You guys went all out making this a legit tool. The kind of thing a blacksmith might have relied on in their shop for a whole career of hard work. This is phenomenal.
the final demonstration was a bit under whelming. could hardly see the force of the air, and putting it in front of the fire didnt seem to have any visual difference.
Ironically, that's exactly what you'd expect with a bellows designed to produce a continuous flow of air: a constant low flame, instead of one that flares up every couple seconds. I imagine that "constant low heat" has some useful applications in metalworking, same as it does in cooking and pottery.
@@damienvalentine5043 a low flame, has zero application for forging. Something that big, isn't used for cooking, and pottery is done in kilns lol that don't use bellows. If it's not strong enough to blow a small campfire into a raging heat, its poorly done.
Sure, when Townsends builds a bellows with hours of labor it's great, but when I blast my 20v cordless leafblower into my firepit until it's glowing orange I'm "horsing around" and "causing a disturbance" and "not setting a great example for my kids". I can't win!
To be fair, that's probably blowing in so much air that it's actually cooling the fire! Blacksmiths tend to need a lower pressure/ slower, moderate volume, airflow. Like a hairdryer. Then again that's not a very big leafblower *edit: I just noticed it was a little cordless thing, so probably not
Townsends 2120: _"Craftsmen in the twenty first century would have had to do all this work by hand, we see the rough-hewn tacks, and the hand-carved nozzle here, and we see that this was all done without the use of power tools... Wait? They had those in the 21st century! Why does this look like this? Were they time travelers? I'm SO CONFUSED!"_
Experiments with rats have shown that memories are actually passed down through DNA. The extend of what and in wich magnitude is handed down is not yet known, but it would explain things people see during those 'former life hypnosis' things and would explain how one can feel nostalgic and connected to thing they themselves never experienced, but maybe still have in them as hidden memories form their ancestors. Would also explain why the ancestors were praised and used for guidance by pretty much any tribal community all over the world, completely separate from another.
Jeffrey Coulter not how it works, burden of proof falls on you since you made the claim. Edit: also no we don’t, generic memories is one of the dumbest things I heard, pretty sure I can’t remember my dads life or his father, etc.
A smith worked with metal aka bladesmith, armoursmith , blacksmith . A wright was often also a machinist and worked to make or repair. Examples include boatwright, cartwright, wheelwright
@Cindy Klenk I take it as both: preserving history at a time when most want it erased because of all the bad things that happened and preparing for the end.
I don't know why this is, but seeing a couple of young guys making something like that with ingenuity, hard work, real wood, nails and leather, no glue or plastics or shortcuts, makes me feel optimistic for the future. The many skills we're forgetting can be re-learned. Thank you so much for all your videos Jon. They always make my day.
I appreciate the sentiment, and agree. I feel I should point out though, that wood glue has been found in furniture excavated from the tombs of pharaohs.
I’m so glad there are still people who keep traditional craftsmanship alive. So proud of my younger brother for doing just that. He’s an educated bookbinder. Creating and renovating books the old fashioned way, all by hand.
I’ve been watching this channel for a while now and am very pleased you are getting into showcasing the blacksmith trade! I myself have been blacksmithing for around 3 years now
I have several blacksmiths in my family tree so seeing the bellows being made was truly awesome. Not only did it give me a broader view of their history, but added to my knowledge of their trade. Thank you so much for building this, it was truly fascinating.
@@josiahtheblacksmith467 Asthma prohibits me from being around smoke, but my cousin Boone Morrison, a 4th grt. grandson of Daniel Boone, was a fine blacksmith. Among other things, he made me a pair of hand forged wall hanging hooks for my Long Rifle. It was wonderful to watch him work in his blacksmith shop, even tho I had to stand at a distance. Tho asthma restricts a closer 18th century experience, I can enjoy these video's of Jon's, and for that I am truly grateful.
@@josiahtheblacksmith467 Thanks Josiah, because our families, (my husbands and mine), were out on the frontier with, and were related to the Boone's, and other folks like him, we have some pretty great stories that came down in our families. One is about how Simon Kenton needed to cross the Ohio river one winter from the Kentucky side at what is now Covington, to the Ohio side to Cincinnati, because he was carrying dispatches to Fort Washington. My husbands ancestor, Thomas Kennedy owned and operated the ferry at that time, from the Kentucky side, and wouldn't take him across, as the river was full of ice and too dangerous. He finally relented when Simon paid him seven silver dollars to cross. It made Simon so mad to be charged so much, that when they got to the other shore, he threw Thomas Kennedy into the river. Thomas was near enough to shore to get out without harm, but he despised Simon Kenton ever after.
@@lesahanners5057 that is really cool, my dad's grandmother was born in a wagon in Iowa to Bavarian immigrants on their way to Kansas. My mother's grandmother came over from Austria as a girl. Other than that I have a possible crusader relative on my dad's side and a long past ancestor that fought for William the conqueror in 1066 add in a couple Norwegians and an Irishman or two and that's as much as I can confirm, although my mother's grandfather on her dad's side might have been Amish or Quaker before meeting my great grandmother scandal scandal lol.
Wow. If someone had told me a year ago that I 'd be so interested in watching two guys recreate an 18th century bellows, I would have made them a hot beverage and told them to have a nice lie down. Why this is so fascinating is a mystery, but I'm totally loving it!
It's a giant bellows. Who couldn't love that thing? And I might have talked to the yogurt at the store tonight. (Don't worry,it didn't talk back.) 2020 is making everyone behave oddly.
It should work ok as a binding agent within a sealant oil/tar used to increase the efficiency of the bellows. Depends on how long lasting the leather used is and how good the original edging was. Sealant can do only do much and the only thing worse than not using any sealant (even if it’s just the leather pressure straps in this video) is not maintaining it & letting the dried out patches tear and ruin otherwise working tools.
So many nails! With so much iron, these bellows must be a really expensive piece of equipment, specially in the frontier. The final result is worth every nail, though. Gorgeous!
My husband and I thought we recognized him from there. We always enjoyed it when he was demonstrating. He is quite knowledgeable. We have really enjoyed this series!
These homestead videos of you building your own little slice of life from the time period are by far my favorite. Hope you guys are having fun with it!
This is so awesome. I have seen black shops, and watch them being used on documentaries. But that is the first time I have seen the bellows being put to gather. Or seen the inside pieces. You both are Experimental Archaeologist. Well all of you who are part of this endeavour.
@@lovemesomeslippers some of them are. there are african tribes whose bellows are literally just sacks of leather attached to pots that they have to operate manually opening and closing he leather by hand. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RuCnZClWwpQ.html
This is amazing! Nobody is doing living history like this outside of reenactment camps. This is so amazing. Between the cooking and the homestead/cabin/tool making videos you are really taking this to a whole new level. This is inspiring. Love it.
I cant even begin to imagine the trials and problems our for bearers faced carving out a new life. No running to the hardware store for a tool, alot of times you had to make it. Part engineer, part carpenter, part blacksmith, and good old common sense. Great video Jon as always, Very informative and historical. Love it !!!
you might like this video then, shows how he african tribes used to smelt iron is facsinating, the entire documentary from start to finish. gathering clay to make the kiln and bellows and iron slag and flax. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RuCnZClWwpQ.html
This is a fun series, my friends and I go to different historical spots and learn about what was there. We been sharing these pretending that was our summer trip. Thank you
We purchased a whole set of bellows and forge on a wagon just like this and when it quit working, we were able to diagnose AND repair the problem! Thank you for the video bc it was the ONLY one that was able to help!
Nice video. I work at living history museum as one there blacksmiths. Were working on building a new set of bellows. We are using plans from book titled the blacksmith, ironworker and farrier by Alderen A. Watson. Its a complete chapter on building them.
So satisfying, watching these projects come together! Whether it's a clay oven, a dugout canoe or a set of bellows, I always love your coverage of these implements and items that were so crucial in times gone by.
What an amazing process and finished product. This is definitely not something you see everyday...or ever! You all have really outdone yourselves and taken things to a new level!
The bellow looks absolutely remarkable. I love watching you bring the past back to life again and I can't wait to see you and Brandon make up all the essential tools needed to operate a blacksmith shop. Anticipation is killing me to for these next few videos. Thanks very much for sharing
You guys never cease to amaze me. How exciting to see the blacksmith shop come together! I love seeing the homestead really come to life. You are doing an outstanding job recreating a frontier homestead, and I am so appreciative for all you do to keep history alive.
I don't usually comment on YT for various reasons, but this was super impressive. Never thought what a complicated apparatus such a bellows is, and how you built it with period correct tools was amazing. Thanks for all the great content!
I've been watching your videos for years without ever leaving a comment. Just wanted to say that I love your enthusiasm and dedication to immersion. Brightens my day every time :)
This was an absolutely awesome build! Really enjoyed the way you went all out and replicated the bellows with historical accuracy. Looking forward to the next one in this series!
I just love the sound of the cicadas and the birds! I can almost feel the sweltering heat out there on the frontier! Excellent video! I am loving the new content!
I’ve been ill for a long time & you have no clue of the interest and enjoyment I take in your videos, whether cooking or crafting or building. Thank you
I hadn't realized there was something better than box bellows (which push air on both strokes but not continuously like this). You learn something new every day, thanks!
Wonderful! This is fascinating to discover how you built this beautiful set of bellows. You are true artists. We are living and experiencing history thanks to you. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us. François 😊
these homestead videos are nothing short of amazing. tv quality without television's creative restrictions. God bless you guys and your future endeavors.
This is so wonderful and great to watch. Again: Building a log cabin is one thing, but it's projects like this that really make history come alive. Learning by doing like people would have had to, back in the 18th century. Keep up the great work.
This beats almost all other content in a million miles. The whole proces of recreating the past with the energy and joy you guys are showing is so much fun to watch
I love this homesteading series you've done. Your recipes have always been insightful for me as a writer who likes to set my fantasy in a pseudo 18th century level of technology, but that was only really helpful in one dimension. I specifically have a blacksmith character, and watching you do this is reminding me how much I love her, and how much research I still need to do for her shop to feel... real, if not precisely historically accurate, if that makes sense? Fantasy and all. Anyway that was a long way to say "thanks I don't just enjoy your videos but find them practically useful"
This just may be the best series ever on Townsends. I am so looking forward to the building and operation of 18th century blacksmithing. Seeing that my family came to America in 1666 settling near Leedstown Va. Most likely owned a blacksmith shop being that my family was awarded a 640 acre plantation by the Governor of the time.
Watched this video so many times to understand every aspect of blacksmith bellows. Last year I got a 100+ years old piece that I restored a bit and I couldn't have done it without the help of this video. It worked fine for a while but now it's leaking everywhere so one day I will have to make an new from scratch. I feel I will come back here many times.
I just discovered your channel but this is great my mom and I have been living off the grid for 23 years, and I am in the process of building my own smithy so that I can make my own tools and get into blacksmithing just like my ancestors did.
Always fascinating to see these pieces of the colonial puzzle put back together. As a colonial metal detectorist in New England we target the brass/copper items, but the iron targets are always amazing too. Belt axe heads, forge welded items, hearth tools, and more. All items that were created using bellows like that one. I'd be happy to send you some examples if you're interested.
Even though I've never done anything like this, or anything in these videos, there is a real comfort in how natural and familiar this stuff feels. Feels like home.
I have an old bellow I need to repair. Watching this might've just given me the motivation to finally fix it. I love how excited he gets over every project big or small.
Man you guys are doing some great work. I hope that someday when it's done you would open it to the public occasionally. I would probably make a trip to see it.
I really enjoyed this video! Always wondered how those old bellows actually work. Such an ingenious solution to an ancient problem. Thank you for making this!
This is amazing! I love the way you teach the old ways on this channel. Im a millwright, so I figure the ancestors of my trade were blacksmiths. Thank you for thos series Jon!
I'm always astounded at how they did things in the 18th Century and I love seeing you and your colleagues recreate the things they used and the food they ate. I'm obsessed with the 18th Century myself but I haven't indulged it too much.
Amazing work! I kept thinking how easy it would be to make with power tools, and how much more fun and beautiful what you did looks. People in the past really had a hard time, but I wonder if most, except those who really work with wood, can appreciate the beauty of what you did, the way you did it.
