[TheForge] Canedy-Otto

[Dave Brown]

Tony,

I sent you a side note re: blower stand.

The blower & forge that I picked up has a 24"x36" cast iron table, with the 
four original legs for it (minus the bolts).  It does not have the water 
trough, but I don't consider this a drawback.

The blower has no markings other than casting part numbers, no model 
number.  On thing that is interesting about this blower, though, is that it 
has a built in gate, like an ash gate or like the plate dampers that are 
put in chimney's of coal and wood stoves.  Any ideas about what this is 
for?  I can speculate, but I'd like to hear other guesses and maybe even 
some facts about why they have this feature that I've never seen on any 
other hand cranked blower.

The table is also a bit different than others that I've seen.  Well maybe 
not so different and maybe some tables that I've seen were actually missing 
a part ... the duck's nest ring.

Anyway, I think I am growing emotionally attached to this newly acquired 
forge & blower.  I'm in the midst of an internal debate over whether I 
should keep this one and dump the Champion, or not.

In any event, I have 3 forges and 4 blowers.  2 forges w/blowers have to 
go, and maybe the other blower too.

The other blower is a belt drive Buffalo.  I'm debating whether or not to 
put this on my working forge (Y-connect with the hand crank blower) or sell 
it and just buy a good and more compact electric blower.  I also have an 
850rpm electric motor that I'll sell with it.  Makes it just about the 
right speed.  I'm leaning towards selling the Buffalo belt drive and just 
buying a good blower from Grainger or MSC or whomever.

I must investigate e-bay as a seller instead of just a buyer.

Life is good.  Robins are abounding, the house finches are starting a nest 
in the box by the front door, and the goldfinches are battling the sparrows 
to get to the finch feeder.  It's fun to watch the sparrows land on those 
short perches and try to hang upside down to get at the thistle seed.  They 
have a serious problem in doing this.  Then the gold finches and chickadees 
fly in and smugly hang there and eat to their hearts contend while the 
sparrows wonder how they do it.  There's a Bald Eagle gliding over the Fox 
River this morning looking for a meal.

As I said, life is good.

Dave Brown

At 08:14 03/24/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Dave, I use  both a Cannedy-Otto forge and blower. I bought the forge
>several years ago from a friend less the firepot, ducks nest, and all
>associated parts. The forge was in like new shape, heavy cast construction,
>about 3'by3',  with the detachable arm on one side for the blower to bolt
>on, also a water trough on the front. I happened to be looking at the
>smithing stuff on e=bay one day and believe it or not, a guy out in MD had a
>like new firepot and all the fixins, everything this forge needed, he was
>also selling in another auction a like new CAnnedy-Otto "tiger" blower which
>I also bought. Kinda worked out good for me, picked up everything I needed
>to be able to use this forge in one feel swoop. I really like this setup and
>have had no problems with it.
>When I bought the blower it came with its own stand which I don't use. If
>you have some use for it let me know.
>T. Clark