Neighbors and coalsmoke

[Dan OHare]

Might have a problem here- The wife and I have just moved from a very rural setting where making noise and coalsmoke was never a problem at any hour day or night. The gables of the nearest house were just visible over the trees more than a quarter mile down the road. Now that has all changed.
The new house is smack in the middle of a villiage and I am surrounded by neighbors, very close on all sides. The plus of this is that I now have a shop building, a one car garage with a dirt floor. It measures 12 ft by 18 ft and is certainly roomy enough to set up shop in, (this begs the question- "is any shop ever big enough? but that's a different can of worms altogether).
Obviously I am now in the market for a gasser as sending up a heavy plume of coalsmoke could see the local 911 dispatcher flooded with half a dozen simultaneous calls. So that's the downside, going with gas when I definetly prefer coal and a handcranked blower.
More on the plus side is that I now have a shop contained in its own building and can get busy setting it up as I please to suit me. Our new house and garage is over 100 years old and it is obvious the garage has had a woodstove installed in the past. Putting my forge flue through the same spot that has been framed over from the woodstove will be easy and other garages in the neighborhood have woodstoves in them so I won't be the only one making smoke. As we all know, green coal in a new fire puts up quite an acrid heavy pall before it cleans up and thins, so this is the problem.
I will be adding a gasser which will no doubt be my main source for taking heats but I know what a coal junkie I am and this will take some geting used to, switching to gas. I know I will still long to have a snootful of coal.
Does anyone have any ideas they could share on the subject of getting along with the nieghbors, "blacksmithing incognito", hiding in plain sight, etc. etc.
Thanks! Dan

[pete46]

Start The Fire W/lump Charcoal & Ease The Coal In Around It.
Train The Neighbors :the'll Think Bar B Q / Meth Lab
REALLY THOUGH THE LUMP CHAR. WILL CUT THE SMOKE DOWN!
THIER STILL GONN'A KNOW YOUR B-SMITH'N!

[Bentiron1946]

In my neighborhood I can't use coal at all so it is gas or nothing at all. Charcoal is not an option because of sparking and the extreme dry conditions. The last thing I need is a brush fire.

[ThomasPowers]

Talk with them and work with them, if they have a baby that naps at 2pm go take a break then!

I ran a forge in the inner city of Columbus OH for 15 years. My closest neighbor grew up with a coal furnace and told me the smell brought back her childhood---no problem there!

Talk with the local fire department; shoot do a demo for them and the police department---gets you a lot more "Please hold it down the so and so's are having a party" rather than "here's your ticket!".

[dablacksmith]

you might see if you can get coke! ive used it a lot lateley almost no smoke and no sparks like charcoal... and talk to the neibors you mignt be suprised and they might like it! ive had a shop in a neiborhood with trip hammer almost on the property line( within a foot or 2 ) with neibors house as close to the line as law allows (i think it was 10 ft setback) had no problems they liked my coal smoke better than the other neibors male goat!!! if your carful on fireup to keep the smoke to a minimum build a good tall chimney you shouldnt have a problem... i know of a shop that was in down town seattle and they were running a coal forge... the chimney was real tall alway up building but it worked good...good luck!!

[ertwdan]

pete46 is on the right trail

I use charcoal to start my fire then slowly bring in the coal. Make sure that you construct a good chimney (12 diameter or equivalent). The large size will draw in a lot of tramp air (read the solution to pollution is dilution)

my $0.02

[HWooldridge]

Dan,

I did the reverse of you - started in the city and moved to the country. As such, I hid in plain sight. I did not go around and volunteer information but when someone asked what I was doing in that shed, the response was that I did a little welding on the side. That wasn't a fib as I had a welder and used it once in a while so the neighbors could see the arc reflecting at night. The coal smoke and banging were just part of being a "weldor". One of the neighbors remarked that they could never figure out why the windows and dishes shook occasionally - I didn't say that it was probably the 100 lb hammer running.

This is even funnier when you consider the neighbors did call the police once when I was hitting a speed bag in the carport. Apparently, that sounded like someone trying to get out of a locked room or so I was told. I showed them the bag and they left in less than a minute. Never got another call and I worked there regularly almost ten years.

[tetnum]

an alternate option is to go the route i was forced to and use a scrubber i have used mine for about a year and have had no problems


scrubber

[RBrown]

As stated above a good tall chimney. Make shure you always finish the day with plenty of coke to start a fire the next time. Fire control and cooking off green coal slowley will cut down on most of your smoke. You still might get a few compants about the smell of coal burnign but unless there is some law or regulation aginst burning coal to heat with you should be fine. Most people will get over the smell and or any other problems once they find out what you are doing expecialy if you fix or make them something from time to time. If they dont get over it well more than likeley they would have found some other reason not to get along with you at some point.

[Ten Hammers]

My nickels worth. You can absolutely forge and weld and do anything you want with charcoal ( except use coal ). I know it is different. I am fortunate that I have good neighborhood. I also have gassers and I do use coal. Charcoal is not cheap, no but I use it at rondys and shows ( I sometimes use coal as well). There is a learning curve. Good luck.