I want to get into blacksmithing, and your channel has the best place to find information. You've got a great way of explaining how to do things in an understanding way.
John I've been watching your videos for almost two years now, as a former US army instructor, I can say that your attention to detail is spot on, you have helped me get started on my blacksmithing, bladesmithing , and reduced my learning curve big time, I started with a venturi type gas forge, then fabricated a decent coal forge, after a year I get better working coal after every fire I build, I'm blessed to live right on top of the pocahontas #3 seam, thanks again sir
I thought the same thing, I was trying to figure out what kind of soup it was, I personally love the Chicken Enchilada. Wouldn’t you know it, right after I find one I like they discontinued it.
Thank you very much. I am in the process of reviving our old buffalo forge from my grandfathers farm. I never forged before but I have two grandsons who are really interested in learning how to forge. Our blower is a hand crank style but learning how to build and maintain a coal fire is critical for us to learn. We have only had one fire so far. Our fire pot is only about 3-4 inches deep and we made the mistake of putting our rainroad spike down into the fire and we burned up the end of it. Our fire was way to small and in just the one video I have learned a ton. I hope to view more of your videos to learn as much as I can so I and the boys can learn how to forge. Thanks again.
I'm a beginner with a new forge which I've lit up four times so far and haven't been able to get enough heat to do anything much with bars of mild steel. I'll watch this again and give it another go when the weather permits. (forge on wheeled trolley - have to do it outdoors until I get a hood and vent system rigged up in the shed). Your videos seem really informative and your voice is very easy to listen to. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks John. You da Man !!! I do Paintless dent repair for the car dealerships and wants to start building My own tools. Your expertise is very much appreciated. 😊
I started the journey of blacksmithing about a year and a half ago. I scoured the internet for input using basic implements that I could scrounge. I noted the internet only amplifies the differences in opinions on the subject but fortunately I came across your channel about a year ago after making my forge from a large truck brake drum set inside a plate metal shallow table. As I have ventured along and made more than my share of mistakes, I find regardless of how many other people's videos I peruse, I continue to find the most helpful logical presentations and answers here with you. Your knowledge and humility in presenting subject matter is both excellent and inspiring. I'm 73 years old and my objective before I check out is to influence my 5 grandsons in their learning the technical and fun aspects of smithing with a view to weaning them off their addiction to computer games. Obviously this is a challenge but I'm thankful to have found your site and hope I can emulate your patient style. I just wanted you to know you are positively changing young lives of people you will never know (most likely) and wish you the best of health for a long life of sharing. Thank you! Ken Weldon in Waukeenah, Florida. PS. - The brake drum I started with was OK for exposure at the beginning but I will be getting a decent pot setup before the end of this year so we can get better heat control and not sticking our work down in the bottom at an angle as is necessary with the brake drum many times. I've also learned going back and re-watching your videos after some practice has enabled me to get new things out of even the most basic presentations that I just failed to see the importance in previously. We really don't appreciate what we don't know until we try to apply our limited understanding! Thanks again for your help and dedication in restoring this wonderful art form.
Great refresher video its been 36 years since I lite a coal forge back when I was in Farrier school in Langley BC. I just built a coal forge using a Waterloo hand crank blower that one of my former customers gave me for shoeing his horses. Thanks Again.
As always Well done! Your demeanor is a really differentiator from other well meaning blacksmiths and your knowledge is second to none that I have come across. Thank you! While scrap wood is my preferred heat source the basic principals are largely the similar. If you know of anyone specializing in wood fueled forge design (I've seen Whitlox) please pass on a link or contact info.
Yes! This video has been IMMENSELY helpful! I've been trying to get my coal forge working properly, I seem to spend at least 80% of my time on the fire rather than the metal. This just answered my questions! Thank you so much! Take the like good sir, you've earned it. Also subscribed.
Sir thank you for teaching such awesome skills I used to be a Paramedic but due to a motor cycle accident I had to retire. I have been slowly starting to blacksmith. I'm using Anthracite.....its truly awful in South Africa we have really poor coal here.
Water is a problem here in the old blacksmith shop at the museum. I've taken to using snow around the perimeter of the fire and on the coal around the edge of the hearth. I just take a shovel full and spread it on the edge of the fire around the firepot and pack it down. After a while, the heat melts the snow and the water soaks down into the coal. I do that process as needed throughout the day. I also keep a little can of snow near the grinder and just smear a little of it on the work when it starts to get hot, seems to work just fine.
I have done those things as well or even taken a large piece out and just set it in the snow to cool. Makes hardening and tempering very difficult though
I'm in the UK John im having to use smokeless coal as Bituminous coal is now banned . tried Anthracite but didnt really work and im having trouble getting hold of some Coke to try I'm finding mixing wood and smokeless together works well and you get a good heat i sometimes break up the Coals that seems to help .no other choice really smokeless is £29 a bag and annvil forge coke is £40 a bag plus delivery hey ho
Thanks black bear that was very helpful I had a master that taught me for a little while years ago for a couple months and just getting back to forging by myself. And I feel like I didn't quite remember everything he taught me so relearning myself. Thiswas very helpful deff a like and subscribe for this guy. You're going to be my teacher through the web. Thanks again
Excellent video! To extend the life of a blower motor.. it's much better to have the air gate on the intake side of the blower rather than on the output side. I had a lengthy, in depth discussion with an electrition friend of mine on this very subject. Thanks for the video...
That is interesting, I would not have thought it would have mattered. That may require some engineering to control it from the front of the forge. When the motor shop is through repairing my other blower I will discuss the science behind the difference.
Hi there...I've been watching your videos and have learned a lot from you and I thank you...I built my own coal forge and it works great but I have trouble keeping it from going out sometimes...would you have any helpful tips...? Thank you
Can you address back blast, whomps and pops? I occasionally keep getting a nice startle from a whomp or two with my hand crank blower setup on my forge
Great info John. I like that you added the putting it out section to the end too. When I first started I got my first fire going and when I was done looked at it and said "what the heck do I do now" LOL. Recently Built myself a side blast forge (there is a video of it on my channel) I am loving it great heat control. And with a sand floor I can shape the pot to whatever size I need. My only regret and something I will probably change later on is no pass thru. Thanks again for a great video
Black Bear Forge I like that it is easier to clean. However there is a bit more up keep involved since I have to be sure there is water in the bosh and that there is a pocket under the tyre for the clunker to form without blocking the air. The trade off has been worth it though.
From experience if you want a good beginner forge get a propane 1burner MrVolcano forge they are $75 but it you want to do coal get a steel 55 gallon barrel and cut and door out of it and set it upright and putt somewhat of a chimminy on it you want you keep the fumes away from you especially if using anthracite coal (i switched to coal because it is cheaper gets hotter and is not loud) now for the blower get a Dayton 1TDP3 blower it is much better than a hairdryer but if you have to use a handcrank blower get a Zomax 25 or 35 handcrank blower dont get a cheaper one i tried them and they dont work vary well. Now for the coal i use Anthracite coal from tsc because that is all i can get but if you can get some bituminous coal it will work better or if you want to you can just use charcoal it it more expensive through and i recommend making it yourself. I hope i have helped
cheers John, I have the luxury of using coke that I crush to size myself, (we have found a supply of coke, but only in about 6 inch lumps) but the last lot had a lot of fines in it already, which tend to blow away when you add a scoop full to the forge. I'm to cheap to sieve it out and throw it away - I might try sieving the worst of it out and try your technique of making it in to some sort of a paste / slurry.
Coke is a good fuel, but there isn't any around here and it costs a bit more than having coal shipped. Still hoping to be able to increase my homemade charcoal production.
I'm so cheap, I've been experimenting with adding the coke created by the previous fire along with all the fines swept up off my table in a bucket and adding some water and using it for the next forging session. I was concerned about the ash, but it seems to work anyhow. I haven't heard of anyone making a slurry mix from the coke and fines, but it seems to work for me.
Cool video and I'm catching up fast. I've been watching a video or two a day for a couple of months now. My questions are 1) what do you do with the clinker once its cooled? 2) have you ever taken a magnet to the floor of your shop just to see what gets pulled out of the dirt?
The clinker is just waste. I have never gone around with a magnet, but if I use one to pickup spilled screws, I get lots of scale and filings stuck to it as well.
Can you do a close up shot of "coke" and "clincker"? It was difficult to see and it kinda looked similar from the distance. BTW, great job on the videos. You've quickly become my got guy when learning the blacksmithing trade
John's right, the difference is unmistakable once you get your own fire going. Green coal looks vaguely like wood charcoal, but more like a type of rock that is sort of oily or greasy. Coke is like coal turned into popcorn...very black popcorn. It's lightweight like Styrofoam, has more of a charcoal-like surface texture than green coal, and no longer has the oily look. Clinker is jagged, looks like raggedy molten glass. When in glowing red hot in the fire, it often clumps into a large mass that you can lift out with a poker, but as soon as you toss it on the hearth, its jagged extremities cool off and it glows for a few moments just from the core of the chunk. You will also quickly learn to hear the slight glassy, clinking sound of clinker against the tip of your poker, where coke sounds more like cardboard or, sure enough, popcorn, against the poker. When cool, clinker has molten glassy texture, sandy specks, jagged edges, reds, browns, whites...and you wouldn't want to fall on your knees in it. My daughter thought clinker looked so interesting that she took a jarful to keep on a shelf. That says something about how different it looks from coal or coke.
Thanks for all the great videos and information you share with us. I want to try my hand in blacksmithing and I'm just about to build my first forge. The only solid fuel available to me is charcoal. How deep a fire would you need to get a neutralizing fire if charcoal is used instead of coal? Would love to see a video with you forging something using and managing a charcoal fire along with your thoughts on it. Thanks again.
How do you maintain a fire while working with the forge on and off all day like the old time blacksmiths ? I have mounded up up a pile of coal and sort of seal it off and came back up to 3 hours later and broke it open , added air and revived the fire. Thanks
Great video. Just one question and one comment. Question: Any concerns about the water rusting out your table? Comment: I just heard about using shelled corn as a solid fuel for blacksmithing. Tend it like a coal fire but burns more like charcoal.
I think that in the long run rust could be a problem. My forge is a piece of 1/4" plate with brick top. Ideally you shouldn't use to much water and it should stay up on the bricks, but as mortar ages and cracks I am sure the water finds its way through. That would be another advantage to coke or charcoal. The old cast iron forges seemed to survive quite well. I have never heard about using coirn as a fuel and would like to learn more about it.
I've just started researching it myself. Around here (southwest missouri) I can get coal for $10/50lb. Shelled corn is just slightly cheaper at $9/50lb (probably get better prices buying in bulk) and it's a renewable fuel source. Only problem I foresee off the top of my head is storage and keeping the rodents out of it. Found this old jewel for starters www.iforgeiron.com/topic/34915-corn-forging-starting-the-fire/ Let us know what you find out (maybe an idea for another video?). Thank you for all the great content.
David Thomas Yes.. you can forge with dried whole feed corn. You will get the same heat and burn rate as charcoal. If your coal is only 1 $ per bag difference.. the thing to remember is that you'll use up to 5 times more charcoal or corn than you will coal.
shadowcastre In volume, yes (and I heard 10 times), but my understanding is that a pound of charcoal has the same BTUs as a pound of coal, coal is just more dense (don't know about corn, suppose to have 7,000 BTUs per kg). That said, I'll certainly keep it in mind if I give corn a try. Thanks.
What are your thoughts on lining coal forges with refractory cement or similar? I have a cast iron Rivet forge and someone told me I should line mine as such to avoid burning through
thanks, once again, great information delivered in a straightforward and clear manner. I would like to know more about the chimney. does it have an exhaust fan? how does it draw so well even though not directly over the fire?
No exhaust fan. A side draft tends to work better than the overhead hood because it is closer to the fire and doesn't get overloaded with as much room air. I think i explained it some in this video ua-cam.com/video/R6O8Wv8zfR4/v-deo.html
Good video, John. I noticed what looked like a handle down under there but, you didn't mention riddling the fire pot. Is this something you do from time to time or is that handle for something else? Thank you for sharing all this information.
I should have n=mentioned that as well. It rotates the ball or clinker breaker to help clear the clinker from the air blast and also to sift out the ashes so they may be dumped without disturbing the fire.
Thanks for the video, John. Great info as usual. I'm a beginner bladesmith/blacksmith and all my work so far has been with a propane forge that I built myself. I hear one term a lot when referring to solid fuel forges and that's "clinker". What is clinker? Thanks.
clinker is all of the junk that ends up as a big mass in the bottom of the fire. Impurities in the coal are the biggest part, but it also contains welding flux, scale and the remnants of work that has been over heated. Clinker robs the fire of heat and doesn't consume any oxygen making it easier to burn material trying to get the higher heats. It isn't as big of a problem with coke or charcoal.
Hi there, at one point you had said you sometimes use coal as fine as "dust". I was wondering if you could demonstrate your "slurry" mixture, the consistency etc. My coal is anywhere from large egg size to just bigger than tennis balls and I have been breaking it up smaller and find I have a lot of "dust " and fine particles left. I just don't want to make a mess while experimenting with this stuff and end up spending a lot of time cleaning out the fire pot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance; Jeff
I've noticed that nobody has ever done comprehensive video on charcoal fire control and how to maintain good heat on your work I've used both coke and charcoal and out of the two coke is easier to maintain than charcoal coke is like using a gas forge except you can burn the steel unfortunately it's gotten expensive and extremely difficult to get coke but not charcoal and i like my solid fuel forge more than the gas forge is there more information on this subject as a lot of blacksmithing books can be expensive to procurer and i find nothing beats visual or hands on to get a better understanding of what you are trying to achieve and was wondering if have the time to explain the concept to me thank you
Is a coke forge the same as a coal forge in the way that it runs or are there some major difference and are there any videos on this any help would be greatly appreciated thank you
You can burn either fuel in the same forge. However coke goes out easily and generally requires a blower that stays on a little bit even when not heating.
Thanks for the info so a air gate of some sort is advisable to regulate air flow and make sure that the fire stays lit but not to burn through it as quickly . can still wet down the coke like charcoal to control the fire and is a hair dryer put out enough air volume to keep the fire going or will i need a larger air source
Clinkers are a hard collection of all of the junk in the fire that melt into a mass. They are made up of impurities in the coal, scale from the work and welding flux, Since they don't burn they just take heat out of the fire, they also don't consume oxygen, which make the fire more likely to burn your work.
@@BlackBearForge we’ll that rules mine out 😅 thanks for the quick reply! Restoring my great grandfathers forging shop and your videos have been a huge blessing!
Hey my name is Jacob Smith I'm starting out blacksmithing as a hobby I use a brake drum for a coal Forge so I can just practice techniques and stuff like that I want to save up some money to give me a better Forge where I can hold more cold and stuff like that I wanted to ask if anthracite coal Burns slower
I have heard some people say they burn anthracite, but I have never tried it. Bituminous coal cokes better and is the typical coal for blacksmithing. Anyone selling forge coal should be selling bituminous coal. Propane is often cheaper and easier to use for starting out. I plan on doing a talk on the pros and cons of different forge fuels.
..Great information John!! It's hard to find decent coal available to use for forging around here. It's either Anthracite or, a soft coal like Vitrain from a hardware store. Both are 35-40 miles away. I'm using the Vitrain and it does perty good. My only complaint is soot and some smoke. Would you have any suggestions to help keeping these down?? My modified brake drum/rotor forge is outside so the smoke isn't that bad but, the soot is something else. How's the hand?? It looks like you are getting more movement with it...!!
I'm not familiar with that name. Good coal is getting harder to find and more expensive. I think my future will be propane and charcoal. The hand continues to improve, thanks.
Ol James Any coal can be used to forge with. You just have to learn the techniques to manage each one as they behave differently. When it comes to fuel, I say.. If it burns, heats steel, you can forge with it.
While that is essentially true, I don't always find it highly practical. The coal that travels through our area on the way to power plants has fairly low heat compared to good metallurgical coal, doesn't coke well, has way more impurity that can contaminate the material and full of dirt and shale that make fire maintenance a drag. It can be made to work. But if it was free and I could buy good coal for twice what I pay now I wouldn't use the stuff, it's just to much trouble for to little benefit. They used to mine high grade metallurgical coal in our area, but industry doesn't use it anymore and it burns to hot for the power plant, so those mines are all closed up.
Black Bear Forge I agree that you should get the best fuel you can. Coal of any kind is hard to get in my area so the practical side for me, is to burn/forge with what I can get my hands on. At some point I'll build a blown gas forge and then I'll have the best of both worlds.
shadowcastre, Yep i was using anthracite from Tractor Supply. But alas. it's hit or miss if they get any in. I found another source with the Vitrain. I do have to break it down into manageable pieces, some of them are as big as a football. Being a softer coal it doesn't last as long as Anthracite, Bituminous or Coke but it'll do. It gets Very hot. you can look in my scrap bucket where i took my eye off it and burned a lot up or in half! I'm still learning how to use it and most days can manage it fairly well...
I love your very informative videos. I under stand what you are talking about . You sir are a great teacher.
Thank you very much for the kind words of encouragement.
I agree. He explains things as he goes, speaks clearly and does not rush
I’m a butcher starting to venture into making my own knives for a side hobby, finding your videos very helpful
I want to get into blacksmithing, and your channel has the best place to find information. You've got a great way of explaining how to do things in an understanding way.
Glad I could help!
John I've been watching your videos for almost two years now, as a former US army instructor, I can say that your attention to detail is spot on, you have helped me get started on my blacksmithing, bladesmithing , and reduced my learning curve big time, I started with a venturi type gas forge, then fabricated a decent coal forge, after a year I get better working coal after every fire I build, I'm blessed to live right on top of the pocahontas #3 seam, thanks again sir
Thanks for your video. It confirms what I need to do now that I can't buy coke anywhere.
The Progresso soup can is what makes it a real forge lol. Seriously though great videos. Keep em coming.
You're the first to comment on that. It was the exact size and length I needed and has been in place for about 15 years.
I thought the same thing, I was trying to figure out what kind of soup it was, I personally love the Chicken Enchilada. Wouldn’t you know it, right after I find one I like they discontinued it.
I noticed it but thought it was a 1# Maxwell House coffee can. You can tell I didn't look too hard at it.
Thank you very much. I am in the process of reviving our old buffalo forge from my grandfathers farm. I never forged before but I have two grandsons who are really interested in learning how to forge. Our blower is a hand crank style but learning how to build and maintain a coal fire is critical for us to learn. We have only had one fire so far. Our fire pot is only about 3-4 inches deep and we made the mistake of putting our rainroad spike down into the fire and we burned up the end of it. Our fire was way to small and in just the one video I have learned a ton. I hope to view more of your videos to learn as much as I can so I and the boys can learn how to forge. Thanks again.
Just got my first coal forge, thanks for the video instructing us new to it!
Papers and kindlings
Joyfull start....greetings
Thank you for this terrific video. I am a writer, and this gave me a lot of context for writing a forging scene 😊
I'm a beginner with a new forge which I've lit up four times so far and haven't been able to get enough heat to do anything much with bars of mild steel. I'll watch this again and give it another go when the weather permits. (forge on wheeled trolley - have to do it outdoors until I get a hood and vent system rigged up in the shed). Your videos seem really informative and your voice is very easy to listen to. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks John. You da Man !!! I do Paintless dent repair for the car dealerships and wants to start building My own tools. Your expertise is very much appreciated. 😊
Bloody good show old chap. Very enjoyable, interesting and informative. Well presented and educational. Thank you.
Your first prononciation of "Tuyère" is actually quite good ! :) Thanks for your videos, it helps a lot :)
I call it the blowy tube
very helpful. i'm looking forward to starting my own forge.
jacob did you start yet?
I’m trying to figure out if he ment to go light it or to build one 😂
@@hiimryan2388 let's pretend he built one. Hopefully I'll be ready to forge in a few months
Thank you very much sir. This really helps. Just spent the day doing this in my blacksmith course. Stayed at the coal all day. Appreciate this
Thank you four all the information helping us I live in Australia I have told our coal is not good qualty
What a comprehensive and helpful video. Thank you from Washington state.
Glad it was helpful!
thanks for the forge tour and explanation. very helpful.
Excellent video, thank you sir.
Great videos thanks for explaining the basics
A great video sir
Please keep' em coming
Another great video. Dennis at DF in the shop has a great video on brake drum forges. I based mine off of his, it works great
I do a home made coal setup this was helpful
thank you for sharing your trade !!!!!
I wish I was closer to you, I'd love to work with you in person. You have a fantastic video series. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
You are welcome. Look in your area, there may be a local group that offers demonstrations and workshops.
Your video are very informative, thank you
Thank you!This was really helpful.I feel like my mind expanded beyond inmagination
I started the journey of blacksmithing about a year and a half ago. I scoured the internet for input using basic implements that I could scrounge. I noted the internet only amplifies the differences in opinions on the subject but fortunately I came across your channel about a year ago after making my forge from a large truck brake drum set inside a plate metal shallow table. As I have ventured along and made more than my share of mistakes, I find regardless of how many other people's videos I peruse, I continue to find the most helpful logical presentations and answers here with you. Your knowledge and humility in presenting subject matter is both excellent and inspiring. I'm 73 years old and my objective before I check out is to influence my 5 grandsons in their learning the technical and fun aspects of smithing with a view to weaning them off their addiction to computer games. Obviously this is a challenge but I'm thankful to have found your site and hope I can emulate your patient style. I just wanted you to know you are positively changing young lives of people you will never know (most likely) and wish you the best of health for a long life of sharing.
Thank you! Ken Weldon in Waukeenah, Florida.
PS. - The brake drum I started with was OK for exposure at the beginning but I will be getting a decent pot setup before the end of this year so we can get better heat control and not sticking our work down in the bottom at an angle as is necessary with the brake drum many times. I've also learned going back and re-watching your videos after some practice has enabled me to get new things out of even the most basic presentations that I just failed to see the importance in previously. We really don't appreciate what we don't know until we try to apply our limited understanding! Thanks again for your help and dedication in restoring this wonderful art form.
I find this more satisfying than those "satisfying" videos
This is great. I just got set up with a coal forge and didn't know where to start! This is just what I needed!
Great refresher video its been 36 years since I lite a coal forge back when I was in Farrier school in Langley BC. I just built a coal forge using a Waterloo hand crank blower that one of my former customers gave me for shoeing his horses. Thanks Again.
As always Well done! Your demeanor is a really differentiator from other well meaning blacksmiths and your knowledge is second to none that I have come across. Thank you! While scrap wood is my preferred heat source the basic principals are largely the similar. If you know of anyone specializing in wood fueled forge design (I've seen Whitlox) please pass on a link or contact info.
Amazing!!! This is so helpful!!! Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to make this!!!
Very helpful video
Thanks for sharing the shut down process as well.
You bet!
Thanks man, I just was gifted a blower and home built unit.
Another great video John
thank you
very helpful
Ty for the info
Yes! This video has been IMMENSELY helpful! I've been trying to get my coal forge working properly, I seem to spend at least 80% of my time on the fire rather than the metal. This just answered my questions! Thank you so much! Take the like good sir, you've earned it. Also subscribed.
Glad I could help!
Thank you John.
Could you maybe make a video on the most cost affective way to purchase and utilize forging fuels
Sir thank you for teaching such awesome skills I used to be a Paramedic but due to a motor cycle accident I had to retire.
I have been slowly starting to blacksmith.
I'm using Anthracite.....its truly awful in South Africa we have really poor coal here.
Awesome thanks!!!
Nice!
Nice
Just build my 1st coal forge. Gotta learn 2 light it
Neil Graham my coal just... doesn't burn
Happy New Year
Happy new year
Sorry for the dumb question but what do you mean when you say “coke?” Never mind you just answered my question. Thanks.
Collin Smith it’s the only thing that is real iron and coke cromium steel 10 points to say what singiner sung that
We're living here in Allentown
Water is a problem here in the old blacksmith shop at the museum. I've taken to using snow around the perimeter of the fire and on the coal around the edge of the hearth. I just take a shovel full and spread it on the edge of the fire around the firepot and pack it down. After a while, the heat melts the snow and the water soaks down into the coal. I do that process as needed throughout the day. I also keep a little can of snow near the grinder and just smear a little of it on the work when it starts to get hot, seems to work just fine.
I have done those things as well or even taken a large piece out and just set it in the snow to cool. Makes hardening and tempering very difficult though
I'm in the UK John im having to use smokeless coal as Bituminous coal is now banned . tried Anthracite but didnt really work and im having trouble getting hold of some Coke to try I'm finding mixing wood and smokeless together works well and you get a good heat i sometimes break up the Coals that seems to help .no other choice really smokeless is £29 a bag and annvil forge coke is £40 a bag plus delivery hey ho
Thanks black bear that was very helpful I had a master that taught me for a little while years ago for a couple months and just getting back to forging by myself. And I feel like I didn't quite remember everything he taught me so relearning myself. Thiswas very helpful deff a like and subscribe for this guy. You're going to be my teacher through the web. Thanks again
I'm glad the video helped out. Keep smithing
Excellent video!
To extend the life of a blower motor.. it's much better to have the air gate on the intake side of the blower rather than on the output side. I had a lengthy, in depth discussion with an electrition friend of mine on this very subject.
Thanks for the video...
That is interesting, I would not have thought it would have mattered. That may require some engineering to control it from the front of the forge. When the motor shop is through repairing my other blower I will discuss the science behind the difference.
Black Bear Forge
Engineering.. Your just the man for the job! :-) It would make for a good video..
good info and simple instruction, thanks...very helpful.
Ok, so now I'll go and try it out. The little gas forge is getting just too expensive. Hope it works for me!
Thanks, useful
thank you so much, I was going about lighting coal all wrong
Brilliant, I was just about to google using coke or coal, I wasn't to sure if they were the same or different products.
Hi there...I've been watching your videos and have learned a lot from you and I thank you...I built my own coal forge and it works great but I have trouble keeping it from going out sometimes...would you have any helpful tips...? Thank you
Can you address back blast, whomps and pops? I occasionally keep getting a nice startle from a whomp or two with my hand crank blower setup on my forge
Great info John. I like that you added the putting it out section to the end too. When I first started I got my first fire going and when I was done looked at it and said "what the heck do I do now" LOL. Recently Built myself a side blast forge (there is a video of it on my channel) I am loving it great heat control. And with a sand floor I can shape the pot to whatever size I need. My only regret and something I will probably change later on is no pass thru.
Thanks again for a great video
Thanks. I took a look at your video, looks like a very nice forge. How do you like it compared to a bottom blast?
Black Bear Forge I like that it is easier to clean. However there is a bit more up keep involved since I have to be sure there is water in the bosh and that there is a pocket under the tyre for the clunker to form without blocking the air. The trade off has been worth it though.
uncle cy, do you use coal or coke in the side blast forge?
I am using Coal currently however when I run out I will probably switch to coke.
Thanks a lot master. I thought I would never be able to turn on my forge haha.
Sinnlichkeit your an apprentice? Where can I sign up
@@hiimryan2388 sub button dawg
From experience if you want a good beginner forge get a propane 1burner MrVolcano forge they are $75 but it you want to do coal get a steel 55 gallon barrel and cut and door out of it and set it upright and putt somewhat of a chimminy on it you want you keep the fumes away from you especially if using anthracite coal (i switched to coal because it is cheaper gets hotter and is not loud) now for the blower get a Dayton 1TDP3 blower it is much better than a hairdryer but if you have to use a handcrank blower get a Zomax 25 or 35 handcrank blower dont get a cheaper one i tried them and they dont work vary well. Now for the coal i use Anthracite coal from tsc because that is all i can get but if you can get some bituminous coal it will work better or if you want to you can just use charcoal it it more expensive through and i recommend making it yourself. I hope i have helped
Hi John
Love it!!
very useful thanks!
cheers John, I have the luxury of using coke that I crush to size myself, (we have found a supply of coke, but only in about 6 inch lumps) but the last lot had a lot of fines in it already, which tend to blow away when you add a scoop full to the forge. I'm to cheap to sieve it out and throw it away - I might try sieving the worst of it out and try your technique of making it in to some sort of a paste / slurry.
Coke is a good fuel, but there isn't any around here and it costs a bit more than having coal shipped. Still hoping to be able to increase my homemade charcoal production.
I'm so cheap, I've been experimenting with adding the coke created by the previous fire along with all the fines swept up off my table in a bucket and adding some water and using it for the next forging session. I was concerned about the ash, but it seems to work anyhow.
I haven't heard of anyone making a slurry mix from the coke and fines, but it seems to work for me.
Cool video and I'm catching up fast. I've been watching a video or two a day for a couple of months now. My questions are 1) what do you do with the clinker once its cooled? 2) have you ever taken a magnet to the floor of your shop just to see what gets pulled out of the dirt?
The clinker is just waste. I have never gone around with a magnet, but if I use one to pickup spilled screws, I get lots of scale and filings stuck to it as well.
Can you do a close up shot of "coke" and "clincker"? It was difficult to see and it kinda looked similar from the distance. BTW, great job on the videos. You've quickly become my got guy when learning the blacksmithing trade
Once you see them in your own fire you will easily see the difference. But if I remember i will try to get a better shot
John's right, the difference is unmistakable once you get your own fire going. Green coal looks vaguely like wood charcoal, but more like a type of rock that is sort of oily or greasy. Coke is like coal turned into popcorn...very black popcorn. It's lightweight like Styrofoam, has more of a charcoal-like surface texture than green coal, and no longer has the oily look. Clinker is jagged, looks like raggedy molten glass. When in glowing red hot in the fire, it often clumps into a large mass that you can lift out with a poker, but as soon as you toss it on the hearth, its jagged extremities cool off and it glows for a few moments just from the core of the chunk. You will also quickly learn to hear the slight glassy, clinking sound of clinker against the tip of your poker, where coke sounds more like cardboard or, sure enough, popcorn, against the poker. When cool, clinker has molten glassy texture, sandy specks, jagged edges, reds, browns, whites...and you wouldn't want to fall on your knees in it. My daughter thought clinker looked so interesting that she took a jarful to keep on a shelf. That says something about how different it looks from coal or coke.
Very helpful 👍🏻
6:03 I usually use a ferro rod and some dryer lint lol
its funny that on a channel about bashing metal with hammers, the loudest thing by far this video was newspaper. :P
I'm still new at this
How does that chimney draw so well when it’s not even above the fire? Is there a vent fan pulling the smoke and flames to chimney opening?
natural draft. Side draft forges almost always draw better than an overhead hood.
I’ve heard that clinker can be used to make cement. What kind of clinker does coal make?
Clinker is all of the junk from the coal, dirt from the mine, burnt steel and flux. There isn't any predictable makeup.
Thanks for all the great videos and information you share with us.
I want to try my hand in blacksmithing and I'm just about to build my first forge. The only solid fuel available to me is charcoal.
How deep a fire would you need to get a neutralizing fire if charcoal is used instead of coal?
Would love to see a video with you forging something using and managing a charcoal fire along with your thoughts on it.
Thanks again.
Generally about 4" but it also depends on how much air you have coming in.
How do you maintain a fire while working with the forge on and off all day like the old time blacksmiths ? I have mounded up up a pile of coal and sort of seal it off and came back up to 3 hours later and broke it open , added air and revived the fire. Thanks
That is pretty mush the usual technique. Although I work mostly in a gas forge, so it isn't an issue
Man I'm going to need a beard shield.
Great video. Just one question and one comment. Question: Any concerns about the water rusting out your table? Comment: I just heard about using shelled corn as a solid fuel for blacksmithing. Tend it like a coal fire but burns more like charcoal.
I think that in the long run rust could be a problem. My forge is a piece of 1/4" plate with brick top. Ideally you shouldn't use to much water and it should stay up on the bricks, but as mortar ages and cracks I am sure the water finds its way through. That would be another advantage to coke or charcoal. The old cast iron forges seemed to survive quite well.
I have never heard about using coirn as a fuel and would like to learn more about it.
I've just started researching it myself. Around here (southwest missouri) I can get coal for $10/50lb. Shelled corn is just slightly cheaper at $9/50lb (probably get better prices buying in bulk) and it's a renewable fuel source. Only problem I foresee off the top of my head is storage and keeping the rodents out of it. Found this old jewel for starters www.iforgeiron.com/topic/34915-corn-forging-starting-the-fire/ Let us know what you find out (maybe an idea for another video?). Thank you for all the great content.
David Thomas
Yes.. you can forge with dried whole feed corn. You will get the same heat and burn rate as charcoal.
If your coal is only 1 $ per bag difference.. the thing to remember is that you'll use up to 5 times more charcoal or corn than you will coal.
shadowcastre In volume, yes (and I heard 10 times), but my understanding is that a pound of charcoal has the same BTUs as a pound of coal, coal is just more dense (don't know about corn, suppose to have 7,000 BTUs per kg). That said, I'll certainly keep it in mind if I give corn a try. Thanks.
What are your thoughts on lining coal forges with refractory cement or similar? I have a cast iron Rivet forge and someone told me I should line mine as such to avoid burning through
The old manufactures always seemed to recommend it. But it can trap moisture and cause rust issues.
@@BlackBearForge interesting. Mine is a cast iron Rivet forge, would you personally recommend I seal it or should I just run it as is
thanks, once again, great information delivered in a straightforward and clear manner. I would like to know more about the chimney. does it have an exhaust fan? how does it draw so well even though not directly over the fire?
No exhaust fan. A side draft tends to work better than the overhead hood because it is closer to the fire and doesn't get overloaded with as much room air. I think i explained it some in this video ua-cam.com/video/R6O8Wv8zfR4/v-deo.html
is the same process used for lump charcoal or it have a different way of doing it
Similar, but it isn't as likely to need water and it lights much easier
Great vide0. One question. Is there any type of grate in the bottom of the fire pot?
There is a cast ball that swivels t break the clinker that forms and the air moves around that ball
@@BlackBearForge thanks. Just found your channel a few weeks ago, now I'm addicted. Thanks again.
Does your hood/chimney have a blower fan in it? Or u just get enough draft without?
Natural draft
Is there a fan on your chimney or is it just a natural draft?
Just natural draft
John, I am wondering how you got started in black smithing and at what age. maybe a video to answer?
ua-cam.com/video/9KsvwSPOn9Y/v-deo.html
Good video, John. I noticed what looked like a handle down under there but, you didn't mention riddling the fire pot. Is this something you do from time to time or is that handle for something else? Thank you for sharing all this information.
I should have n=mentioned that as well. It rotates the ball or clinker breaker to help clear the clinker from the air blast and also to sift out the ashes so they may be dumped without disturbing the fire.
Thank you
Is your exhaust hood naturally aspirated or do you have a fan to create draft?
Naturally aspirated.
Having major problems with getting it to draft. Tried different diameter stack pipe..10" seemed to work the best, but still not like yours.
Thanks for the video, John. Great info as usual. I'm a beginner bladesmith/blacksmith and all my work so far has been with a propane forge that I built myself. I hear one term a lot when referring to solid fuel forges and that's "clinker". What is clinker?
Thanks.
clinker is all of the junk that ends up as a big mass in the bottom of the fire. Impurities in the coal are the biggest part, but it also contains welding flux, scale and the remnants of work that has been over heated. Clinker robs the fire of heat and doesn't consume any oxygen making it easier to burn material trying to get the higher heats. It isn't as big of a problem with coke or charcoal.
Thanks!
Hi there, at one point you had said you sometimes use coal as fine as "dust". I was wondering if you could demonstrate your "slurry" mixture, the consistency etc. My coal is anywhere from large egg size to just bigger than tennis balls and I have been breaking it up smaller and find I have a lot of "dust " and fine particles left. I just don't want to make a mess while experimenting with this stuff and end up spending a lot of time cleaning out the fire pot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks in advance; Jeff
About the consistency of oatmeal. Just wet enough to stick together
I've noticed that nobody has ever done comprehensive video on charcoal fire control and how to maintain good heat on your work I've used both coke and charcoal and out of the two coke is easier to maintain than charcoal coke is like using a gas forge except you can burn the steel unfortunately it's gotten expensive and extremely difficult to get coke but not charcoal and i like my solid fuel forge more than the gas forge is there more information on this subject as a lot of blacksmithing books can be expensive to procurer and i find nothing beats visual or hands on to get a better understanding of what you are trying to achieve and was wondering if have the time to explain the concept to me thank you
How do you keep coke from falling down the tue? What kind of grate do you have?
its a typical bottom blast fire pot with a breaker ball. Way better than the kind with a grate
@@BlackBearForge Thanks for the fast reply.
Is a coke forge the same as a coal forge in the way that it runs or are there some major difference and are there any videos on this any help would be greatly appreciated thank you
You can burn either fuel in the same forge. However coke goes out easily and generally requires a blower that stays on a little bit even when not heating.
Thanks for the info so a air gate of some sort is advisable to regulate air flow and make sure that the fire stays lit but not to burn through it as quickly . can still wet down the coke like charcoal to control the fire and is a hair dryer put out enough air volume to keep the fire going or will i need a larger air source
Is that an induced draft chimeny?
No, it is just a side draft. Side draft forges tend to draw very well.
Hello. Could you tell me where the clinkers come from and why they aren’t any good? I’ve heard many complain about them. Thank you for your time.
Clinkers are a hard collection of all of the junk in the fire that melt into a mass. They are made up of impurities in the coal, scale from the work and welding flux, Since they don't burn they just take heat out of the fire, they also don't consume oxygen, which make the fire more likely to burn your work.
Do you have an exhaust fan in your chimney?
No, if its well designed a fan isn't needed.
@@BlackBearForge we’ll that rules mine out 😅 thanks for the quick reply! Restoring my great grandfathers forging shop and your videos have been a huge blessing!
Hey my name is Jacob Smith I'm starting out blacksmithing as a hobby I use a brake drum for a coal Forge so I can just practice techniques and stuff like that I want to save up some money to give me a better Forge where I can hold more cold and stuff like that I wanted to ask if anthracite coal Burns slower
I have heard some people say they burn anthracite, but I have never tried it. Bituminous coal cokes better and is the typical coal for blacksmithing. Anyone selling forge coal should be selling bituminous coal. Propane is often cheaper and easier to use for starting out. I plan on doing a talk on the pros and cons of different forge fuels.
..Great information John!! It's hard to find decent coal available to use for forging around here. It's either Anthracite or, a soft coal like Vitrain from a hardware store. Both are 35-40 miles away. I'm using the Vitrain and it does perty good. My only complaint is soot and some smoke. Would you have any suggestions to help keeping these down?? My modified brake drum/rotor forge is outside so the smoke isn't that bad but, the soot is something else. How's the hand?? It looks like you are getting more movement with it...!!
I'm not familiar with that name. Good coal is getting harder to find and more expensive. I think my future will be propane and charcoal. The hand continues to improve, thanks.
Ol James
Any coal can be used to forge with. You just have to learn the techniques to manage each one as they behave differently.
When it comes to fuel, I say.. If it burns, heats steel, you can forge with it.
While that is essentially true, I don't always find it highly practical. The coal that travels through our area on the way to power plants has fairly low heat compared to good metallurgical coal, doesn't coke well, has way more impurity that can contaminate the material and full of dirt and shale that make fire maintenance a drag. It can be made to work. But if it was free and I could buy good coal for twice what I pay now I wouldn't use the stuff, it's just to much trouble for to little benefit. They used to mine high grade metallurgical coal in our area, but industry doesn't use it anymore and it burns to hot for the power plant, so those mines are all closed up.
Black Bear Forge
I agree that you should get the best fuel you can. Coal of any kind is hard to get in my area so the practical side for me, is to burn/forge with what I can get my hands on.
At some point I'll build a blown gas forge and then I'll have the best of both worlds.
shadowcastre, Yep i was using anthracite from Tractor Supply. But alas. it's hit or miss if they get any in. I found another source with the Vitrain. I do have to break it down into manageable pieces, some of them are as big as a football. Being a softer coal it doesn't last as long as Anthracite, Bituminous or Coke but it'll do. It gets Very hot. you can look in my scrap bucket where i took my eye off it and burned a lot up or in half! I'm still learning how to use it and most days can manage it fairly well...