Things Built To Last

In my garage I now have a blower used in the blacksmithing craft to heat up the coal so the metal can get hotter than red hot, hotter than orange hot, hotter than yellow hot, hot enough to be white hot.  Here it stands and although it has been out of a barn for a week and swept off with a broom, there is lots of barn dust on it.  If you touch it, your hands come away black.

The blower stands about 4 feet tall. Although quite difficult to turn the handle, the handle can be turned and air comes out of the pipe on the lower right.

Here is how it looks after a scrubbing with a scrub brush, dish soap and hot water.

This is an awesome piece of equipment.  Eighty years ago my young father stood cranking the handle on this blower while his father forged.  He says he was at the right age to help out.  Local farmers would bring dull plows to him. He would heat up the metal and pound it thin enough to be sharpened with a file. If metal is too thick it cannot be sharpened.  My Grandpa turned the handle.  My Dad turned the handle.  I turn the handle and feel connected to my ancestors.