Starting a Coal Forge Fire // Starting a Coal Fire in a Blacksmith Coal Forge
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- Опубліковано 23 тра 2017
- I walk you through the steps for starting a coal forge fire. Starting a coal fire in a forge can be a bit tricky when you are first learning. You can purchase blacksmith coal forge for forging, or there are designs where you could build your own. In my case, I show you how to start a coal forge with my own antique coal forge that my wife purchased when I first started blacksmithing.
In this video not only do I discuss coal forge basics, but I also delve into the different stages the coal goes through during the process... from green coal, to coke, clanker (the byproduct).
I personally use Pocahantas coal (soft bimitious coal) that I purchased from my local blacksmith club, SOFA (Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil) in Troy, OH.
How to start a coal forge:
To start your fire, you will wad up some paper in the bottom of the fire pot, and lite it on fire. You will increase the airflow, then smother it with coal. In essence, you are "insulating" fire so that it can build that hot heat you are looking for. Also, you can start your draft with a bit of burning paper. It will get smokier and smokier. As the green coal catches, it will turn from white smoke to a dirty yellowish color (coal is getting hot). Then you know its okay to poke around with the fire. Don't overdo the airflow, you can puff it out. Shimmy the clanker breaker to make sure airways are open.
It takes 45 minutes to get a really good forging fire (green coal turning to coke). In the meanwhile, you can prep workspace, or bend some little s hooks or something.
If you have tall flames, you are wasting coal. You only need intense heat on the bar just where you are working. Use a coal swab to cool off edges of fire. We want to develop a good localized heat. We don't want the flames going all over the place and half baking us. I didn't cool off the inside of the fire pot… it's still glowing hot. This allows you to heat things, such as a railroad spike, efficiently. Proper fire maintenance boils down to this: keeping as small a fire as is useful. You are trying to heat the metal and not yourself. Also, when I take something out or put something in, it moves the fire around on us. We will need to readjust our fire to keep it condensed.
You can get a quicker heat with a coal fire than what someone with a gas forge can.
Last tip, when you are working in a coal forge, it is not constant. It is burning down. Last but not least, don't stick your metal down into the firepot.
If you enjoyed this video, please check out my video on forging a coal swab, and what is it used for here: • Coal Swab VS Dipper Ca...
Check out my website and power hammer plans at www.blacksmithpdfs.com .
If you'd like to visit my youtube homepage, you can do so at / christcenteredironworks . - Навчання та стиль
I have jumped from channel to channel and this is hands down the most helpful and informative channel. And hey btw, those of us that are truly wanting to learn this stuff are not complaining about video length. Very helpful stuff here
Thank you for this video! I recently started coal smithing and this has been very helpful.
Great video Roy! It explained a lot to me on why I'm having a hard time managing my forge. Never heard the term breeze before. Looks like I'm going to need a dipper or swab. Cooling down the coal will solve half of my issues. I'll probably rewatch this a few times.
eviltwinx I'm glad this video helped! fire control is the hardest part to get right when you first start to work with coal but taking the time to get it right is so worth it in the long run! God bless you in all your endeavors :-)
Roy, Thanks so much..your videos are excellent....great information!!!!! YES ,I would love to see an in-depth presentation of coal.
Charles Wright thank you! I will see what I can do in the future :-)
Roy, I enjoyed the video, but tend to disagree with some of your comments. I clean the firepot out before each fire. Build a small wood fire with kindling, add fine green coal, add nut size as the fine starts burning. I reach forging temp within ten minutes. I use Pittsburgh 8 seam coal with little to no clinkers. From ambient temperature to welding temp in under three minutes, depending on stock size. Pittsburgh 8seam cokes very well and quickly. Again, not saying your method is wrong, just don't totally agree with it. Forge on brother
Richard Chapple thank you for your views brother. God bless
Well congratulations you´ve make me understand how forging with a coal forge works. Huge thanks for that first, but i realy need to say you and Black Bear Forge are th best channels wich i know.
Im now 14 jears old and a starting black smith. And again huge thanks for this teaching and showing me this old buetifull craft. Well i´ll se you in the next video.
Thanks Roy
Your welcome
Clinkers are good for not having fire. The clinkers or slag has been used for insulation in buildings for the purpose of reducing the spread of fire.
Really good video sir
Great information. Would like to see a video on coke.Love you no crap teaching method.
gerard leonard thank you sir for the great comment.
Good video... I always like to see how others operate!
Not intending to open a can of worms (or maybe I am), here is my 2 cents..
I find that anthricite has the highest btu's, is the cleanest, and lasts the longest. It does require a constant air supply.
Bituminous is 2nd for btu's, cokes up well, and stays lit.
Charcoal is right there with bituminous, it just takes more of it and there are no clinkers.
Coal is not easy to find in my neck of the woods unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for it ($1 per pound shipped) so I use any kind of coal I can get. I also use alternative fuels (charcoal, dry wood, and dried corn) They All work! Maybe this is a subject for another video?
I am in the planning stages of building a gas forge as I sometimes don't have fuel for the coal forge.
Thanks for the video...
shadowcastre not a can of worms at all I enjoy different takes from everyone. I personally prefer good bimutimus coal over everything else with the exception of metallurgical grade coke. reason being not over oxygenating the fire. but alas you use what you got to feed the addiction :-) Thanks for taking the time to comment!
..Very informative video there Roy!! You made some Excellent points also. The 4-levels of the Coal were Key. There are 3 levels to the Fire i was hoping you would cover also, maybe in the next one. Good Job Sir...!!!
Ol James thank you very much! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I will definitely go over the three levels of the fire as well in another video :-)
Thank you very much for this video, the drawings at the end were especially helpful. I use coke for my hand blower forge so look forward to a video on that. I suspect that the coke I use is too large and too hard to crumble as demonstrated.
Keep up the good work as I much prefer the educational videos to the entertainment. Both have a place but having only been smithing for 7 months I have so much to learn.
+Paul Wharton thank you for the encouragement! If you're coal or coke is to large just give it a few taps with the hammer . This will break them down into smaller more manageable pieces. Thank you for watching and looking forward to teaching you more in the future!
allthoug my lacking attentionspan, I like your long detailed stuff.
trying to really learn, needs those details
i use charcoal, but might jump to coals when I have found a xcoal supply.
thanxalot
Doc
the Netherlands
+DrNo Nofunclub I will be doing my best to continue to instruct! Thank you for the great comment
Great video! From my research anthracite has the highest btu value (by volume) of any fossil fuel. It's makeup is basically the same as coke(nearly pure carbon), so you have to treat it more like coke than green coal. The "smoke" in my anthracite video is mostly steam because the coal was wet. Anthracite also takes a TON of air. The blower I started with would run bituminous fine, but wouldn't even light anthracite. I would never want to run anthracite with a hand blower. Keep up the great videos! I don't think I could ever get bored watching a fire. Do you know when the quadstate is this year? I'm planning on going, but I have some other stuff at the end of September and don't know if they overlap. Define Your Legacy!
Warped Legacy It would be great to do a comparison video of the two side by side! maybe a future collaboration;-) Quadstate is the (22th - 24th) this year... I live 45 min from sofa so when you come out you should come early and visit!
Christ Centered Ironworks that would be awesome! I'll try and come down early. And I bring a bag or two of my coal so we can mess with both.
How strong need to be the air for the coke fire ??? If you need to make Damascus steel you need strong fire so you need more air or no ???
thanks for the explanation of all the steps. I was throwing out more than I needed to...😑 can anyone get coal at sofa?
John Coffee don't feel bad I threw out more than I was supposed too for years before I learned this . sofa still sells coal just have to pick it up at a monthly meeting :-)
I have an old champion forge that does not have a fire pot. It’s basically a flat pan with an air vent in the center. How should I build it?
BTW,
I only have anthracite coal available.
roy that was a great video enjoyed every part of it im using gas but this has me thinking im needing to change over problem is getting ahold of coal there are not likely to be many blacksmith companies to buy coal like america 10 years ago a guy used to drive charcoal to people but he's no longer doing it
grayem pepper that does suck. do you have a source of coke around? that is my second favorite.
if i search that ill just get coca cola products come up lol
grayem pepper lol that simply won't do! lol
i even tried craigslist no good here what about barbeque coal/charcoal whatever will that work
Start with charcoal, its super fast
+ThisFish thanks for the suggestion And thank you for watching.
Hey, thanks for making these videos, i've learned a lot. I've only just started smithing. I start my forge with charcoal I made in an old popcorn tin, I burn some firewood in a burn pit and then shovel it into the tin and put the lid on (wearing thick gloves) it makes enough to light my forge about a couple dozen times. The charcoal lights up super fast when I turn the blower on and it lights the coke quickly. The whol thing is bazing in under 10 minutes. Originally I had planned to only use charcoal but it burns so fast, I had to use coal because I couldn't keep up with making the charcoal and it's too expensive to buy.