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     After looking at several vintage bellows and recording thier demensions and design features I decided to build my own. I offer this service for other blacksmiths that have the desire to supply air to their forge in a more traditional manner.                                         The build starts by planeing the lumber down to 1.25'' in thickness, then tongue strips are cut and the boards grooved to accept the tongues. The boards are then glue together with yellow wood glue.                     The next step is to cut out the top, middle and bottom boards to the required demensions. The top and bottom boards are the same size and the middle board will be aproximatley 12'' longer for the snout.                                    Two 7'' diameter holes are cut in the bottom board to allow air in and wooden valves are attatched to seal the holes. The valves are made thin and light, I like to use 1/4'' polar with thin leather hinges. Webbing needs to be added across the top of the valve to prevent it from opening more than 30 degrees. If it does, the valve could become stuck open as the bellows closes.                                           The center board also has a 7'' diameter hole cut to allow air to pass from the bottom lung in to the top lung. A poplar valve will be placed on this opening as it was on the two holes in the bottom board. The snout end of the middle board is also cut to allow air out of the bellows and to accept the snout tube.                                    Keep in mind that my design is "my design" and their is no wrong way to build a bellows. All the bellows that I have examined over the years, no two have been made the same and as far as the snout tube, this is where the biggest difference has been in all of them. Some have the snout tubes made out of sheet iron hammered or rolled into a cone type shape and some have a pipe. All have one thing in common, the exit hole of the tube is approximately 2''  in diameter.                                      To make the leather pucker in, instead of out, when the bellows close, two floating ribs need to be installed. One between the top and middle board and the other between the bottom and middle board. The leather will be attached to the ribbs as it is to the boards.                                          After the snout boards are glued in place the snout is typically shaped into a cone,  starting at the hinge and going to the snout tube. This seems to be an American feature as most of the European bellows the snout is left square. As I said before, there is no wrong way to build it as long as it pumps the required amount of air. At this point the leather sides can be cut and applied. I make my leathers utilizing four pieces sewn together at the back of the bellows. This makes finding leather large enough a little easier. The snout needs to be wrapped in leather also to seal it against leaks. The leather needs to extend past the hinges onto the bourds and fastened every 1/4''. I have seen people try to get away from having to tack the leather every 1/4'' and they tried using some type of glue/caulk sealant istead. This will not only make a very messy job of things but will fail in time and will prevent you from being able to get inside the bellows in the event you need to work on a vale.                  I hope this helps explains a little about how a bellows is made and operates . My intent was not to try and teach you how to build one but to give some information on the contruction of these great air pumps.