Subject: Re: Fire Starting

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 20:28:50 -0500 (EST)

The clinker is the hardest to start.

Gene ;-o :)

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From: [email-masked] (Fred Clark)
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 21:31:44 -0500

>Dear Dr. Mark,
>
>> >From what Jerry wrote, the coke he is using has been converted in his forge
>> fire. It is what I call breeze. Indeed, it is easier to get a fire
>>started with
>> breeze than with the green coal from which it (the breeze) was made.
>>
>> It appears that both you and Jerry use coke produced in the forge.
>
>So how do you start fires? The coke I'm using is breeze, made in
>previous fires, and I find it is harder to ignite than green coal.
>
>--
>Steve Smith
>[email-masked]

My 2 cents worth:

A ball of newspaper and breeze is what I always use to start a fire with.
For me it's the easiest, and when I'm about to shut down I'll usually pull
some green coal up on the fire and make a fresh batch that I rake to the
back corner of the forge. Could be my imagination, but I don't believe I
get as much smoke starting a new fire with this as I do when using coal.

Fred

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From: Russell McCrackin <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 19:55:28 -0800

>The clinker is the hardest to start.
Never tried that.  Yet!!!

Rusty

at Rusty Forge

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 [email-masked]

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From: Mike Linn <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 96 17:24 EST

I start my fire with 4 FULL folded sheets of wadded up newspaper. ie
4 balls of paper. I light 1 piece and place it with the flame down in the
firepot. then add the other wads of paper. Pile on a couple of handfulls of
the last fires coke and a forge shovel full of green coal fines. pea sized
and smaller. Turn on the air full blast. as the fire gets going add more
coke. Feed the green coal in from the sides of the fire, pushing the green
coal down the insides of the pot. the green coal along the side will help
you from burning through your firepot. Ive had really good luck with my
fires using this method. My blacksmith teachers' pet peeve is proper fire
tending, so i learned pretty quick.

helping to get it hot,

mike

                                    _///_
                                   /(o o)\
===============================o000o=(_)=o000o====
               Michael Linn 
            Artisian Blacksmith
              AFC Web Master
 http://www.the-matrix.com/afc/index.html
==================================================
Smile, it makes people wonder what you've been up to.

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From: "David C. Hufford" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 1996 06:59:26 -0500 (EST)

For starting a coal fire, I use a couple of sheets of newspaper rolled 
lenghtwise (to form a long cylinder of sorts) and then tied into a loose 
knot.  This goes into the bottom of the firepot, and two or three pine 
splinters (small slit pieces from scrap) go on top of the newspaper.  
Some breeze (coke) on top of this and light.  Apply a slight blast, and 
rake some green coal around the sides of the paper/breeze mound.  As the 
breeze lights, apply more blast and add green coal.  I've had no 
difficulty starting the forge this way.  I always pack wet green coal 
over the fire when I quit and let it set; this will yield breeze/coke 
for starting the next fire or to save for welding purposes.

David C. Hufford

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From: [email-masked] (Thomas Boudreau)
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 12:47:47 -0400

Steve: 

 I think we understand your problem, but have no solutions. It must be the
quality of the coal or is it possible your breeze is *over cooked*? By
adding too much air/oxygen when making breeze, will ruin it. Try adding a
bit of water on it as it cokes up.

 P.S. Thanks Rusty; good article on flint strickers!

Thomas B
NS  Can.

===========================================================>

>Dear People,
>
>Thanks for all your answers. My original confustion was not over
>getting a fire lit; I can almost always get it lit immediately with
>two sheets of newspaper and _green_coal_. The only times I have a
>problem is if I try to light the breeze coke.