Steve Meyer

I melted one project last night, I knew it was happening, but was to late. After I just lowered the air a lot and all was fine.

Ive just finished learning it somewhat difficult to start. The top parts of the bag were all dry. So I was working on that. I set some of the damp stuff to the sides of the barrel my brake drum is in to dry in the heat. Which may have worked had I ever gotten any heat.

Yea at the end of work today I actually got to talk to a local farrier. Luckily he came in right before we locked up for the day. He said he uses the stuff from tractor supply when he needs it. He's supposed to be seeing about extra tongs and what not as well. EDIT: Also I have tiny hands so about that size comparison

fines? Not sure I'm familiar with the term. The pieces I pulled out were very small.

I bought 4, 40 pound bags of nut coal for $23 at tractor supply. Makes it much cheaper for more than the charcoal, and its in smaller chunks as well.

I definitely need, mostly I do ok but I get some random hammer swings sometimes, especially on hard swings with the 3lb cross peen :).

Finally able to get ahold of tractor supply they do have several bags of it. But its nut coal. I'll ask when I get there about the other. I figure I'll try it and get a sideblast together. I eventually want to make my own charcoal with pecan wood.

That's a great idea, especially as I happen to have a cheap air mattress inflator. I was just thinking I'd hook a rheostat up to my blow dryer and turn down the power to control air flow. Yes I was going to call tractor supply today there is one 30 minutes away in Vernon.

I checked and the coal they have for sale is 4 or 5 hours away from me, which with family there is all good, I was looking for a until that happens solution. One could look at those illustrations and completely see it as rocket science btw I have no problem building a side blast style forge. I do want to wait on even a semi permanent fixture, or one that is difficult to move, as we are getting ready to buy a house soon. This one is a rent house. That's one reason I built the brake drum forge. It looked like the easiest to put together and the easiest to move at the time.

Thank you, I've tried to find one there isn't a very local group at all it seems, which isn't to say I haven't just been unlucky in my searching. I've also talked to a couple of local welders and one fella that frequents the shop who shoes horses. I'd whether use the coal either way the forge is setup, just because everything I can find says it lasts longer, and more bang for my buck is great. I'm checking other sites and places, the coal was 29.94, shipping brought it to 49.94 per bag to my door. I will try to vent the air first and see if that helps with the rapid consumption of charcoal, until I can try a side blast. in fact when my blow dryer slips out of the tube a bit it doesn't cut all the air, but lowers the amount by a lot. I checked the only local store that might have the pipe and fittings, they don't so I'll have to make the hour and half drive to Wichita Falls for the supplies to build one, minus the non clumping kitty liter that I can get here :).

Coal doesn't care? I did some research after your post and like the idea. I didn't find the 55 side blast, I did find your thread. I would do that but there is no clay here, and if I could figure out how to use sand I'd have to buy bags of play sand? I'll do more searching tomorrow after work. I have a engine install and a jaguar heating issue so I'll be to tired to want to do much outside lol. I started with a brick pit in the ground with a pipe going into the side if it, you can see it below my current one in the picture above. then built this brake drum forge so another build won't hurt.

`I'm looking now to see how that can be done. I have a car rear rotor, with E brake drum for the forge part. with a 2 and 1/2 ft, or so 3 inch pipe welded to it, then the flexible heating duct tubing coming off of that inside the barrel.

The way mine is setup I just remove the electric blow dryer and use the flexible heater tubing to dump ashes and clean. the tube is actually 8ft but when its in its folded, shortened position its maybe 3ft`. I could easily stretch it out and cut a section off for later use. would it be worth it to drill holes in the shorter section to allow some air out and not over burn the charcoal?

Compared to my 3.3 hours of charcoal time out of the same weight, thats not bad. Also the air may be a problem for why I'm burning so fast. I'm using a blow dryer it has two settings. So if I understand right the coal would be better lasting for the amount of air Im using? Currently paying $7 a hour to learn this isn't really acceptable.

Was wondering if buying coal online was worth it?Until I can get setup to make my own charcoal, (which may be awhile yet). I'd like to get a bit more bang for my buck. I'm getting about a hour per 15 pound bag using store bought charcoal. Which may sound off I don't really know, and as Im trying to learn tapering and some other basics ( not as easy as it looks, it turns out). Im not really moving much metal in that time period. So I found where shipped I can get 50lb bags of coal to my house its $50 per bag, goes down if I buy more at once. Also can get just coke at the same weight for the same price.