Subject: Re: Coal Fired Forge

From: [email-masked] (Marc Christensen)
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 23:56:52 GMT

Firewalker ([email-masked]) wrote:

: I may have the opportunity to aquire a coal fired forge in the near future.
: While I hope to do a little trading for it, i was wondering what it was 
: worth.  It is coal fired with a squirrel cage fan.  It has an assortment
: of hooks, tongs, and miscellaneous other tools with it (but I doubt I  could get 
: the hammers) as well as about 1/3 of a 55 gal barrel of coal.

: Aside from wondering what it's worth, does anyone know of a place in Kansas
: to get suitable coal??

I would assume you should be able to use charcoal instead. I will sure be 
cleaner

Marc Christensen

---

From: [email-masked] (Rick Cavasin)
Date: 22 Dec 1993 14:49:46 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Marc Christensen) writes:
|> Firewalker ([email-masked]) wrote:
|> 
|> : I may have the opportunity to aquire a coal fired forge in the near future.
|> : While I hope to do a little trading for it, i was wondering what it was 
|> : worth.  It is coal fired with a squirrel cage fan.  It has an assortment
|> : of hooks, tongs, and miscellaneous other tools with it (but I doubt I  could get 
|> : the hammers) as well as about 1/3 of a 55 gal barrel of coal.
|> 
|> : Aside from wondering what it's worth, does anyone know of a place in Kansas
|> : to get suitable coal??
|> 
|> I would assume you should be able to use charcoal instead. I will sure be 
|> cleaner
|> 
|> Marc Christensen
|> 
|> 
|> 

Cleaner yes, but MUCH more expensive.  Charcoal burns very fast in a forge,
and (I understand) that you have to use real wood charcoal, not the briquets
that have been pressed out of charcoal dust (they contain a binding agent
that causes problems).  Not sure how easy it is to get up to welding temp.
with charcoal in a conventional forge.
In our area, good forge coal is not that easy to
find.  You need connections.  I suggest you contact blacksmiths and/or
blacksmith's associations in your area.  I think the coal I've got in the
past originated in Pennsylvania, and changed hands a number of times before
it got to me.  Once my forge is up and running again, I'll have to get more.
That 1/3 of a barrel should last you some time while you look for a local
source.  Used intelligently, coal is a very economical fuel.

Cheers, Rick C.

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From: [email-masked] (Marc Christensen)
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 23:56:52 GMT

Marc Christensen

---

From: [email-masked] (Rick Cavasin)
Date: 22 Dec 1993 14:49:46 GMT

Cheers, Rick C.

---

From: [email-masked] (Ralph Snel)
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1993 16:27:39 GMT

> |> : the hammers) as well as about 1/3 of a 55 gal barrel of coal.

I recently bought one (actually three) in here in Sweden, no tools,
for the equivalent of $70. The tools are nice to have, they go for up
to $10 a piece here (but if you're lucky you can buy a whole batch
for the price of one).

> with charcoal in a conventional forge.

One of the nicer things to weld with actually. If you have hardwood
charcoal you get as hot a fire as with coal, but with very little slag.

Ralph
(just as a hobby though)

[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 27 Dec 93 19:25:35 GMT

I am interested in building and using a forge, for knife blades.  Are
there any books I should look for to get started?  I haven't the foggiest
on where to start.
    Thanks,
       Brian

---

From: [email-masked] (Louis Victor Zimmerman)
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1993 06:36:06 GMT

>there any books I should look for to get started?  I haven't the foggiest

Off the top of my leg  (where it happens to be sitting... :-)   )

"The Complete Bladesmith", subtitle "Forging Your Way to
Perfection".
Author: Jim Hrisoulas
Printed by the Paladin Press, ISBN 0-87364-430-1

He has a second book out, who's name I forget because I don't
have it yet... :-(   

A good source of books on all aspects of forging is the Centaur
Forge catalog.  Their address I don't have, as I don't have a
catalog (had a good look at a friend's) but it's probably in the
FAQ.  Happy hammering!

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