitable because the classical medieval bellows made from wood and leather are not comfortable
in usage and also demands a lot of energy in its operation. Furthermore, the stationary ground
position of the dug firepot affects productivity during raining season and work has to come to
stop when is raining, also the unhealthy exposure to heat during smiting process all contributes
to major problems that these artisans face every day.
Edward (1995) build a homestead forge where he molded the forge with clay and stone with a
bellow blower attached. (Catherine et al., 2014) in their work on assessment of the Blacksmithing
Industry in Ghana, looked at the different methods and tools of skill expertise of blacksmithing
in Kumasi Ghana where different forge designs were used. Therefore, our paper objective is to
re-design and manufacture a mobile multi-blowing blacksmith forge in other to eradicate the
problems aforementioned by increasing the efficiency of heating by lining the firepot with clay
and firebricks. This subsequently leads to increase income by using less charcoal, promoting
healthier life due to less heat radiation from the forge and minimizing on reliability of electricity
usage.
METHODOLOGY
Description of Machine and Operation
The blacksmith forge which is the heart of blacksmithing consists of a manual blower, an electric
fan, a wheel, outlet air manifold (Y-Tuyere), belt and pulley system as shown in figure 1.
The mechanism of the forge consists of belt and pulley system with an attachment of 1-kilowatt
electric fan for the blowing of the air. The principle works with a design of a two-air inlet channel
manifold Y-shape mild steel tube with the blower and the electric fan air outlets attached to the
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two ends and flow out through the single unit of the manifold shape which is placed into the
firepot as shown in the designed plan view of the forge (see figure 2). The forge can be powered
manually by turning the wheel which rotates the rotor of the blower to generate air by centrifugal
action or by using electricity to power the electric fan.
The firepot is designed with a clay and fire bricks so as increase the heating efficiency and at the
same time retain more heat in the area, which intends reduces the amount of charcoal and at the
same time drastically reduced the radiation effect of the heat exposure to the blacksmith thereby
making it comfortable and less harmful.
The blacksmith forge softens the metal by heating it to a cherry red temperature above 900 °C
then is taken out and hammered into shape on an anvil. This process is repeated until the metal
evolves and meets the acceptable standard. The finished product is finally immersed in water for
durability and to develop a dark color. Hoes, cutlasses, axes, rakes, pickaxes, sickles as well as
mechanical parts like engine seats, bolts and nuts for vehicles and other domestic items, mill and
push-trucks parts etc. are some of the products of blacksmithing.
Figure 1: Mobile multi-blowing blacksmith forge
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Figure 2: Front and Plan design view of the blacksmith forge.
Nomenclature: A - Electric fan; B - Direction of air flow; C - Manual Blower; D - Firepot;

E - Firebrick; F - Clay; G - Y-Tuyere (Blast Pipe); H - Drill holes to allow air into fire and
flow of Ash.
Design Considerations
The quality of a machine is often determined by economic and choice of materials

factors such as hardness, rigidity, flexibility, weight, thermal or heat resistance linked
with resistances to wear and tear in order to improve reliability and increase the life
span of the machine. Therefore, for the blacksmith forge, the following design factors
were taken into consideration:
Materials selection was based on cost and availability of local materials without
compromising their quality. This is to ensure that the forge is affordable and its
maintenance as well as parts replacement can easily be done.
The density of materials chosen for the forge design was considered in order to save
weight.
Factors such as operator height (which the bed of the forge is built to a comfortable
height) and age were critically considered in the design and required a minimum
operating pressure for optimum efficiency of the manual blower.
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Stability, vibration, and noise were factors considered in the design of the blacksmith
forge under service conditions.
Safety precautionary measures for the end user were considered, therefore, the
blacksmith forge was ergonomically designed for easy operation, assembly, and
disassembly.
Design Analysis
The main components of the forge are: (i) Frame, (ii) Firepot body, (iii) The tuyere (Blast
pipe) and (iv) The blower.
The Frame
The frame provides support and is made from a sound 25mm x 25mm square pipe mild
steel. Square pipes were selected because they are stronger and lighter in weight. The
maximum height of the frame is 750mm and a width of 500mm. To optimize the
strength of the frame, pieces of the square pipes were welded together at 90⁰ angles to
reduce any susceptibility to twisting.
Shaft Design
The shaft is a rotating machine component that is used to transmit power from the wheel
to the blower. The need for a solid circular shaft was necessitated for analysis for its
combined bending and torsional stresses.
The calculation for the shaft diameter was selected using the ASME code equation for a solid shaft
having little or no axial loading (Hall et. al., 1980).
16
d3   kt M t    kb M b 
2 2
(1)
 s
Where s= Ultimate stress of mild steel with keyway, (N/m2), do= shaft outside diameter, (m), kb
= combined shock and fatigue factor applied to bending moment, kt = combined shock and fatigue
factor applied to torsional moment (for rotating shaft with suddenly applied load), Mt =
maximum torsional moment (Nm), Mb = maximum bending moment (Nm).
Pulley
For the manual operation of the forge, the designed is operated manually by hand with a pulley
system. Power is transmitted from the handle to the blower through a belt and pulley system
having a speed ratio of 1:20, based on ready-made wheel and pulley available in the market.
Factors such as operator height, weight, and age were critically considered in the design and
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required a minimum pressure for optimum efficiency. The following terms were adopted to
calculate the vital parameters of the belt and pulley system.
Determination of Belt Tensions
The primary principle of belt and pulley drive is based on friction between the belt and the pulley
which cause power to be transmitted between them. The friction between the belt and pulley
surfaces gives unequal tensions in the system and hence these tensions can be calculated from the
Ta
following formula: Tb
=[ℓμθ]
(2)
Where Ta is tension of the tight side and Tb is tension of the slack side.
But P = [(Ta – Tb) V]
μ= 0.315 [10]
1
Tr = [ Ta]
3
(Ta − Tr)/(Tr− Tb -Tr) = (ℓμiSinθ)
Ta = 525 N and Tb = 307.5N
Determination of Included Angle (β) and Angle of Wraps (Ø) in V-belt Arrangement
Centre distance Cd = A + [(A2 + B2)]1/2 (3)

Rearranging gives;
Lr π
A = [ 4 + 8 (dL – dS)]
(dL−ds)2
B=[ 8
]
Where; dL- Diameter of the larger pulley; dS – Diameter of the smaller pulley; αL - Angle of wrap
of the larger pulley;

αS – Angle of wrap of the smaller pulley; C- Center distance between the two pulleys.
ϴ (dL – ds)]
cos 2 = [ c
]
θ = 215.17
(dL – ds)
sin β = [ c
]
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β = 3.62°
Therefore, the angle of wrap is calculated from the following;

αL = 180° - 2 β
αS = 180° + 2 β
L0 = Length of open belt;
(4)
The Manual Blower

One of the core of the forge heating system is the blower. This unit pushes air through the forge
and allows the fire to reach temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius, hot enough to melt
steel.
The blower generates a pressure to move air (or gases) against a resistance caused by ducts,
dampers, or other components in a fan system (ebmpapst, 2017). The blower wheel (rotor)
receives energy from a rotating shaft and transmits it to the air. Blower selection depends on
the volume flow rate, pressure, type of material handled, space limitations, and efficiency. In
this our design, the centrifugal blower was chosen because it best suited for moving large
volumes of air against relatively low pressures and also suitable for belt driven to facilitate
speed changes.
The blower consists of a stepped shaft 80mm x 60mm diameter mild steel which rests on ball
bearings on the rectangular stand. The 6 angled blades (blower wheels) which are arranged and
attached to the 80mm diameter cylindrical drum shafts periphery alternates at a 60⁰ angle along
the shaft which is milled in a hexagonal shape at the center of the shaft so as to generate
centrifugal force to blow the air when in operation. The blower's housing contains the spinning
air and helps maintain pressure in the system by preventing leaks. A housing of 50mm higher
than the blower’s wheel was obtained from scrap and fabricated to fit the developed wheel. The
edges of the joints and the lid to the rim of the housing assembly were sealed with silicon caulk.
Afterward, sharp edges were removed and grind to shape. When in service, the blower force air
through the outlet vent pipe between 100 and 150 cubic feet per minute and maintain a static
pressure of between 32 and 40 ounces depending on the person turning the wheel. To optimize
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the blower efficiency since is manually operated is positioned closer to the firepot then the electric
fan.
The Tuyere (Blast Pipe)
The tuyere is a piece of pipe that connects or channel the air source into the firepot. In our design,
a Y-shape tuyere is used so as to facilitate the connection of the 2 sources of air to flow in a single
output (see figure 2). The tuyere is fabricated into Y-shape with a mild steel pipe of 50mm
diameter and 960mm long. It is set horizontal on the center line of the forge with the 55mm hole
below the level of the top of the side plates.
Firepot
The firepot is the burning chamber of the forge. The design of the firepot is lined with special clay
which was acquired from Vume in Volta Region Ghana where abundant good clay deposit has
inspired a lot of beautiful art of pottery works and 45 pieces of firebricks (see figure 2). This is to
ensure that the forge retains the heat much longer than the primitive method of making the
firepot from digging the ground. Some quantity of clay were laid first and then 25mm x 50mm
firebricks were precisely speared on the wet clay and then another layer of clay was used to place
on top of the laid firebricks and thereafter seal and smoothen the burning chamber of the firepot.
Some heat was applied on the laid clay with the firebricks in other to prevent excessive cracks
during the drying process.
Performance test procedure
To ensure various components functioned properly, the set up was operated, the
fabricated blower wheel blades (rotor) exhibited good clearance in the housing and the
bearings were well mounted, the belt and pulley system transmitted power effectively
from the handle to the blower wheel blades smoothly after adjustments were made. The
three main objectives of the forge are mobility, multi-air supply, and good heat
retention, the two formers are not suitable for evaluation hence the latter was chosen.
A proto type of the firepot section of the manufactured forge was fabricated which do
not contain clay lining for the performance test. The temperature was taken with a
hand-held Laser Thermometer Gun, (Laser Point LCD Digital Infrared Thermometer)
with a temperature range of -50°C to 1,150°C. Table 1 shows the experimental plan and
parameters for the evaluation of the heat retention performance of the forge.
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Table 2: Experimental plan for evaluation of the blacksmith forge
S/N Variables Level
1 Laser Thermometer Gun (°C) -50 to 1,150
2 Charcoal (kg) 5
3 Time (min) 60
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The heat retention performance test of the forge was evaluated at the various time intervals. Both
the clay lined and un clay lined firepots were setup with 5 kg of charcoal and temperature
readings were taken with the Laser Thermometer Gun within a period of 1 hour. With the un-
clay-lined firepot, the readings show that, after raising the temperature to 900 degrees Celsius,
the heat retention starts to drop within some few minutes. This is because it is not lined with clay,
the heat quickly dissipated through radiation to the surrounding environment (see figure 3). With
the clay-lined firepot, after rising the temperature to 900 degrees Celsius, the readings as
indicated in figure 3 show that the heat retention was stable for quite a longer period than the un-
clay lined firepot. This is due to the clay and the firebricks which has good properties of heat
retention. Furthermore, it was observed that the metal body of the forge and the surrounding
environment was not as hot as the un-clayed lining firepot. This is as a result of the clay and
firebricks ability to retain the heat within. Therefore, these results show that the redesigned
blacksmith forge is best suitable for blacksmithing work as is safer to use, increase income and
overall promotes the wellbeing of blacksmith worker.
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Fig.3: Heat retention performance test of the blacksmith forge
CONCLUSIONS
In sum, a blacksmith forge was redesigned, fabricated and tested at Tamale Technical University,
Northern Region Ghana. Based on the test results, the performance of the forge was quite
substantial. The design of the forge with local materials was selected for cost effectiveness and
the manual operation was necessitated due to averting frequent interruption of power supply in
Ghana. The performance of the forge is good for blacksmiths both in urban and rural areas as it
will increase their productivity, improve income levels as less charcoal is used and also reducing
health risk factor with the job. As such, this forge is recommended as it has the tendency to
encourage more youth into blacksmithing and hence creating more jobs in that sector.
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REFERENCES
Augustus M. K. (1968). Ashton, T.S. Iron and Steel in the Industrial Revolution. New York. pp.
15-68.
Blandfold, P.W., (1988). Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking, Tabs Books: USA. Issue 2. pp.
45-50
Kimbark S. D. (1902). Manual of Blacksmithing. The Gerlotte Publishing Co. Chicago,
ILL. pp. 3-13.
Catherine A., Emma D., Francis K.S.A. (2014). The Assessment of the Blacksmithing Industry in
Ghana (A Case Study of Suame Magazine, Kumasi) IISTE Journal. Retrieved
January 7, 2017, 13:15, from:
http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/ADS/article/view/16296/pdf.
Ebmpapst. (2017). Centrifugal-Fans and Blowers. Retrieved June 5, 2017, 17:20, from:
http://www.ebmpapst.com/en/products/centrifugal-fans/centrifugal_fans.html
Edward L.S. (1995). Build a Homestead Forge and Fabricate Your Own Hardware. Backwoods
Home Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2017, 19:32, from:
http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/JF/JF_OTHER/SMALL/Build%20a%20homestea
d%20forge%20and%20fabricate%20your%20own%20hardware...By%20.pdf
Hall A. S., Holowenko A. R. and Laughlin H.G. (1980). Theory and Problems of Machine Design
S. I. Metric Edition. Mcgraw-Hill Book Company. Vol. 2, Issue 4. pp 115.
Houzz.ie. (2016). Ghana Wrought Iron Workers. Retrieved April 11, 2017, 09:42, from:
https://www.houzz.ie/professionals/wrought-iron-workers/c/Ghana
Online Etymology Dictionary (2017). Etymonline.com. Retrieved March 9, 2017. 9:02, from:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=smith
Otor P. (2014). The SEGE Blacksmithing Industry in Focus. Retrieved April 11, 2017, 08:05, from:
http://theheraldghana.com/sege-blacksmithing-industry-focus/
Parkinson, P. (2003). The Artist Blacksmith: Design and Techniques (Hardback). The Crowood
Press Ltd: Britain.pp. 43 -68.
Robert T. KG. (2007). The Genius of China 300 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention. London.
Vol.3. pp. 16-57.
Sackey, J. K. N., Amoakohene, S. K. (1996). Metal Work Technology. Macmillan Education Ltd.
London. pp. 77-134.
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ADRRI JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

ADRRI JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

ADRRI JOURNALS (www.adrri.org)

ISSN-L: 2026-674X VOL. 3, No.10(2), September, 2017

Re-Design and Manufacture of a Mobile Multi-Blowing Blacksmith Forge

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tamale Technical University, Northern Region,

2School of Mechanical Engineering (SME), Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013,

Keywords: blacksmith, forge, manual blower, firepot, mobile

Description of Machine and Operation

Figure 1: Mobile multi-blowing blacksmith forge

Figure 2: Front and Plan design view of the blacksmith forge.

Nomenclature: A - Electric fan; B - Direction of air flow; C - Manual Blower; D - Firepot;

The quality of a machine is often determined by economic and choice of materials

Determination of Belt Tensions

But P = [(Ta – Tb) V]

(Ta − Tr)/(Tr− Tb -Tr) = (ℓμiSinθ)

Ta = 525 N and Tb = 307.5N

Centre distance Cd = A + [(A2 + B2)]1/2 (3)

of the larger pulley;

Therefore, the angle of wrap is calculated from the following;

L0 = Length of open belt;

The Manual Blower

Table 2: Experimental plan for evaluation of the blacksmith forge

S/N Variables Level

1 Laser Thermometer Gun (°C) -50 to 1,150

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Fig.3: Heat retention performance test of the blacksmith forge

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