BUILD A BELLOWS BUSINESS

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Now that your vehicle's straining under the weight of all the leather, vinyl, glue, tacks, and nozzles (for which you've probably spent $25, at most), it's time to head back to the homestead to set up your cottage industry.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

At last, you've come to the most fulfilling part of the bellows biz (next to pocketing the profits, that is): creating your own designs. Let your imagination flower (since it's subject only to the limitations imposed by the scrap leather and wood you've gathered). Keep in mind that your customers will want practical sizes (usually 14 " to 20" long), with plenty of blow power. I've designed everything from a hefty, flounder-sized"pufferbelly", fit for a blacksmith's forge, to a svelte trout-shaped unit that went to an avid fisherman. Just be creative ... after all, ideas are (ahem) blowing in the wind.

For your first attempt, however, you might want to stick with a basic model, in order to develop some time- and energy-saving techniques. First, outline an attractive-looking bellows on newspaper or light cardboard. (Don't forget to allow for the length of the nozzle when designing.) Then cut the pattern out and fold it in half lengthwise, down the center line, so that you can see whether the outline is symmetrical. With that done, open up the paper again and hold the bellows-to-be in your hand to get a feel for the design.

Once you're satisfied with the pattern, pick out a scrap board that's big enough to accommodate the bellows' two identical sides. Lay the paper pattern on the wood, trace it twice (once for each handle of the blower), and cut out the paddles. (Be sure to save all your successful paper patterns, because you might want to transfer them to thin wood stock so they'll stand up to repeated use when you're producing that model in quantity.)

Next, align the two halves and—using a rasp or file-trim off excess wood around the edges until the paddles are identical. If the wood will take a smooth finish, now's also the time to sandpaper the surfaces that will be exposed when the bellows is complete.

Then choose the most attractive paddle and set it aside for the moment. Take the other half and draw a center line the length of the piece. You'll want to drill two 5/8" holes along this line ... one in the handle, equidistant from the end and the sides of the grip, and the other at a point about midway into the belly of the paddle. The first hole will later be fitted with a "hangup" thong, and the second will be part of the flapper valve that makes the tool work.

Now, take the "handsome" paddle you set aside ... draw a center line as you did on the other component ... and then pencil in another straight line, intersecting that first scribe at a right angle about 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches up from the narrow nozzle end of the bellows. Saw along the second line, then glue the severed endpiece to the matching portion of the paddle with the holes (see Fig. 1).

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