Bouncy Castle blower on a speed controller?

[steviec_lj]

Hair brain idea to build our own forge and use a bouncy castle/snail blower to move the air, mainly because I have three and they’re £5 each or free.

Little experience with speed controllers on fans, so would be interested to hear if it would at all be possible to add a plug in speed controller of some sort?

Cost isn’t a massive issue, purely because I won’t be paying for much if any of it, just providing the welding skills to put it all together.

Yet another project on the list

Thanks peoples

 

[julianf]

spot on the same question as i was asking the other day!

let me see if i cant find the thread...

 

[Seadog]

It ought to be. Fan motors are usually universal motors, so lend themselves to speed control.

 

[julianf]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/speed-controller-for-bouncy-castle-fan.101272/

 

[steviec_lj]

spot on the same question as i was asking the other day!

let me see if i cant find the thread...

Well fancy that..

Must admit, I didn’t use the search as I usually forget things immediately after thinking about them.

Thanks chaps

 

[gaz1]

dont bother use a deflector plate and leave the fan at full speed

use this type if using that fan

 

[Keith 66]

You can use a speed controller & in fact they are often bundled in with centrifugal fans, just look at ebay i just bought one as an extractor & it came from Germany, made in Turkey, not a bad bit of kit.
But on a forge its usual just to have the blower running full speed & use a blast gate to shut of air as required, this gives instant control.

 

[Brad93]

Not sure if you need anything that large. The blowers we use are 1.5-2.5” outlet.

single phase but run from a PWM speed controller.

 

[brightspark]

no need for speed control. just make a slide gate valve in the outlet pipe and reduce the flow. it wont overload the motor as it will just spin the air round inside so there will be no back pressure simple

 

[bigegg]

I'm sure i read somewhere that its better to block the inlet on a centrifugal fan - just a disk that covers the inlet, held on with a screw. Swing it to where it gives the air needed, and tighten the screw.

 

[brightspark]

I'm sure i read somewhere that its better to block the inlet on a centrifugal fan - just a disk that covers the inlet, held on with a screw. Swing it to where it gives the air needed, and tighten the screw.

inlet or outlet just the same I did a test with my woodchip extracta using a clamp meter, it used less power just revolving the air than it did pushing it long the pipe where there is resistance

 

[bigegg]

I built one a while ago - to use on a bouncy castle blower.
https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/mains-motor-speed-controller.70414/

 

[4String.]

Just be careful not to burst the bouncy castle with hot slag or sparks from the forge.

The last thing you need is kids running round crying and parents demanding a refund.

 

[minimutly]

Hmmm, many of the bouncy castle blowers I've seen, and definately mine is a single phase induction motor. You can't use a pwm speed controller on this type.