Subject: coal to coke

From: Raymon Baker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 13:58:17 -0400 (EDT)

Albin,
I guess you could say that I demonstrate too.  I follow the blackpowder
rendezvous circuit, blacksmithing on a coal forge.  I get asked the same
question.  I have several responses, generally aimed at the level of
knowledge of the person posing the question.

1. Water prevents the fire from getting too large and wasting fuel. I need
only a small fire to heat the metal under normal circumstances.

2. Water prevents the coal from burning up during the coking process. The
coal can then heat for a longer time and can more completely rid itself of
the impurities that prevent the coal from being a good fuel. (I'm sure that
there are some chemical reasons, too, but they haven't yet soaked in.)

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From: Chris Kilpatrick <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 00:44:10 -0700

How about the fact that the impurities "boil off", but it doesn't get hot 
enough to burn out the carbon?

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From: Jim McCarty <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 11:14:05 -0500

Raymon Baker wrote:
> rendezvous circuit, blacksmithing on a coal forge. )

Raymon,
I would be intersted in knowing what you make for the Rendezvous. I 
know several people who are into this and say they make a lot of money 
selling to these folks, much better than working the craft fair 
crowds.

-- 
Jim McCarty
Father Helias Forge
Taos, MO
Editor Rural Missouri Magazine
Newsletter editor, Blacksmiths Association of Missouri

³Foolish consistencies are the hobgoblins of little minds³