blacksmithing with char wood ..? [Archive]

HottAK47

11-12-2006, 03:23 PM

If you were using BBQ type briquetts that would be the reason your results were poor. Briquetts have a lot of pine and petroleum products in them and in my experience dont work worth a damn. They take forever to reach a forging heat and a welding heat is , for me, impossible.

Real charcoal is available from resturant supply houses but then there again you got the shipping. The stuff is easy to make, though,

http://www.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints_300-400/p2_articleid/469

I have used coal, coke, charcoal but on a daily basis I use propane. I can get steel to a welding heat in just a few minutes without the mess, smell and black 3 pound boogers associated with coal. Its the difference between a wood stove and a microwave oven. I own both but dont kid myself about which one is efficent. There are some things that coal is better for, welding Damascus billets, for one, but its sure nice to be able to just flip a valve and throw a switch.

As long as propane is available I plan to use it with charcoal as a backup. I have a big 3 burner atmospheric propane forge I bult at a cost of less than a hundred bucks and could have made it cheaper with more scrounging. The main cost is liner, regulator and fittings. I think Glen has plans on the site I listed , if not do a search on "Ron Riel". I talk to some Smiths in OZ and NZ that use used oil/fuel oil forges but I got no experience with them .

One thing I do know about forging with charcoal is that it helps to have a BIG blower. I once watched a guy use charcoal in a 1750 style forge that had a big bellows type blower that would nearly lift the fire out of the firepot every time he romped down on it and it worked great.

If I can be of any help feel free to PM me or mail at Txfarrier11@aol.com. Best of luck, Dutch