What’s That? Guessing Game
Blacksmith Bellows
In this picture, a blacksmith apprentice at Fort Boonesborough uses the bellows. This simple air pump blows oxygen into the fire, making it burn hotter so that metal can be heated to the right temperature. Early bellows were made of a “bag” of leather attached to two flat wooden paddles that were joined with a hinge at one end. When the paddles were pressed together, they would squeeze air out of the leather bag through a nozzle close to the base of the fire. In this example, the bellows is very large and is fastened in a wooden frame with a handle that allows the blacksmith to squeeze air out by pumping the handle.
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