Primitive Technology: Water Bellows smelt

#building #survival #diy

Primitive Technology: Water bellows smelt

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About This Video:
I tested the water bellows with a smelt and it produced a small amount of iron from the ore. The concept has a lot of potential but is having some issues. The valve was attached with clay and it comes off when wet so I ended up plugging the hole up and letting the bellows suck and push air through the spout only. Hole may be made either side of the valve to thread string through to hold it on better. The bellows prototype is also shallow and does not hold a large volume of air with each stroke so the the next one will be taller or wider. Another thought is that two used at once may give more airflow and do so more consistently. I attempted to make two other designs of water bellows this month (one double acting) but both designs broke before use due to their size.

About Primitive Technology:
Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.

#PrimitiveTechnology #waterbellows #smelt

[primitivetechnology]

The water bellows shows potential but needs to be made larger or have more working at once. I was working on some larger versions this month but they broke before use.

[Gwilo]

consistently the best series on the internet that i absolutely will never get to replicate any of the content

[herpderp]

This man continues to captivate the audience without speaking a word. Keep on keeping on.

[thejuan]

My favorite part of each of these videos is in the comments a new group of people learning that there are subtitles. With each passing year it gets funnier to me but also weirdly awe inspiring. I know what's going on because the man's told me in very detailed English every step. Some people have no idea, but watch, for years, regardless, because he really just is that captivating. That's something else, a testament to this man's aura.

[ChecedRodgers]

I appreciate how consistently he makes sure to include the entirety of the fire starter sequence. Very zen, very meditative. It's as though each time he says "See, it's not that hard. You can do this too!"

[Zoiyya]

9 years, not a single word, fascinating videos!
This is what youtube should be!

[nullswarm]

John: Ok, I need to focus during this shot. Random kookaburra: Nope.

[SomeOne-eorw]

That dented pot is iconic, I feel like I've known it for longer than I've known my mother.

[butterflygroundhog]

The brown-beige-green color of the slag at 8:56 seems to indicate that you produce a deoxidized mass at the end. This is great, since it means you have sufficient oxygen control. Since iron oxide imparts a darkening to the slag, the blacker the slag, the more oxidized it was during the smelt, and the more iron is lost in the process. Consequently, it is worth noting that green tinge can be caused by manganese, so it may indicate the presence of manganese in the ground? Id be curious to know what others think.

[michaelknight]

I always appreciate when he doesn't edit out the fire by friction part. It may seem hard to do or ridiculous to do in modern day; however, once you start a fire completely from hand with no extra gadgets - it is truly satisfying.

[Cinderbloom]

I am glad that it was the clay that failed and not the VERY HARD WORKING LITTLE LEAF

[Nighthawkinlight]

I don't think I'll ever get bored of watching this stuff. I just had an idea that I'd like to see a video on if it's possible. Do you think you could farm the iron bacteria? Grow them in bulk in some settling pool with just a trickle of minerals coming in through the stream?

[nanno]

I was today years old when I discovered, turning on captions gives you detailed instructions on what hes doing. Been watching for 9 years...

[barnabasrsnags]

Dude i just remembered when i watched you videos as a 12-15 year old many years ago and I just wanna say: i respect you man. You got me to go outside and practise skills i never thought i would actually need. And I really appreciate that you are not fake like the two other guys. Much love and respect to you

[Plazticbag]

can't wait till big dawg builds his first primitive computer

[lairdcummings]

I'm a simple man; new Primitive Technology drops, I drop what I'm doing, sit down, and click through.

[BenWillock]

I love Kookaburras, they never fail to make me chuckle along.

[DaveeLe]

I worked almost 12 hours today. And what relaxes me is to watch this dude play with mud lol

[cynic]

In my culture it’s tradition that when you watch a new primitive technology video you have to then watch all the rest of his videos until you fall asleep on the couch. Please help my culture celebrate this ancient and time honored tradition!

[philxcskier]

The string attached to the handle is a good way to make the device flexible. You could potentially have string be d over a branch as a “pully” to direct the pulling motion downwards. You could add loops to the string so the bellows can be foot activated, sitting down similar to a stationary bicycle, if you had two at once. Adding a counter weight could maybe make the movement easier. You could potentially loop multiple pots to a single “pedal” loop, potentially operating 4 bellows at once. To prevent cracking you could possibly add a stop to the string, before it hits the ground, or maybe even just a knot etc to visually indicate how much room you have left. All in all- it feels like it may take more effort initially than the fan blower, but may eventually need less maintenance and last longer. Very cool, thanks for the upload!