1902 Champion Blower & Forge Co. No. 400 Forge Blower (Part Two) [Restoration]

/ handtoolrescue for upcoming projects.
In this video, I paint all the parts and reassemble the forge blower. It is too cold here for me to put thick oil into the crankcase as it would then be too difficult to turn over. It is also too cold to seal the fan case with some silicone, so I will do that during the summer. I am sure I could adjust the bearings to make it run even smoother, but I will do that when I go to use it in its final place. Final thick greasing will be done then as well, until then, the poor lithium grease will work for this video.
Champion Blower & Forge Co. really knew how to make something last a long time and still run great!
My hope is to pair it with a forge table one day.

[@TheKelliegreen7774]

I am so glad I have found your channel. Takes me back to when I was a kid, helping my dad in the shed, working on tools, or whatever. The sounds. The smells. Watching these reminds me of the good times. He's been gone almost 4 years.

[@jpwipeout99]

You know I do not know what it is about your videos but it's so calming and mesmerizing to see you take something apart and put it all back together and then in the end it works so smoothly.

[@thisismyname45]

Thanks for showing this restoration. A neighbor gave me one for my blacksmith forge and I wouldn't be happy without it. Eventually I'll need to take it apart and clean it like you did. This gives me a great look into what to expect and what to do. Those loose bearings on the bottom were a suprise!

[@Corrupted355]

It's amazing to me to see how much better our engineering has become as far as the design of how things go together, but how much better the each of the parts were back then.

[@deliaguzman1138]

I've been looking for a Champion 400 for my little forge for so long! I only have a tiny blower (which I restored myself) from a rivet forge; it does the job, and I can even get it to forge-welding temps, but it's a lot of work! Someday I'll find one, and I'll be so grateful for your detailed video guide to these blowers!

[@IronheadOfScroteus]

I have two of these. One I use occasionally for coal forging, and I got the other as a backup. It is full of caked grease and barely turns but the gears are rust free and intact. This video is a perfect reference tool.

[@MisterFiddle]

Concerning that shaft/bolt that wouldn’t be encouraged to be disassembled, I have found it difficult, but have come to the realisation that in some projects, there is sometimes a task that simply can’t be completed satisfactorily in the lifetime of one human. Such tasks, if not critical, have to be abandoned if we want to have any hope of getting the project finished before we die. As a musician, I always work hard on the difficult passages, and while the easy bits can look after themselves, I sometimes have to try to develop skills in the fine art of giving up. Well done for taking that brave leap into the unknown.

[@thesehandsart]

This is one of my favorites to watch on half playback speed. I got to hear your wife tell you that you're going to die from spray paint fumes and you saying yeah after you made the handle LOL I wish you always had sound

[@wesofalltrades]

Sounded like it was preceded by an F-bomb too. Haha

[@spencermays3857]

0:50 "You're gonna die in here." Love that you left that in.

[@HandToolRescue]

I did that day, in weird way.

[@guillaumefugere]

As someone restoring the same blower, I recommend using copper grease (anti seize) on nut and bolt. Unrelated to the restoration. The three legs are meant to be anchored to the ground for stability. Blower will fall over without proper anchorage.

[@stevesyncox9893]

My old set of legs had a 60° bend and two feet sticking out, stable on the ground.

[@godbluffvdgg]

I live in philly, we have literally TONS of vintage tools in the barns and basements of the nearby lancaster area and basically all across PA...Awesome restore! :)

[@Lesnz2009]

I love the slow-motion action replays and little graphics. 🙂 You managed to clean that place where you could not get the second cog out, you are the master 😊 Cool result very nice.

[@cvbabc]

Your videos are like watching a small miracle. I hope you can keep doing them. I love watching something so old that was very useful to people come alive again. Really, really cool man!

[@HandToolRescue]

Thank you! Any tool you would want to see next?

[@paulgann7935]

Brings back memories because my grandfather had the exact same blower in his blacksmith shop next to the barn. Used to crank that thing up when I was a kid.

[@retropixelshow]

I love how the stuff looks brand new and when you are done restorating.

[@JoeCubicle]

That spin at the end. So satisfying. I hated to see you not get that second gear out but it did rotate nicely in place.

[@delmarleite4041]

Jatobá! Common tree in northern Brazil, but which may be in danger of extinction ...! Beautiful restoration work! 💙

[@robertmanley7556]

Man I love it ! Its like in my veins now I cant stop watching your restorations ! I am totaly focused from start to finish ..... Captivated ..... WOW ! Excellent work !

[@HandToolRescue]

Haha, thank you!

[@MrMooseSlayer]

Thank you for the slo-mo shot of the jatoba curling off the spoke shave. I take it that you used up all of the morning wood on other projects? Almost as good as carefully honing the chisel, creating the perfect edge and micro bevel, then scraping scale and paint with it (in another video). THAT was classic! Great vids. Keep em coming!

[@HandToolRescue]

Glad you enjoyed that! I still have tons of morning wood left.

[@rayfalcon777]

hey lots of appreciation and respect for you using the old reliable molding plane at 2:10 kudos im 36 years old and recently learned what they were and restored one that dates back to 1902 1 record of it but no replacement parts anywheres available anymore

[@vernhartjr]

Absolutely awesome. Im working ny way through this headache now

[@OcelotTheGreat]

I would really love to see this thing actually do the forging job :)

[@fourkings7897]

He use them on forge burner restoration video

[@mossy1s]

Great video, lovely camera work and attention to work details. I love how you always remember each piece.

[@vincemck2002]

Wow.......beautiful job mate......could see the frustration when the cogwheel nut wouldnt unscrew....woorked around it well.......enjoyable to watch....thank you

[@WildeFyre69]

Very nice wood choice for the handle.

[@hermanboing8489]

Great idea with the drillpress-as-a-lathe!

[@Tonyblack261]

Astonishingly beautiful restoration

[@the_rad_Panda]

No Music. No Bullshit. Just good old work. Thank you for those relaxing videos! Keep it up!

[@freepop79ify]

So satisfying to watch!!! Awesome videos!

[@KillingerUSA]

Dude! You are my new favorite youtuber! I can't wait to see what's next!

[@HandToolRescue]

Wow, very nice to hear! We can't have THIS positive of an attitude though, unacceptable.

[@jdurbois56]

you really deserve more subs, crazy cool videos!!

[@razzorbladz]

put grease in then the bearings and the ball bearings dont fall out because the grease holds it there :)

[@braydenh190]

I'm just gonna binge watch your videos for a bit.....I'll be back

[@soccovitch]

That thing is so well built! Nice job on the resto. Ready for another 100yrs.

[@grandprismatic]

Beautiful work, keep'um coming

[@MrVanagon1]

As always a beautiful rebuild. I was surprised to see you use such a light lubricant in those bearings.

[@duelingfattiesgaming2130]

MrVanagon1 Read the video description or previous comments.

[@mauromansilla.ds3]

Guys, he explained why he didn't use thick grease in the bearings. Just read the description. Great job! Loved the video!

[@tri-statewifillc6529]

Good choice on the colors. Turned out perfect in my eyes

[@lourencosantiago9779]

wow! Amazing! Congratulations! Very Nice job! Minas Gerais Brazil

[@AA-sz5wm]

i really like your style, just working, no blah blah blah... it's like Primitive Technology, another great channel on YT. Anyway, keep up the good work, and we want to see some forging videos with this smoking hot "new" blower!

[@HandToolRescue]

Haha thanks! I will need to restore an anvil and a forge itself to get there though.

[@einufo]

Your're right! These two guys are awesome! Less talking, just working. Greetings from Germany Tino

[@cheeseburgerrunner5217]

These things look awesome, I love watching the process. Great channel man, keep it up.

[@HandToolRescue]

+David Dodge Thank you!

[@sonnaps5465]

I def like these a little more where you go all out and paint and detail and stuff. Awesome job man.

[@knockknock9611]

Just found the channel, LOVE IT!

[@83gt17]

For all the "grease it!" comments - you remove the large screw on covers, fill them with grease, and screw them back on. The pressure squeezes grease into the bearings, and you give them the occasional turn in to keep it greased. Takes 5 minutes, no disassembly required.

[@B5Blue1968]

@83 GT/Brian he could have at least greased the bearings before he put them in. The fitting in the top was only for oiling the surface of the gears, it won't get to the bearings.

[@FranciscoToroRey]

I just knew your channel today and i love it. Great job.

[@rcombis1]

Amazing job.....congratulations from Brasil....!!!!!!!!!!

[@19811402]

nice job. was waiting for part 2👍. love it. keep them coming

[@CallFor911]

Iike the little the jokes you put in. The explosion, sometimes sound effects. And no advertisements, thumb up and sub! Good work

[@vza423]

This is amazing, no, it's inspirational. Thank you!

[@everettreed4392]

Thanks for the video. I had one just like it and redid it after seeing your video.

[@LuisPintoTheFirst]

Seeing you work makes me really think hard about changing profession :D Great work man! :)

[@sd0427]

Awsome video love your work

[@gunnarwallenberg9817]

Love this. Nice to see an actual restoration rater than a "cleaning the dirt of it"... Came out beautiful! 🤘

[@HandToolRescue]

haha thanks! Cleaning is fun though!

[@TheForcedinductn]

Omg, that explosion lol! Great videos, keep up the good work! :D

[@jamesfreeman2980]

Thanks for another fine video.

[@BlackringIII]

😍 my envy is immeasurable

[@MorensTub]

podría estar todo el día viendo tus videos. son geniales. saludos

[@HandToolRescue]

gracias. ¿Alguna herramienta que quiera ver a continuación?

[@lefrenchii7260]

beau travail elle est magnifique !

[@alooshalshammari5915]

beautiful , well done

[@jamestralston]

Reminds me of when I first started teaching myself how to take things apart and get them working again -- limited tools, but a lot of ingenuity and patience. As time goes on and your tool collection grows you will be amazed how much easier and quicker it is when you have the 'right' tools. Your videos and your work are great. I subscribed right away!

[@chrysny413]

Jim Ralston sounds made up

[@samferguson1091]

Good to see another great Canadian youtuber. keep It up

[@HandToolRescue]

Sam Ferguson Thank you! What gave it away?

[@samferguson1091]

Hand Tool Rescue The power fist logo on one of the papers. Good old PA

[@HandToolRescue]

Sam Ferguson Haha, what a magical shitty place.

[@urtr1295]

And the french Description on the Danish Oil Can in another Video.

[@wileecoyote4116]

I knew it! I have said out loud several times, this dude screams Canadian.

[@willem-jan3685]

Nice job. Nice video.

[@markduncan6690]

Nice Work!!

[@gamingdragons5042]

0:50 your wife said "oh im gonna die in here" when slowed down to 0.5 you can hear it clearly

[@OcelotTheGreat]

omfg... all women are the same

[@alonzosanchez8577]

it came out perfect great job

[@HandToolRescue]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@andrehellm13]

Man! Your videos are so relaxing, my new "to go" channel here!

[@HandToolRescue]

Awesome! Anything you want to see next?

[@andrehellm13]

anything with gears on antique. cant think of anything specific. keep it up!

[@alf9956]

Nice job.

[@navajovian]

holy shit! i thought i was the only one! grease! great video though. grease!

[@Hans.Lavoie]

Nice job

[@TheOnespeedbiker]

Hopefully Eric has aquired a spanner wrench for future tear downs; I think he said he now as a book on them in his limited library. 🙂

[@deubritodarocha]

Belo trabalho!

[@AMRosa10]

0:48 played back at 1/2 speed, Mrs. Hand Tool Rescue can be overheard telling Hand Tool Rescue "You are going to die in here."

[@jeffinkoppel1]

Excellent!

[@LeighAnnWagor]

That brass gear that gave you a problem was held in place by a square head bolt. I saw it a few times.

[@arnearne12345]

how convenient stumbled upon the first part of this series an hour ago

[@HandToolRescue]

You are basically a time traveller.

[@arnearne12345]

XD

[@marcospaulino8192]

parabens pelo trabalho.

[@stevesyncox9893]

That was cool man, I’m about to do the same...

[@GasNBullets]

man I wish I had that forge blower!!

[@johnphilipburdis3798]

The 400 looks like a golf ball cleaner.😀🙂🇭🇲😁👍

[@InfiniteCraftsman]

Glad I watched this before tuning mine up. Mine turns but it’s not happy about it.

[@kisielthe1st]

I'm going to save you comments about not greasing the bearings but regarding the bearing on the shaft of the straight-cut gears since everyone and his mother made this loud and clear lol. I was taught it's always a good idea to throw the stupid retainer "cage" out and fill missing gaps with bearing balls of the same size. It's supposedly a cost-saving feature for the manufacturer and doing so greatly increases the lifespan of the bearing. I've been doing that everytime I repaired a bicycle headset and noone ever came back complaining. Cheers.

[@HandToolRescue]

Good tip!

[@JunkyardTailgate]

My first time to this channel.......seems quiet in here or is it just me? Haha.....love the restoration of old stuff.

[@ShamblerDK]

It's awesome you're using Jatoba wood. I wanted a king size bed, made from that wood, for my fiancée and I, but it turned out to be way too expensive :-(

[@MrScooter46290]

2:42 made me feel like you are watching it with us! I was also thinking this could go bad at the same time, poof.

[@azn2]

عاشت ايدك يا بطل😍😍😍

[@RMoribayashi]

That would make a great hand cranked siren.

[@jonathanhibbard2118]

well done friend u got some good talent right there can't wait to see what's next I subscribe

[@thomasarussellsr]

I guess the other two were Frankensteined to fix this one? Looks nice. could you imagine using a blower like that to clear your lawn of leaves? Good thing it is for feeding more air into a forge... LOL.

[@HandToolRescue]

Yes, the other two were sacrificed for this one. That's why I wasn't really worried about ruining any bolts as I has two spares of each.

[@flavioaugustodemorais2627]

Jatobá ... hardwood here from Brazil.

[@warlenmaldonado9978]

Arrumou uma madeira boa para o cabo hein? Usamos Jatobá aqui no Brasil para fazer vigas de telhados também.

[@slimjim119]

well done

[@endrizzi1000]

Crei que era una de esas antiguas sirenas de la IIº Guerra Mundial. Buen trabajo

[@fabioluis8273]

Juan Endrizzi é uma forja

[@mingohernandez6475]

Nice rescue

[@buckbundy8642]

That blower tho!😍😍

[@RyanHorseHelmet]

The little things you edit in make me L O L. Keep this stuff up or else.

[@Lordosvk]

just WOW !!

[@skintonechickenbonemegaoof4161]

I just love that rocket red color

[@supraguy149]

grease please take it back apart and grease the bearings!!!!! please for the love of Friction! came out nice but won't last with out lube!

[@HandToolRescue]

+Mr. Awesome haha oh I will! I will grease it when I go to use it.

[@bensevrywere]

Yea that was driving me insane too, would it be possible to fit it with modern bearings?

[@robertsmith1434]

Yup, never forget my dad showing me how to pack grease into roller bearings on a trucks front disc... The caps are for a modest amount of excess grease. You want some in there so that they can actually self grease, sort of. Those bearings are so far apart that you should be able to just stuff some grease in on top without having to actually take them out again... just make sure it gets between the bearings as much as possible.

[@ianbyrne465]

Mr. Awesome read the description

[@BrassMtn]

Mr. Awesome my thoughts exactly. grease!!!!

[@olegkazakov6202]

Bravo!

[@NenoXbr]

nossa muito bom :)

[@rodneyfrost1674]

Lovely

[@scottwebb8151]

Looks like a 19 th century turbocharger...awesome....

[@immortalsatyr]

Imagine Ford-T With Turbocharger!

[@ErebosGR]

@@immortalsatyr [makes turbo noises]

[@IronheadOfScroteus]

Same thing, basically.